| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Jason Spaceman" |
| Date: |
02 Feb 2004 03:25:49 AM |
| Object: |
In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
From the article:
----------------------------------------------
By MARY MacDONALD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue says he wants a "balanced" classroom approach to
teaching evolution with an emphasis on its standing as "academic
theory."
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says her proposed biology
curriculum will allow teachers to present other scientific theories
about evolution and specifically mentions "intelligent design."
Across Georgia, scientists cringed at the statements.
Sarah Pallas, an assistant professor of biology at Georgia State
University, said Sunday that the public comments reveal an ignorance
of science and mimic the arguments used by people who rebut evolution.
Her views were shared by other biologists.
---------------------------------------------
Read it at
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0204a/02evolution.html
J. Spaceman
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| User: "SReeseMe" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
03 Feb 2004 07:08:07 AM |
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ubject: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists
From: Jason Spaceman
Date: 02/02/2004 4:25 AM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id: <br5s10p78pufob6tlbsps87sihjl9geatr@4ax.com>
From the article:
----------------------------------------------
By MARY MacDONALD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue says he wants a "balanced" classroom approach to
teaching evolution with an emphasis on its standing as "academic
theory."
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says her proposed biology
curriculum will allow teachers to present other scientific theories
about evolution and specifically mentions "intelligent design."
Across Georgia, scientists cringed at the statements.
Sarah Pallas, an assistant professor of biology at Georgia State
University, said Sunday that the public comments reveal an ignorance
of science and mimic the arguments used by people who rebut evolution.
Her views were shared by other biologists.
---------------------------------------------
Read it at
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0204a/02evolution.html
J. Spaceman
Anyone see the irony that while we are fighting religous fundy nutcases
overseas they are quietly or not so quietly thriving in our own republic?
-Stephen
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| User: "stoney" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
04 Feb 2004 04:04:05 PM |
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On 03 Feb 2004 13:08:07 GMT, (SReeseMe), Message ID:
<20040203080807.18962.00001513@mb-m28.aol.com> wrote in alt.atheism;
ubject: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists
From: Jason Spaceman
Date: 02/02/2004 4:25 AM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id: <br5s10p78pufob6tlbsps87sihjl9geatr@4ax.com>
From the article:
----------------------------------------------
By MARY MacDONALD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue says he wants a "balanced" classroom approach to
teaching evolution with an emphasis on its standing as "academic
theory."
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says her proposed biology
curriculum will allow teachers to present other scientific theories
about evolution and specifically mentions "intelligent design."
Across Georgia, scientists cringed at the statements.
Sarah Pallas, an assistant professor of biology at Georgia State
University, said Sunday that the public comments reveal an ignorance
of science and mimic the arguments used by people who rebut evolution.
Her views were shared by other biologists.
---------------------------------------------
Read it at
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0204a/02evolution.html
Anyone see the irony that while we are fighting religous fundy nutcases
overseas they are quietly or not so quietly thriving in our own republic?
Long long long ago. :\
Stoney
"Designated Rascal and Rapscallion
and
SCAMPERMEISTER!"
When in doubt, SCAMPER about!
When things are fair, SCAMPER everywhere!
When things are rough, can't SCAMPER enough!
/end humour alert
alt.atheism military veteran #11
{so much for the 'no atheists in foxholes' rubbish}
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| User: "Eros" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
03 Feb 2004 10:46:46 PM |
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Jason Spaceman <I@Eat.Spammers.For.Breakfast.com> wrote in message news:<br5s10p78pufob6tlbsps87sihjl9geatr@4ax.com>...
From the article:
----------------------------------------------
By MARY MacDONALD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue says he wants a "balanced" classroom approach to
teaching evolution with an emphasis on its standing as "academic
theory."
Actually, I'd welcome that... as long as the exact nature of what
*constitutes* a scientific theory was similarly emphasised. It would
be an excellent example to students that while numerous un-scientific
hypotheses abound, no alternative scientific theory regarding origins
has *ever* been postulated, let alone passed scientific scrutiny.
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says her proposed biology
curriculum will allow teachers to present other scientific theories
about evolution and specifically mentions "intelligent design."
Somebody should inform Ms Cox that there *is* no scientific theory of
"intelligent design", nor is one ever likely to be forthcoming. I
mean, how dumb are these so-called educators?
EROS.
Speaking of dumb;-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A second possible thing that creationists might look for is some kind
of an instrument that will detect darkness. It is my conclusion, based
on [scripture] that darkness is a positive thing. " -- Richard
Niessen, Professor, Christian Heritage College
(Professor of what, one wonders!)
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| User: "AC" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
02 Feb 2004 09:27:33 AM |
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On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 09:25:49 +0000 (UTC),
Jason Spaceman <I@Eat.Spammers.For.Breakfast.com> wrote:
From the article:
----------------------------------------------
By MARY MacDONALD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue says he wants a "balanced" classroom approach to
teaching evolution with an emphasis on its standing as "academic
theory."
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says her proposed biology
curriculum will allow teachers to present other scientific theories
about evolution and specifically mentions "intelligent design."
Across Georgia, scientists cringed at the statements.
Not a problem. In twenty years, there won't be scientists in Georgia.
<snip>
--
Aaron Clausen
tao_of_cow/\alberni.net (replace /\ with @)
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| User: "Roger Coppock" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
03 Feb 2004 02:41:33 AM |
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AC <mightymartianca@yahoo.ca> wrote in message news:<slrnc1sr3s.1gs.mightymartianca@namibia.tandem>...
On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 09:25:49 +0000 (UTC),
Jason Spaceman <I@Eat.Spammers.For.Breakfast.com> wrote:
From the article:
----------------------------------------------
By MARY MacDONALD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue says he wants a "balanced" classroom approach to
teaching evolution with an emphasis on its standing as "academic
theory."
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says her proposed biology
curriculum will allow teachers to present other scientific theories
about evolution and specifically mentions "intelligent design."
Across Georgia, scientists cringed at the statements.
Not a problem. In twenty years, there won't be scientists in Georgia.
IT IS A PROBLEM, A VERY BIG PROBLEM!!!!!!
Losing all their scientists 20 years would be the
biggest disaster for the state of Georga since General
Sherman's Army marched through the state.
The headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control are in
Atlanta, the NIH, NCI, and Department of Agriculture also
have offices there. The state is LOADED with private
scientific and engineering organizations. Science is a
MAJOR employer in the state. You'd think that the political
class in the state would know this . . .
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| User: "John Thompson" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
03 Feb 2004 03:11:36 PM |
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(Roger Coppock) wrote in message news:<25516292.0402030042.3fea9027@posting.google.com>...
AC <mightymartianca@yahoo.ca> wrote in message news:<slrnc1sr3s.1gs.mightymartianca@namibia.tandem>...
On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 09:25:49 +0000 (UTC),
Jason Spaceman <I@Eat.Spammers.For.Breakfast.com> wrote:
From the article:
----------------------------------------------
By MARY MacDONALD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue says he wants a "balanced" classroom approach to
teaching evolution with an emphasis on its standing as "academic
theory."
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says her proposed biology
curriculum will allow teachers to present other scientific theories
about evolution and specifically mentions "intelligent design."
Across Georgia, scientists cringed at the statements.
Not a problem. In twenty years, there won't be scientists in Georgia.
IT IS A PROBLEM, A VERY BIG PROBLEM!!!!!!
Losing all their scientists 20 years would be the
biggest disaster for the state of Georga since General
Sherman's Army marched through the state.
The headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control are in
Atlanta, the NIH, NCI, and Department of Agriculture also
have offices there. The state is LOADED with private
scientific and engineering organizations. Science is a
MAJOR employer in the state. You'd think that the political
class in the state would know this . . .
Of course they know this, but they don't care. The only thing that
matters to a politician is getting elected.
John
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| User: "David Dalle" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
03 Feb 2004 12:08:35 PM |
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(Roger Coppock) wrote in message news:<25516292.0402030042.3fea9027@posting.google.com>...
Not a problem. In twenty years, there won't be scientists in Georgia.
IT IS A PROBLEM, A VERY BIG PROBLEM!!!!!!
Losing all their scientists 20 years would be the
biggest disaster for the state of Georga since General
Sherman's Army marched through the state.
The headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control are in
Atlanta, the NIH, NCI, and Department of Agriculture also
have offices there. The state is LOADED with private
scientific and engineering organizations. Science is a
MAJOR employer in the state. You'd think that the political
class in the state would know this . . .
Why is this a problem? It's not like diseases, bacteria, viruses etc.
have anything to do with evolution.
That is, of course, heavy sarcasm.
David
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| User: "Richard Crawford" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
03 Feb 2004 12:33:45 PM |
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AC wrote:
On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 09:25:49 +0000 (UTC),
Jason Spaceman <I@Eat.Spammers.For.Breakfast.com> wrote:
From the article:
----------------------------------------------
By MARY MacDONALD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue says he wants a "balanced" classroom approach to
teaching evolution with an emphasis on its standing as "academic
theory."
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says her proposed biology
curriculum will allow teachers to present other scientific theories
about evolution and specifically mentions "intelligent design."
Across Georgia, scientists cringed at the statements.
Not a problem. In twenty years, there won't be scientists in Georgia.
Heck. If some ID'ers and YEC's and other groups have their way, there
won't be any scientists left in the U. S. in twenty years! Just a bunch
of Creationist apologists. But once we declare war on Europe for
harboring weapons of mass instruction, everything will be cool.
.
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| User: "stoney" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Evolution comments irk scientists |
04 Feb 2004 04:01:27 PM |
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On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 09:25:49 +0000 (UTC), Jason Spaceman
<I@Eat.Spammers.For.Breakfast.com>, Message ID:
<br5s10p78pufob6tlbsps87sihjl9geatr@4ax.com> wrote in alt.atheism;
How sad, the terminally undereducated are running the (cough)
'educational system' in the U.S..
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0204a/02evolution.html
Evolution comments irk scientists
By MARY MacDONALD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue says he wants a "balanced" classroom approach to
teaching evolution with an emphasis on its standing as "academic
theory."
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says her proposed biology
curriculum will allow teachers to present other scientific theories
about evolution and specifically mentions "intelligent design."
Across Georgia, scientists cringed at the statements.
Sarah Pallas, an associate professor of biology at Georgia State
University, said Sunday that the public comments reveal an ignorance of
science and mimic the arguments used by people who rebut evolution. Her
views were shared by other biologists.
"He wants to insert religion into the science curriculum," Pallas said
of Perdue's call for balanced instruction. "If there were other
scientific theories about the diversity of life, scientists would be
inserting them in class. That's our job."
Taking a position in the controversy for the first time, Perdue said
Saturday that the word "evolution" should remain in Georgia's proposed
science standards and not be replaced with the phrase proposed by Cox:
"biological changes over time."
Nevertheless, the governor also seemed to express support for teaching
alternate theories to evolution. A spokesman on Sunday refused to
elaborate on the governor's statement.
"What concerns me is that many times you'll have teachers in the
classroom with impressionable students who go beyond that and teach
[evolution] as a proven fact, and then go beyond that and ridicule
students who would believe anything other than the theory of evolution,"
Perdue said. "I think we need to have academic freedom, but we need
academic balance as well."
In an interview shortly after his November 2002 victory, Perdue said he
had "no problem" with children being exposed to creationism, evolution
and other theories, but said the decision should rest with the local
school districts.
Controversy over the teaching of evolution surfaced last week after The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Cox proposed eliminating the
word "evolution" from the middle and high school science standards. The
proposal is part of a massive revision of state curriculum.
While traditional scientists may be repelled by any move to weaken the
standing of evolution in state classrooms, such a shift would be
embraced by some parents and others.
Many parents say they find it frustrating that public schools have
ignored the challenges to evolution put forward by legitimate
scientists. Larry Taylor, a Cobb County parent, wrote in a letter to Cox
that the opposition is not a simple matter of creationists trying to get
religion into the schools.
"The debate is really about the lack of supporting evidence for
evolution, the censorship of dissenting scientist, religious
intolerance, viewpoint discrimination, and the interjection of personal
bias by science educators when instructing our children on the subject,"
Taylor wrote.
Charles Kelly, a former public school teacher who lives in Banks County,
said many teachers shy away from teaching evolution because it is pushed
in public schools without dissenting theories. The state's curriculum
should go into greater depth in placing evolution under more critical
evaluation, he said.
"Not all scientists are evolutionists," said Kelly, who now teaches in a
Christian school.
Heidi Isom, who has two children in the Cobb system, said she agrees
with the governor that students should be exposed to a balance of
arguments. "[Evolution] is presented with far more weight upon it than
it needs to be," she said.
Cox explained that she regarded "evolution" as a buzzword that causes
negative reaction in communities, enough to derail teachers' attempts to
teach the major components of biology. She identified "intelligent
design" as another acceptable scientific theory about the origin of
life.
Intelligent design holds that living things are too complex and diverse
to have evolved through random mutation. Its proponents argue instead
that life on Earth resulted from a purposeful design by a higher
intelligence.
It is a belief, not science, said Pallas and other professors.
David Bechler, a biology professor and head of the department of biology
at Valdosta State University, said the statements suggest a basic
misunderstanding of science.
"I don't think they understand the definition of a theory," Bechler
said. "You're talking about a statement that describes a body of data
that has gone through testing and proving. The theory of creation,
intelligent design, or whatever you might want to call it, has not been
tested and should not be discussed in science classes. It's not the same
thing."
The proposed biology curriculum draws on national standards, but
includes a truncated version of required knowledge for students on
evolution. This aspect of the revision has drawn less attention than the
loss of the word "evolution" but is just as worrisome, say advocates for
evolution instruction.
Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education,
said the call for "balance" usually is an effort to introduce concepts
that rebut evolution.
(c) 2004 [ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 2/2/04 ]
Stoney
"Designated Rascal and Rapscallion
and
SCAMPERMEISTER!"
When in doubt, SCAMPER about!
When things are fair, SCAMPER everywhere!
When things are rough, can't SCAMPER enough!
/end humour alert
alt.atheism military veteran #11
{so much for the 'no atheists in foxholes' rubbish}
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