divine blueprint
kateAt the beginning of our school year, President Bush came out in favor of teaching intelligent design in science classes. Officials in Florida’s Department of Education will discuss the possibility of reviewing standards in the science curriculum within the next year and debates over this controversial subject are bound to come up.
As a teacher in Hillsborough County, I’ve heard parents complain that both sides should be taught - as if evolution and creationism are competing theories. They are not. One is an accepted fact in the scientific world while the other is a way to bring faith-based ideas into the classroom. Such ideas belong at home or in a house of worship – not public schools.
If you value your children’s education in this city, pay attention to upcoming debates and make sure elected officials hear from you on the subject. Our schools must move forward – we can’t afford any more steps back.
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October 13th, 2005 at 1:55 pm
[...] Kate recently referenced the story in the Tribune about the Intelligent Design vs. Evolution debate. To be sure, ID vs E is a timely subject, and perfect for inclusion in a newspaper. The paper can give us all the facts, so those that don’t know about the differences can find out more. But there are two problems with the article. First of all, reporters Ronnie Blair and Allyson Bird failed to mention (as did Kate) the third view in the discussion, the Flying Spaghetti Monster. But even more disturbing, the reporters actually cite Wikipedia as a source (about 2/3 down). [...]
October 13th, 2005 at 2:37 pm
You may be on to something, here: I had a Spaghetti sandwich for lunch — and now my stomach is Flying . . . Btw, have you heard about my Intelligent Dijon theory? Nine out of 10 scientists agree that it cuts the mustard. (The 10th feels that I’m playing catch-up.)
October 13th, 2005 at 3:40 pm
I wish I knew whose trackback that was, because I’d go there and reply. Instead, I’ll have to respond now, and briefly:
I think we as a community need to embrace Wikipedia as a credible source. Consider what criteria we use to attribute credibility to sources, then realize that Wikipedia is vetted far more comprehensively than those other sources, and I think we can conclude it’s as legitimate a source as anything else.
Is NBC News (owned by corporate giant GE) or ABC News (Disney) or CBS (Viacom) somehow more credible?
October 13th, 2005 at 3:49 pm
I think kids will notice the lack of evidence to support intelligent design, this isn’t 1925 when all kids knew about the world came from their parents and their church after all. Surely it is great to fight taking the creation of school curriculam away from educators but I think people on both sides are overestimating the effect this will have in the long term.
October 13th, 2005 at 4:25 pm
Embrace His Noodly Appendage
October 13th, 2005 at 6:17 pm
What about Globulism? http://wendyboucher.blogspot.com/2005/10/globulist.html
October 13th, 2005 at 10:12 pm
Gotta get that blog back up so I can argue this properly. Being a teacher does not give you automatic cred on this isssue. And on that “accepted fact” thing: 20 years ago doctors who thought bacteria caused stomach ulcers were considered fools by most of the medical community.
Except for weddings, funerals, etc. I haven’t been inside a church in a decade or so, and as such I really don’t have a lot of skin in this game, but the condescending air of the “educated” crowd on this issue is ridiculous.
October 14th, 2005 at 12:47 am
Yessss! The noodly appendage should be part of the curricula.
October 14th, 2005 at 1:18 am
Let me condescend a bit. Until the Great Kazoo comes out from behind the curtain of Intelligent Design there will never be an answer to if it is viable as a scientific notion. There has not been nor will there ever be a test or experiment of any kind that will lend a scrap of science to this nonsense. How convenient to have a theory with absolutely no ability to ever even attempt to prove it. This is nothing more than the usual Christian imposition of (their) religion. And that aint no theory.
t
October 16th, 2005 at 1:55 am
Unfortunately, there are people out there who are brainwashed by their religious leaders, and if you teach children about ID they WILL believe in it. I spoke to someone just last week who said to me, specifically regarding evolution, “if you believe in that sort of thing. I’ll put down what the teachers want me to say, but I know it’s not right. It’s totally against what I believe.” This from an otherwise very bright young woman.
October 16th, 2005 at 9:33 am
“Intelligent design.” Sounds like another loser slogan from Chrysler.
October 18th, 2005 at 12:03 am
Please don’t allow the teaching of mythology in a science class.