Freethinker Sunday Sermonette: Anyone? Anyone?

Let's face it. The US education system sucks. The public school system was a great historical achievement, producing high literacy rates, but in the 21st century the US is increasingly at a competitive disadvantage compared to other industrial nations. Instead of investing more we are investing less while promoting privatization, a recipe for mediocrity. This is seen most clearly in . . . anyone? what kind of eduction? . . . science education, where false ideas like . . . anyone? anyone? . . . evolution are rammed down the throats of helpless students, producing . . . anyone? faithless what? . . . faithless little monsters, who will become drug-taking, communist . . . anyone? anyone? . . . atheists. This isn't about letting . . . anyone? anyone? . . . religion creep into the classroom. It's about keeping an open mind about . . . anyone? protecting the? . . . "protecting the rights of students and teachers who don't agree with the science behind Darwinian evolution":

A debate about evolution has been swirling in the Capitol since last month, when the state Board of Education adopted the state's new science standards, which mandated teaching evolution. Activists persuaded the board to qualify evolution as a "theory," but the board did not write in any special provision for teaching alternative beliefs.

[State Senator Rhonda] Storms[, R. Valrico] filed her bill at the start of the legislative session. Conservative activists rallied around her, with actor Ben Stein, best known for playing a boring teacher in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," showing up in Tallahassee to screen his controversial documentary "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," a film about scientists and educators who challenged natural selection and Darwin's evolution teachings.

Those who oppose Darwin's theory of evolution aren't all religiously motivated, backers said Wednesday, although Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami, made her views clear when she said she thought kindergartners should not be taught Darwinian evolution because "that may be brainwashing." She also told the committee of her own experience in college, where she refused to answer a science exam question about evolution with the accepted Darwinian answer and instead copied down the creation story in Genesis, Chapter 1. [Tampa Bay Online]

Ben who? Anyone?

More like this

I think there are two issues here: (1) admitting alternatives that have no evidence; and (b) criticism of evolution on scientific grounds, which is quite legitimate. The former is unacceptable (let's relegate it to religion classes until there is evidence) while the latter is permissable. Unfortunately the lay public can't tell the difference.

There are some issues in Darwin's eolution theory as it pertains to gradual evolution. For one thing, sudden changes seem to be much more common than we thought decades ago.

Btw, Ferris Bueler's Day Off was one of my fvorite movies.

Who gives us a Sunday morning chuckle. Anyone? Anyone?

The thing that's extraordinarily annoying to anyone who IS knowledgeable in this area is that "DARWINIAN EVOLUTION" is *****not***** the current state of scientific understanding of evolution. He was a starting point 150 years ago! And *yes* understanding of what's going on HAS ADVANCED. Calling our current understanding of evolution "darwinian" is like talking about today's cars as if they were Model T Fords... clearly a forerunner, CLEARLY many improvements and such made to it since...

Sigh.

By peanutbutter (not verified) on 30 Mar 2008 #permalink

She also told the committee of her own experience in college, where she refused to answer a science exam question about evolution with the accepted Darwinian answer and instead copied down the creation story in Genesis, Chapter 1.

Awesome!

I've heard plenty of speculation about such things happening, but this is the first actual anecdote about such that I can remember. And from the horse's mouth, no less! To have an example I can point to makes me grin. Am I naive to think that most Americans aside from the hardcore fundies, even those skeptical of TOE and inclined towards creationism, would find such a thing laughable and an indictment of such a student's intelligence?

Oh, and can't forget to include this:

DISCLAIMER: Intelligent Design is not a religious doctrine. It is a scientific theory that happens coincidentally to be compatible with some religious sensibilities. Thank you for your attention.

peanutbutter: However in common parlance Darwinian evolution is usually shorthand for the modern synthesis (aka neodarwinian synthesis via Mayr et al.).

Ah, got a source for that quoted material?

By Pierce R. Butler (not verified) on 30 Mar 2008 #permalink

p.butler: Whoops. Must be more tired than I thought. It's Tampa Bay Online. I'll add now. Thanks for pointing it out.

One can only wonder where the English languge and our Education systems will lead us. Dumbing down is not the way to go, me thinks.

Resimay

To hoom it mae cunsern,

I waunt to apply for the job what I saw in the paper.

I can Type realee quik wit one finggar and do sum a counting..

I think I am good on the phone and I no I am a pepole person,
Pepole really seam to respond to me well. Certain men and all the ladies.

I no my spelling is not to good but find that I Offen can get a job thru my persinalety.

My salerery is open so we can discus wat you want to pay me and wat you think that I am werth,

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hopifuly Yore best aplicant so farr.

Sinseerly,

BRYAN nikname Beefy

Employer's response:...

Dear Beefy-I mean Bryan,

It's OK honey, we've got spell check.
See you Monday.

All part of the dumbing down of America. The focus on educations is to develop conformists who do not think for themslves. Since they exported the jobs to China, why waste money on educating people as Engineers or Scientists just to serve fries and clean bed pans, or sell sub-primes. I mean, how hard is it to sell a sub-prime loan to someone who can't read English for someone who does not care if the loan gets paid back.

How else to people go along with giving the people responsible for the current economic woes more power to regulate themselves, when they did not use the power they had. I wish I lived somewhere where the mind control stuff works. I only feel calm when I visit the US, then my mind shuts down, and all is well with the world.