PA school board approves (un)"intelligent design"

shemp · Post by **shemp** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:57 pm

School Board: Darwin Ain't All

(AP) When talk at the high school here turns to evolution, biology teachers have to make time for Charles Darwin as well as his detractors.

With a vote last month, the school board in the rural south-central Pennsylvania community is believed to have become the first in the nation to mandate the teaching of "intelligent design," which holds that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by an unspecified higher power.

Critics call the change in the ninth-grade biology curriculum a veiled attempt to require public schoolchildren to learn creationism, a biblical-based view that credits the origin of species to God. Schools typically teach evolution, the theory that Earth is billions of years old and that its life forms developed over millions of years.

:knock:

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:04 pm

Doesn't matter if it's overturned in one state, the morons will just keep running that play til they get it right. Then they can call it a precedent, and keep going state to state until science is dead.

Vic Daring · Post by **Vic Daring** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:33 pm

Yikes!!

Way to close to home. I live in Pennsylvania.

It's a friggin' blue state!!!

Time to attend a school board meeting and demand that they teach the Invisible Pink Unicorn Theory.

Hey, it's a downright fraud to perpetrate on the students, to portray one theory over and over. What we want is a balanced presentation.

Plus, You can't be hypocritical with these kids, teaching them one thing but not another.

Might be fun to develop a brief IPU lesson plan.

Vic Daring · Post by **Vic Daring** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 6:14 pm

You don't think these were "moral values" voters?

Pyrrho · Post by **Pyrrho** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:02 pm

I'm amazed they haven't tried to amend the Pennsylvania state constitution. I suppose that's next.

This case is a prime example of why separation of church and state is so important. Board members were asked by others if they were "born again", a direct attempt by government employees to intimidate others by means of religion in order to influence a government decision. This is wrong on that basis alone and the decision should be thrown out by the courts.

Pyrrho · Post by **Pyrrho** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:06 pm

Vic Daring wrote:Yikes!!

Way to close to home. I live in Pennsylvania.

It's a friggin' blue state!!!

Time to attend a school board meeting and demand that they teach the Invisible Pink Unicorn Theory.

Hey, it's a downright fraud to perpetrate on the students, to portray one theory over and over. What we want is a balanced presentation.

Plus, You can't be hypocritical with these kids, teaching them one thing but not another.

Might be fun to develop a brief IPU lesson plan.

They used the same strategy in Ohio: demand fairness and equality and a balanced education. It is a fallacy because the two theories are anything but equal and sets a precedent for any kookery to be taught on the basis of "equality and fairness". This precedent will allow for demands that religious literature be taught for the same reasons. The ongoing enshrinement of ignorance in education will result in a heavy price to be paid in terms of falling behind in technology, innovation, scientific research, and just plain intelligence. Stupid is as stupid does.

Quester_X · Post by **Quester_X** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:33 pm

Still, many teachers will teach evolution and not creationism if they aren't closely monitered. They're usually well educated people, they know that it doesn't belong in school. I don't think a single one of my past biology teachers would teach creationism, even if they were supposed to.

Pyrrho · Post by **Pyrrho** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:44 pm

In this economy? If they want to keep their jobs, they'll teach ID, because otherwise they'll be reported and sanctioned for violating the law. Don't think they won't be watched. There are plenty of people out there who have nothing better to do...or think there's nothing better to do.

Pyrrho · Post by **Pyrrho** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:47 pm

If the "higher power" is unspecified, there's no reason it can't be The Devil. It makes more sense that Satan designed life, given all the incredible fuckups (which could be deliberate!) as opposed to a perfect, all-loving God.

Yup. The DevilDiddit. The Gnostics believed that the Creator God was insane; Intelligent Design, and the general shittiness of life, proves it.

Pyrrho · Post by **Pyrrho** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:59 pm

It might seem as if the ID people have painted themselves into a corner with the issue of life's imperfections, but they do have the handy argument that imperfection was brought into the world by the sins of Adam and Eve. Before that, the design was flawless.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 3:08 am

From an MSN article on it:

The revision was spearheaded by school board member William Buckingham, who heads the board’s curriculum committee.

“I think it’s a downright fraud to perpetrate on the students of this district, to portray one theory over and over,” said Buckingham. “What we wanted was a balanced presentation.”

Buckingham wanted the board to adopt an intelligent-design textbook, “Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins,” as a supplement to the traditional biology book, but no vote was ever taken. A few weeks before the new science curriculum was approved, 50 copies were anonymously donated to the high school.

Although Buckingham describes himself as a born-again Christian and believes in creationism, “This is not an attempt to impose my views on anyone else,” he said.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6470259/

:x

That just really pisses me off. Hopefully these cases will highlight the problem, and these whackjobs will get smacked down hard, and this crap tossed out of schools.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 10:31 pm

Don't bet on it. These whackjobs think they have a "mandate".
Plus Jeebus speaks to them regularly, just like He do to Bush.

Loon · Post by **Loon** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:26 am

How would you argue against ID? It seems like all we have is the argument from incredulity ("This is stupid"), since they'll ignore the evidence that evolution is actually happening. It seems almost unfalsifiable to me.

Bottle or the Gun · Post by **Bottle or the Gun** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 1:22 pm

One step fowards, two steps back. Pretty soon all women will have to have 'Goody' in front of their names again.

NightG1 · Post by **NightG1** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:58 pm

Quester_X wrote:Still, many teachers will teach evolution and not creationism if they aren't closely monitered. They're usually well educated people, they know that it doesn't belong in school. I don't think a single one of my past biology teachers would teach creationism, even if they were supposed to.

I had a physics prof in college - with a PhD and everything - who would have been happy with the events in PA. He was a big proponent of the "equal time" nonsense being peddled back in the 80's. Being well-educated is no antidote to magical thinking.

Denise · Post by **Denise** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:37 pm

How is intelligent design taught? I can't see more than five minutes of class time needed. The teacher could stand up and say "Some people think God did it, and is doing it still." Then, "Let's move on to the theory of evolution, which doesn't address a diety either way, being a scientific theory."

Loon · Post by **Loon** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 2:25 am

Denise wrote:How is intelligent design taught? I can't see more than five minutes of class time needed. The teacher could stand up and say "Some people think God did it, and is doing it still." Then, "Let's move on to the theory of evolution, which doesn't address a diety either way, being a scientific theory."

This is actually very close to how my high school biology teacher handled it (though it was just creationism then- "ID" meant something you showed to buy beer).

I had a bit of a creationist streak in me then (if I recall correctly), but I recall thinking he gave it too much time. There's just not a lot to say about it- "Goddiddit"

Pyrrho · Post by **Pyrrho** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:25 am

Once ID is required curriculum, the discussion will turn to textbooks, and that's where the money is, not to mention the indoctrination. It isn't just about giving lip service to cockamamie ideas.