Now on ScienceBlogs: The Future - And Present - of Maternal and Infant Health Care.
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
• a longer profile of yours truly
• my calendar
• Nature Network
• RichardDawkins Network
• facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Atheist Nexus
• the Pharyngula chat room
(#pharyngula on irc.synirc.net)
Whenever I think of how religion started, I picture some frustrated old man making out a list of all the ways he could gain power, until he finally came up with the great solution of constant fear and guilt, then he leaped up and started planning a new wardrobe.
[Steve Blake]
« Help NPR beat FOX News | Main | Friday Cephalopod: The mammal is in his grasp, next he's going to crush and eat it »
More articles by PZ Myers can be found on Freethoughtblogs at the new Pharyngula!
Category: Creationism • Pointless polls
Posted on: July 29, 2010 6:20 PM, by PZ Myers
It's a simple question.
Do you think Livingston Parish public schools should teach creationism?
Yes, evolution is a lie 22%
Yes, so children can hear both sides 35%
No, religion has no place in science class 29%
No, we don't need to waste tax money on lawsuits 13%
Don't know 1%
I think readers here might have a slightly different set of answers than are up currently, though.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/144559
HTML commands: <i>italic</i>, <b>bold</b>, <a href="url">link</a>, <blockquote>quote</blockquote>
Comments
Posted by: cnocspeireag
|
July 29, 2010 6:25 PM
Done, but reality has some way to go.
Posted by: Cath the Canberra Cook
|
July 29, 2010 6:27 PM
And another.
Posted by: 朴競花/박경화 (Gyeong Hwa)
|
July 29, 2010 6:30 PM
Evidence?
We should also teach them about Mayan creationism. And Hindu creationism. Teach all sides. Not exactly what you want to hear is it.
Posted by: Nerd of Redhead, OM
|
July 29, 2010 6:31 PM
Both sides? There is no evidence for creationism in the scientific literature. So there is just one side. Science in science classes.
Posted by: gregvalcourt
|
July 29, 2010 6:32 PM
Evolution is a lie created by the Devil(TM) to keep you away from Jebus. Scientists aren't people, they're demons.
Posted by: Zach
|
July 29, 2010 6:33 PM
I'm all for it if these people will also teach both sides of the Holocaust denial debate in history classes and both sides of the "Was Snape a good guy?" debate in a music class.
None of these debates belong in the classes they're so often relegated to in schools. Put your creationism in the fictional literature elective, please.
Posted by: Dahan
|
July 29, 2010 6:33 PM
Evolution is a lie? Really? How is it a lie to teach a scientific theory, even if there weren't a mountain of evidence for it as there is in this case?
Posted by: Don Quijote
|
July 29, 2010 6:35 PM
Evidence?
Creationism isn´t a science.
It belongs in a class about religious studies.
Posted by: Brownian, Most Vicious & Petty of Pharyngulites
|
July 29, 2010 6:36 PM
I've got a question for Livingston Parish public schools:
You like books? You like football teams? You like roofs on your schools?
Would you prefer spending your money on the above things or on lawyers?
For more information, see Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District and the United States Constitution.
Posted by: Glen Davidson
|
July 29, 2010 6:38 PM
Why don't they ever ask if we should teach the controversy about alchemy? Honestly, it would only be fair to "balance out" bullshit polls on "hearing both sides" (a misleading choice if I've ever seen one) of evolution with polls about whether or not other old myths should be taught (yet alchemy included empirical science, ID doesn't, except to whine about evolution).
Anyway, I voted against spending money on lawsuits. That should indicate both that it's illegal, and financially irresponsible, to boost creationist lies.
Glen Davidson
Posted by: Brownian, Most Vicious & Petty of Pharyngulites
|
July 29, 2010 6:38 PM
Hey, right now the results graph looks like it's flipping voters the bird!
Posted by: Mr.Nerdz
|
July 29, 2010 6:40 PM
Both sides?
Then let them hear about the glorious soviet system comrade! Where they will hear great tales of glory and equality and how our people work for the good of the people as opposed to themselves in the filthy capitalist system!
You mean that sort of both sides?
Posted by: sasqwatch
|
July 29, 2010 6:45 PM
aawwww... widduh puwh fawh down go boom.
Posted by: Japanther
|
July 29, 2010 6:47 PM
delurk
1st Stupid = 8%
2nd Stupid = 13%
No, religion has no place in science class = 73%
Lawsuits = 6%
3rd Stupid =
Posted by: Ternon
|
July 29, 2010 6:52 PM
Stupidity and ignorance of colossal proportions.
The level of such ignorance in a supposedly 1st world country is astonishing.
Is it all because of homeschooling and oxymoronic faith schools?
Posted by: Jason A.
|
July 29, 2010 6:54 PM
Currently: 6% - 10% - 103% - 5% - 0%
Yes, that adds up to 124%.
Posted by: Ternon
|
July 29, 2010 6:55 PM
"Evolution was a lie" was at 22% when I voted.
It's all skewed now, not representing anything...
Posted by: Steven Dunlap
|
July 29, 2010 6:55 PM
This poll is screwy for more reasons than the immediately obvious. When I tried to crash it multiple times I found that the percentage of "NO" votes stated as 103%.
Math. Ur doing it wrong.
Posted by: kc5tty
|
July 29, 2010 6:56 PM
Found out I can vote as many times as I want by exiting the browser and then starting it back up then going to the site.
I know ... crude but then I am too.
steve
Posted by: DaveH
|
July 29, 2010 7:00 PM
When I first voted, it had "No, religion has no place in science class" at 101%. Reloaded the page, now 4%/7%/85%/4%/0%.
Posted by: pasadena beggar
|
July 29, 2010 7:03 PM
I see polls like this, I just re-read the judgment in Kitzmiller v Dover. You don't have to read all 135 pages of it, although that's a pretty good read. Just read the first page. You'll feel better.
Posted by: waynerobinson4
|
July 29, 2010 7:04 PM
I found it difficult to decide what to vote for; I eventually went for "No, we don't need to waste money on lawsuits", although I have all the books on the Dover trial, and I'd welcome collecting a further series of undoubtedly amusing accounts of the Livingston Parish trial where creationism/ID yet again suffer an embarrassing defeat, followed by several years of protests from the Discovery Institute that the judge got it wrong (yet again). Perhaps this time, we'd be lucky to get Dembski/Meyer presenting their 'expert' testimony?
Posted by: kc5tty
|
July 29, 2010 7:04 PM
Lets go Pharyngulytes (is dat a werd?)
we need to get to 1000 NO votes.
steve
...... guess I'm easily amused today.
Posted by: Steven Dunlap
|
July 29, 2010 7:04 PM
Yes, evolution is a lie 4%
Yes, so children can hear both sides 7%
No, religion has no place in science class 100%
No, we don't need to waste tax money on lawsuits 4%
Don't know 0%
I think we broke their poll. Ouch.
Posted by: Franklin Percival
|
July 29, 2010 7:06 PM
I surprised myself by going for the law-suits angle, since if we are to educate our young, we have to grant them the option of intellectual discrimination.
But,like the jesuits said - "Give us a child until the age of seven, and we will give you the man"; or some such cobblers. Sorry, girls/half-girls/butch/fem/LGBT or whoever if I offend you, but the bastards really are that misogynistic.
Reason is reason is reason! Hoo-rahhh!
Posted by: McCthulhu is taking ∞ to eat all the pi
|
July 29, 2010 7:07 PM
I would have gone off on a rant in the comments section but they want all your personal data, and that's as stupid as creationism.
Posted by: jmbucknall
|
July 29, 2010 7:10 PM
I like the way the bar chart now looks like it's flipping the bird.
Posted by: heatherly
|
July 29, 2010 7:12 PM
The bar graph is definitely amusing.
Posted by: Steven Dunlap
|
July 29, 2010 7:13 PM
FWIW I have it "down to a science" for cheating the poll. On a Mac running Safari browser:
Private browsing ON
Cookies NEVER
Empty the Cache each time.
You also have to start with a "fresh session" if this doesn't work at first (quit from the browser, re-start, do the above).
Posted by: Aratina Cage
|
July 29, 2010 7:14 PM
Crazy poll!
Y1:4%, Y2:6%, N1:100%, N2:3%, D:0%
Posted by: gregvalcourt
|
July 29, 2010 7:14 PM
Probably caused by bad database querying practice (didn't use transactions). They probably got the total number first, and then queried for the individual numbers and calculated percentages. All the while the 'No, religion has no place in science class' is being bombarded by Pharyngulites (so the total is slightly older than the category tally).
Posted by: hkdharmon
|
July 29, 2010 7:19 PM
88% Religion has no place in science class, as of just a second ago.
Posted by: btthegeek
|
July 29, 2010 7:19 PM
I think that's a record for poll-breaking.
How stupid is the lawsuit answer? May as well be rephrased as "we really want to vote yes because evolution is a lie, but we're going to vote no because we know we'll get sued."
Posted by: Twewi
|
July 29, 2010 7:33 PM
Yes, evolution is a lie 22%
Yes, so children can hear both sides 35%
No, religion has no place in science class 616%
No, we don't need to waste tax money on lawsuits 13%
Don't know 1%
Teehee!
Posted by: seanjreynolds
|
July 29, 2010 7:40 PM
Normally I'd say poll breaking is astroturfing, but those are some pretty loaded choices.
I've a question about astroturfing for pharyngulites but I'll save it for now.
Posted by: Japanther
|
July 29, 2010 7:49 PM
@seanjreynolds #35
Don't bother with your question. We are not astroturfing, we are illustrating the uselessness of online polls.
Posted by: howard.peirce
|
July 29, 2010 7:58 PM
Someday, PZ should crash a poll and have everyone pick "Don't know."
The idea that someone would voluntarily fill out an online poll without actually having an opinion cracks me up.
Posted by: Cobolt
|
July 29, 2010 8:15 PM
No: Religion has no place... 88% already.
Posted by: Nysamis
|
July 29, 2010 8:15 PM
I'll give them props for one thing. At least they're being honest and calling the bullshit what it is: creationism instead of "intelligent design."
Still I wonder what a potential creationism unit would look like. Would it incorporate Raelian creationism? If you add FSM in the mix, that would either be the best or the worst home-ec unit, depending on what various factions would say about eating His Noodly Appendage. If you had Hindu creationism in there, it would mesh well with the unit about turtles. Which turtle species would be the most likely to be able to support the weight of the Earth on its shell? Oh, and the science fair projects would be hilarious! Just think: teachers could kill two birds with one stone. Science fair projects AND book reports! /facepalm.
Perhaps this is a "controversy" in some circles because teachers don't start with the core of the matter and then work outward to specific scientific discoveries. It would help matters greatly if people actually understood the scientific method, and could apply it to other subjects as well. Well, if the students aren't putting their fingers in their ears, chanting "la la la, I can't heaaarr youuuu." Sigh.
Posted by: flawedprefect
|
July 29, 2010 8:20 PM
Ha! When I voted (No, religion has no place in science class) the poll now looks like it's giving us the finger. Awesome.
Posted by: Ben Goren
|
July 29, 2010 8:29 PM
Glen Davidson wondered:
Oh, that one’s easy.
If the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection is true, then Genesis is a faery tale.
If Genesis is a faery tale, then there’s no such thing as Original Sin™.
If there’s no such thing as Original Sin™, then Jesus’s death on the cross was pointless. (Never mind that Jesus himself is a faery tale; that’s a topic for another discussion.)
If Jesus’s death on the cross was pointless, then you’re not going to Heaven.
If you don’t get to go to Heaven when you die, then life is meaningless.
As far as alchemy goes, if it’s is in the Bible, it’s not a central element in one of the favored passages, so there’s no big loss if it goes bye-bye.
But, if you take away Creationism, you take away Heaven, and the theidiots absolutely positively cannot contemplate that possibility for even a fraction of a second.
Cheers,
b&
Posted by: YetAnotherAtheist
|
July 29, 2010 8:39 PM
Feel the immense POWER of Pharyngulation! Fear it! WORSHIP it! :D
Posted by: Rorschach
|
July 29, 2010 8:40 PM
I'm not sure about the mindset of the person putting up the poll tho, for the only reason to not teach creationism to be that you'll get sued to high heaven.
Although, maybe that's what's needed in the States to protect education from religious lunatics.
Posted by: Syzygy
|
July 29, 2010 8:45 PM
@Brownian (#11)
Dammit, I knew someone would get there before me. This is what I get for working at work.
Retroactive high five.
Posted by: elronxenu
|
July 29, 2010 8:48 PM
#41 All true up until the "If you don't get to go to Heaven when you die, then life is meaningless".
Xtians may claim that life without god is purposeless (and therefore atheism is false or evil) and they use that to justify their faith, not deny it.
So if you're going to argue that the truth of Evolution denies the Xtian mythology, best to stick to the most obvious logical inferences.
Posted by: F
|
July 29, 2010 8:51 PM
kc5tty @ 23
It is now.
Generally, it is Pharyngulites.
But when Pharyngulating a poll, Pharyngulytes are the particles which carry out the Pharyngulytic reaction. :D
Posted by: Margaret
|
July 29, 2010 8:59 PM
That option is there for the people who say "Yes, I believe in creationism, but those evil liberals who believe in the constitution won't let us teach it and will make us pay a lot of money if we try, so it's best if we either home-school or teach our kids at home/church to jeer at the evil atheist scientists." No other option in the poll would work for these people.
Posted by: owenevans00
|
July 29, 2010 9:14 PM
Shurely the pharyngulon is the particle mediating interactions between this blog and pointless internet polls?
Posted by: B166ER
|
July 29, 2010 9:15 PM
Poll fully Pharyngulated! Thanks for the link!
No Gods, No Masters
Cameron
Posted by: sphex
|
July 29, 2010 9:17 PM
That middle finger is awfully long now. :)
Posted by: Rutee, Shrieking Harpy of Dooooom
|
July 29, 2010 9:26 PM
Where's the option "No, Religion is a lie"?
Posted by: secularshawshank
|
July 29, 2010 9:31 PM
I sometimes wish they couched these polls in a series of other questions that would make the point, like:
In History classes, we should...
a.) Teach that on 9/11/2001, the US was attacked by al-Quaeda terrorists who successfully flew planes into the WTC and the Pentagon.
b.) Teach that 9/11 was an "inside job" in which the government contrived a fiction about terrorists and hijacked planes.
c.) Teach the "controversy." Allow students to hear both sides and make up their own minds.
In Health classes we should...
a.) Teach students that drinking several glasses of water a day promotes overall health.
b.) Teach students that the commies in the government have conspired to put evil toxins in the drinking water that will make us all impotent so they can out-breed us.
c.)Teach the "controversy." Allow students to hear both sides and make up their own minds.
In Science classes we should...
a.) Teach the scientific consensus: that life on Earth evolved gradually, over many millions of years, via a process called evolution by natural selection.
b.) Teach students that---no matter what heathen scientists may have determined to be fact---the God of the Bible created humans in their current form, who also roamed the Earth with dinosaurs---the fossils of which were placed in the ground by Lucifer so as to deceive us and test our faith.
c.)Teach the "controversy." Allow students to hear both sides and make up their own minds.
That's what Creationists are at this point---conspiracy theorists, plain and simple.
Posted by: shreddakj
|
July 29, 2010 10:24 PM
Aww, trashing creationist polls is so fun. I've found that emphasizing that evolution is an observable fact, and providing evidence for it is one of the best ways to help creationists realise that they are wrong. In the last few months I've managed to convince at least 4 creationists that I know that evolution is true, by emphasizing the factual, observable nature of evolution, providing evidence to support my claim and explaining to them in very simple terms that all their creationist arguments have been thoroughly refuted by actual scientists.
Posted by: Japanther
|
July 29, 2010 10:29 PM
We should pharyngulate with the 'I don't know' answer next time, as suggested above.
"This poll is too difficult. I shall help by admitting that I am unsure. I know that I could just wait for the results or usually just hit 'view results.' But I'm going with my gut. My gut also seems to be asking, 'how the fuck do magnets work, and what the fuck is a calendar?'
Posted by: Craiggers
|
July 29, 2010 11:06 PM
I just love when Pharyngulites
crash a poll! Take that, you ignorant
Jebus-lovin' maggots!
Posted by: Matt
|
July 29, 2010 11:32 PM
Yes, evolution is a lie 3%
Yes, so children can hear both sides 5%
No, religion has no place in science class 88%
No, we don't need to waste tax money on lawsuits 3%
Don't know 0%
HIJACKED!
Posted by: https://me.yahoo.com/a/x1CsKko.p.keyee5Rk.DLZd7ts9OdS.ilqZgGw--#2a28e
|
July 29, 2010 11:53 PM
If this were a real poll I would have voted the second no--wasting tax money on lawsuits. I think that the "Religion has no place in science class" answer would just infuriate fundies but if they could be convinced of the waste of money, they might be pursuaded to reject creationism in classrooms. Maybe if they realized the real choice was either creationism or the football team, or the marching band, or the new science lab, they might act rationally. Unfortunately I doubt that they would ever act rationally.
Posted by: cag
|
July 30, 2010 12:06 AM
Unfortunately this is a homeopathic poll and we have been used by the holy to dilute their favorite response to the point that it has attained near maximum strength. I feel so foolish, so used!
Posted by: remy.j
|
July 30, 2010 12:06 AM
@46/48
is it not more of a wave than a particle? Pharyngulary wave?
Posted by: Rey Fox, Bird Caller Guy
|
July 30, 2010 12:22 AM
In a way, the "both sides" choice is the most depressing. At least someone taking the side of creationism could theoretically admit that they're wrong if they're shown to be. The "both sides" option is just pure intellectual laziness, the person who chooses it either figures that "both sides" are equally valid because he/she doesn't know anything about the science and figures that everything must have both sides, or that he/she thinks that creationism really is a legitimate contender, or just believes in the Golden Mean. It's a good thing we don't let these uninformed people make decisions on what should be taught as science, right? That would be silly, right? Right?
Posted by: sherlock3000
|
July 30, 2010 12:47 AM
Oh man, thank you thank you thank you from
a Louisianian...probably one of many who emailed you for help. Is it wrong that I'm enjoying this so much.
Posted by: tortorific#921e1
|
July 30, 2010 12:54 AM
Speaking of stupid internet polls a federal election is coming up in Australia and there is a new political party called Senator Online who are proposing to have their senators vote according to the outcome of internet polls. It's a pity they won't win any seats, I think PZ would make a great Prime Minister.
Posted by: Vyapada
|
July 30, 2010 2:23 AM
Senator Online abbreviates itself as SOL. Back in my Army days that meant shit outta luck...
Posted by: KP
|
July 30, 2010 3:04 AM
Another poll successfully crashed...
Posted by: Duckbilled Platypus
|
July 30, 2010 3:40 AM
I like how that bar chart dwarfs all the other statements. Look, it's on the front page too. And this is just another institution that forgets to mention that Internet polls are not scientific or representative for the population (what population anyway? They've got votes from all over the world now). Here is hoping that 'some' visitors will get the message.
Posted by: Alice Bluegown
|
July 30, 2010 3:54 AM
seanjreynolds@ #35 - it's acceptable for domed stadiums, but never an outdoor venue.
Posted by: kieran
|
July 30, 2010 4:05 AM
There is a poll on this fantasy site that needs breaking. http://www.drdino.com/ I just hope you don't get some sort of virus from the site. The poll is in the bottom right hand side of the screen.
Posted by: McCthulhu is taking ∞ to eat all the pi
|
July 30, 2010 4:30 AM
Ugh, kieran, that site is mind-numbingly...mind-numbing. Creationist blather! GET IT OFF ME, GET IT OFF ME! At least the options are ones you can actually pick without feeling icky.
Posted by: Serpent Vie
|
July 30, 2010 5:49 AM
@Kieran
+1 for crasching this poll. The stupidity is strong on that site.
Posted by: Porco Dio
|
July 30, 2010 5:55 AM
the resultant bar chart looks so beautiful...
like giving a big fat finger to creatards.
Posted by: John E
|
July 30, 2010 6:54 AM
What happened to "Intelligent Design"? Didn't they get the memo?
Posted by: McCthulhu is taking ∞ to eat all the pi
|
July 30, 2010 7:36 AM
The drdino site has one of those 'conspicuous by its absence' things going on. Check out the page with their leadership and board of directors and you get Hovind, a bible school graduate and some other guys with no biography info. Where are their experts and researchers? People that would eat this stuff up without any sort of credible source for information have to be a special kind of beyond help.
Posted by: https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawne_AmLQZI64kvXjqcZ3vaR-3e0LmWQei8
|
July 30, 2010 8:25 AM
I have been thinking about this subject a lot. As a Biology Teacher/Liberal Christian in the South, I am faced with this issue every year.
I am actually starting to agree that we should teach "Critical Thinking and Creationism" in science classes. However, I don't mean in the way these Creationists want. I already talk about the evidence and experiment in favor of evolution. I could spend fifteen seconds describing the evidence in favor of Creationism. Since there is none, it won't take very long.
They want to to critically think about evolution, so we can and show the mountain of evidence in favor of the theory. We can also think critically about the lack of evidence for Creationism/Intelligent Design, show them to be the non-scientific ideas that we no them to be.
I don't think that is what they had in mind though.
Adam Corey
http://preacherteachers.blogspot.com
Posted by: https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawnG39uMFt69kwCKZ8DoxtmMCvmzr5chx94
|
July 30, 2010 8:28 AM
Stupid question and stupid alternatives. Is it about science class, then say so in the question. And generally I hate answers of the type "Yes, because.." What if my answer is yes or no for some other reason than those given? The alternatives should just be YES and NO and DUNNO. (And my answer i no..)
Posted by: Fereydoun
|
July 30, 2010 8:34 AM
I'm never sure how to respond on these because they don't specify whether they mean the correct version of creationism. Catholic schools are generally the best simply b/c you get the wide-screen, director's cut, blu-ray edition of creationism. If that's what they mean, I'd go with (A) or (B). If they mean protestant creationism, then f-ck it, better go with (C) or (D).
Posted by: MarkNS
|
July 30, 2010 8:57 AM
That poll at http://www.drdino.com/ is really messed up. It needs to be pharyngulated.
Posted by: abb3w
|
July 30, 2010 9:04 AM
[LongYahooID, @#57]: If this were a real poll I would have voted the second no--wasting tax money on lawsuits. I think that the "Religion has no place in science class" answer would just infuriate fundies but if they could be convinced of the waste of money, they might be pursuaded to reject creationism in classrooms.
As a practical matter, I suspect that Pharangulating this option would have been more effective, since I expect the results of even on-line polls like this influence some of the more fuzzy-headed among the unwashed masses. Rejecting religion is commonly anathema to such; rejecting a pointless waste of money, less so.
Posted by: Serpent Vie
|
July 30, 2010 9:08 AM
http://www.drdino.com/ is already sliding towards a meeting with reality.
Posted by: Foster Disbelief
|
July 30, 2010 9:45 AM
Nice. The poll results look like a one fingered salute to those pushing for "creationism" in that school district.
I would rather have the wording of the options be a bit more in line with each other. "Yes, evolution is a lie" is a pretty strong statement, and while it does allow us to, at a glance, see how many clinically insane people are taking the poll, there isn't really a corresponding option for those who disagree. I mean, we don't get to answer, "No, creationism is a lie."
I propose an alternative wording. Rather than "Yes, evolution is a lie.", how about "Yes, science has no place in science class.'?
Because really, that is what they are after. If evolution falls, it will only be the first domino on the way to science class consisting of nothing but "godidit!!!!!!"
Posted by: MarkNS
|
July 30, 2010 11:18 AM
The crazies seem to have detected the mild pharyngulation of their poll at http://www.drdino.com/
They're fighting back with a few recent blocks of "evolution is a religion votes".
Posted by: Sastra
|
July 30, 2010 11:40 AM
It would be interesting now to break that 3rd option down:
Religion has no place in science class because:
-Religion and science deal with different domains of reality.
-Religion consists of falsified hypotheses.
-Religion is a political hot potato.
Posted by: rrasconr
|
July 30, 2010 1:23 PM
Funny how the latest results graph...give us the finger, lmao. Peace.
Posted by: Die Anyway
|
July 30, 2010 2:11 PM
I made the obligatory (N1) vote but as an inveterate contrarian I would really like to let one or two schools districts actually go whole hog with a creationist biology class. It would be an interesting experiment. How far would they go if there were no legal limitations, no threats of lawsuits, etc.? What kind of things would they teach? How many of the students would ever make it into college? I think we should allow it to happen just so we could see, and laugh at, the results.
Aaahh... I hear some of you saying "but what about the children?" Well, c'mon. In my area nearly 30% of students who start the 9th grade do not graduate from high school anyway. If we just do this in a few school districts, the percentage of students harmed is really small and certainly it's a price worth paying to see the results. And besides, if it's what the people of that district want... let's let them have it. It's the American way. Hot dogs, apple pie and local control.
Posted by: cweinbl
|
July 30, 2010 4:02 PM
If you teach your children that evolution is not true, then they will flunk out of college biology and other science course. 98% of all professional scientists will stake their career upon the veracity of evolution. What sort of parent wants their children to fail?
This is akin to Holocaust denial, in the sense that 98% of professional historians will stake their career on the fact that millions of innocent Jews (and others) were systematically exterminated by Nazi Germany.
Whenever we stand up to those who deny or minimize genocide we send a critical message to the world. The same applies to those who pretend that creationism is real, or that evolution is not factual. As we continue to live in an age of genocide and evolution denial, we must repel the broken ethics of our ancestors, or risk a dreadful repeat of past transgressions. We know from captured German war records that millions of innocent Jews were systematically exterminated by Nazi Germany - most in gas chambers. These facts have been proven repeatedly through countless thesis and dissertation research papers. Virtually every PhD in the world will stake their career on known Holocaust facts. Scientists have proven repeatedly that evolution is real. It is a FACT. Why else would it be taught in every publish high school, college and university? Despite this knowledge, Holocaust and evolution deniers ply their mendacious poison everywhere, especially with young people on the Internet. Such deniers have only one agenda - to distort the truth in a way that promotes antagonism against the object of their hatred, or to deny the culpability of their ancestors and heroes.
Museums and mandatory public education are tools to dispel bigotry, especially racial and ethnic hatred. Books and films can also establish the veracity of past genocide and the reality of evolution. They help to tell the truth; and they reveal the abject terror, humiliation and degradation resulting from blind prejudice. We must protect vulnerable future generations from making the same mistakes.
A world that continues to allow genocide or deny evolution requires ethical remediation. Books, films and required public education can help. We must show the world that religious, racial, ethnic and gender persecution is wrong; and that tolerance is our progeny's only hope. Only through such efforts can we reveal the true horror of genocide and promote the triumphant spirit of humankind.
Charles Weinblatt
Author, Jacob’s Courage
http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/