"Teaching the controversy" in Tennessee - Part 2

Ironically, the anti-evolution movement itself has evolved. Here's a continued look into the type of debate going on in your state; including, but not limited to, the idea that science classrooms are actually religious indoctrination chambers (I'm paraphrasing, but it's hard to tell, isn't it?)

Original House video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJD59bzg90w

HD is cool, you can actually see the internal facepalms expressed in my eyes.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• teach the controversy
• cdesign
• proponentsists
• evolution
• NCSE
• Dover
• Ken Miller
• creationism
• atheism
• christianity
• God
• Bible
• Peer review
• Dawkins

[shnosifaj]

@venaloid I guess it's just the accusations that bother me. Science isn't about saying "if you don't believe this you are wrong or otherwise unqualified to question it". Science is about saying "hypothesize alternate explanations and test them using scientific methods". If the advocates of this bill were given such a task they would quickly collapse under the many fallacies of their arguments. It's more important that they know how to conduct science than get into a battle of name calling.

[Venaloid]

@shnosifaj - Well then I'd suggest teaching already-decided 'controversies' like the aquatic ape theory, which tried to explain why humans are relatively hairless. Don't give them ones that are either genuine controversies, or ones that are easy to get wrong with a student who knows little about it. Evolution falls in that second category: it's detailed and tricky; don't give it to kids who are just learning how science works.

[shnosifaj]

I don't think you are justified in saying that no one can question science who is not "qualified". Anyone is free to question whatever scientific theory they want, but they must do it scientifically. The main issue is how creationists perceive the debate. Teach creationism or intelligent design in a theology course, without testable evidence it isn't science. Evolution is a scientific theory based on the best evidence we have, you don't have to believe it. That is all a teacher has to say.

[Venaloid]

@shnosifaj - Well you can question it, but your classroom shouldn't be elevated to the rank of a scientific authority. Nor should the student themselves be thus promoted or led to believe that they are qualified to rule on current controversies, whose existence is highly questionable in the first place. Basically, "Yeah, you can disbelieve it, but you're wrong and incapable of demonstrating otherwise."

[FreeThinkingCrusader]

Your getting gray hair dealing with these creatards

[9Khaleel7]

Ignorance breeds enmity. You see how upset the black representative seems to be in responding to the woman. I noticed this years ago as a Muslim debating Christians and now as an atheist debating religious people in general.

[kelarael]

What is the point of these education boards? Shouldnt they be full of people who know something about education, and curriculums be made by people who understand the field?

Then people who have concerns with what is being taught or whatever then bring it to the proffessionals.

Science is not decided by consensus, neither is maths, neither is anything else ESPECIALLY in education. I can't go into french class and pass a motion that "bonjour" means "goldfish" and change the meaning of the word.

[eeluminateus]

I believe it was just passed on to the Senate calendar for discussion at this point. Check out the videos of SB0893 on the Tennessee General Assembly site for more of the same.

[Parabol0086]

The term controversy seems to have shifted now. The controversy used to be labelled for ID. It was the controversial alternate theory that they wanted teaching. After they lost their case to get ID in, now they label the so-called "unknowns" of evolution as controversies.

It is a shame that you don't need any scientific background to become a politician, yet so much of the world is based on scientific discoveries. :-/

[JamesJimRaynor]

@futureorreligion Unfortunately only the board of education's opinion matters.

[detroitboy65]

Here is the trouble: The stupidest among us are in charge. SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS! ALL gods are MYTH!

The law should be that only secular, reasoning persons should be allowed to fill school boards and other legislative bodies. There should be a test for supernatural nonsense,

[jslyster]

"You can't jump in and say 'I think you're doing it wrong' when you have no idea what they're doing in the first place." That's a quote I'm going to remember for a long time. Brilliant. 8^)

[enysp]

I want to pucnch creationist "Quote miners" in the face...