| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Jason Spaceman" |
| Date: |
19 Mar 2005 02:52:31 PM |
| Object: |
In the News: Utah's non-war over evolution |
From the article:
----------------------------
It's taught ? but probably not believed
Copyright 2005 Deseret Morning News
By Elaine Jarvik
Deseret Morning News
Anxious e-mails have been filling Karlene Bauer's inbox this school year ?
messages about Cobb County, Ga., and Dover, Pa., and all the other places where
people are up in arms over the teaching of evolution.
Bauer, who teaches at Jordan High School and is on a listserv of AP biology
teachers across the country, says she's happy to be in Utah, where Darwin's
146-year-old theory is currently making neither waves nor headlines.
One might suppose, given that Utahns tend to be both conservative and religious,
that evolution would be a contentious topic in Utah's schools; but yet another
legislative session has passed with no mention of Charles Darwin. And Brett
Moulding can count on his fingers the number of anti-evolution phone calls he's
gotten in the past 10 years, first as science education specialist and then as
curriculum director for the Utah State Office of Education.
As Murray high biology teacher Steve Scheidell says, "It's not a thing to panic
about here."
That may be because not all biology teachers in Utah tackle the touchiest part
of evolutionary theory: how humans came to be. And Utah students often don't
believe what they've been taught anyway, because they've learned something
different from teachers in LDS Church seminary classes.
--------------------------------
Read it at http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600119354,00.html
J. Spaceman
--
My email address (notreally@jspaceman.homelinux.org) is fake. Email sent to it
will only get caught in my spam tarpit.
.
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| User: "DianaC" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Utah's non-war over evolution |
19 Mar 2005 06:50:20 PM |
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"Jason Spaceman" <notreally@jspaceman.homelinux.org> wrote in message
news:GI2dnX1NJfsyoaHfRVn-pQ@rogers.com...
From the article:
----------------------------
It's taught ? but probably not believed
Copyright 2005 Deseret Morning News
By Elaine Jarvik
Deseret Morning News
Anxious e-mails have been filling Karlene Bauer's inbox this school year ?
messages about Cobb County, Ga., and Dover, Pa., and all the other places
where
people are up in arms over the teaching of evolution.
Bauer, who teaches at Jordan High School and is on a listserv of AP
biology
teachers across the country, says she's happy to be in Utah, where
Darwin's
146-year-old theory is currently making neither waves nor headlines.
One might suppose, given that Utahns tend to be both conservative and
religious,
that evolution would be a contentious topic in Utah's schools; but yet
another
legislative session has passed with no mention of Charles Darwin. And
Brett
Moulding can count on his fingers the number of anti-evolution phone calls
he's
gotten in the past 10 years, first as science education specialist and
then as
curriculum director for the Utah State Office of Education.
As Murray high biology teacher Steve Scheidell says, "It's not a thing to
panic
about here."
That may be because not all biology teachers in Utah tackle the touchiest
part
of evolutionary theory: how humans came to be. And Utah students often
don't
believe what they've been taught anyway, because they've learned something
different from teachers in LDS Church seminary classes.
--------------------------------
Actually, it's mostly because Mormons don't have a problem with evolution.
Not officially, or unofficially. We can make up our own minds, and while
there are a few literal biblical creationism holdouts, they are dwindling,
and more and more (if not the majority) Mormons figure that evolution is
"how God did it".
The thing is, we don't happen to believe that one must believe in biblical
creationism to be 'saved', and also don't think that finding out that
evolution is 'how it was done' contradicts our belief system. It doesn't,
y'know. Therefore, teaching evolution in Utah schools really IS a
'non-issue'. Ho hum---and if objections DO come, it won't be Mormon parents
yelling.
Yeah, I know, it destroys a really good stereotype, but no matter, the
critics will find something else...;-)
.
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| User: "Chris Rohrer" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Utah's non-war over evolution |
23 Mar 2005 07:34:44 PM |
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Jason Spaceman wrote:
From the article:
----------------------------
It's taught ? but probably not believed
Copyright 2005 Deseret Morning News
By Elaine Jarvik
Deseret Morning News
I hate getting scooped by Jason on something the local paper, but I was
out of town for a few days. Valid excuse? The article apparently
prompted this letter to the editor:
Deseret Morning News
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600120219,00.html
==========
Kids should draw conclusions
Great article on evolution. It seems the argument is evolution vs.
creationism or "intelligent design" being taught in schools. However,
the argument should focus on why evolution is a theory and not a proven
fact.
Creationism has nothing to do with it. We should teach our children to
be critical thinkers by giving them the raw evidence and allowing them
to draw their own conclusions.
There is a great collection of books written by scientists,
intellectuals and critical thinkers as close as your public library
that present both sides.
Andrew Erickson
Riverton
==========
I'm all for teaching critical thinking, but the "present both sides"
argument presupposes that 1) there are only two sides and 2) that all
sides have equal merit.
Chris Rohrer
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| User: "Chris Rohrer" |
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| Title: Re: In the News: Utah's non-war over evolution |
24 Mar 2005 07:15:12 PM |
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Chris Rohrer wrote:
Jason Spaceman wrote:
From the article:
----------------------------
It's taught ? but probably not believed
Copyright 2005 Deseret Morning News
<snip some>
The article apparently prompted this letter to the editor:
<snip some more>
....and these letters, too:
Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600120461,00.html
==========
Species most likely 'designed'
In response to the well-written article in the Deseret Morning News on
evolution (March 19), I would like to note the following points that
were not covered.
First, many people confuse micro and macro evolution. Micro evolution
is also called adaptation, which exists within a single species. Macro
evolution is what the discussion is really about. It is the gradual
mutation of cells to create a completely new species.
Second, in order for evolution to have occurred as Darwin theorized,
there would be a continuum between all species as one species gradually
passed on the "good" and surviving cellular mutations to the offspring,
and we would see this continuum. However, there have never been any
such creatures found. All fossils are distinctly unique, beautiful and
symmetrical.
Third, the existence of similar DNA in different species does not
necessarily indicate there was evolution between species. An
"intelligent designer" would most certainly use the same building
blocks for all designs.
As a physicist and engineer, I vote for "intelligent design."
Ruel Clark
Bluffdale
==========
Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)
Thursday, March 24, 2005
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600120765,00.html
==========
Both concepts have merit
Thank you for your fine article on organic evolution in Utah (March
19). I am an active Latter-day Saint who understands that we are
children of God and that man was created in God's image. I am also a
scientist who believes in evolution, even the creation of man's body by
evolution. I find no difficulty in accepting both concepts.
We have incomplete information in both religion and science. There is
still an enormous amount to learn. Thus it is not appropriate for
religion people to judge, on the basis of scripture, that evolution is
not true, and it is not appropriate for scientists to judge that, on
the basis of science, that God does not exist or that religion is not
true.
B. Kent Harrison
Provo
==========
Chris Rohrer
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