Cobb county inserts sticker in biology text books:
“This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered.”
Why does such a simple statement make the ACLU, atheists, Darwinists, and evolutionists go into a tizzy.
“This textbook contains material on gravity. Gravity is a theory, not a fact, regarding the relationships between masses. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered. Before you jump”
The only reason they want the disclaimer is for religious reasons. Repeat, the only reason. Religion has no place is a instruction of Science in public schools.
Please note that the fundy whack jobs out there have a long term strategy. Their goal isn’t the sticker. Their goal is to bring down all of Science. After the sticker, evolution gets shoved out. Then the age of the universe is 6,000 years old. (There goes geology and astronomy.) Then the globes are replaced by flat Earth maps. (Yes, I’m serious. Biblical literalists can cite scripture that “proves” the Earth is flat.) You have to stop them at the first step.
The fear is that this is the first step along the slippery slope of introducing creationism or other psuedo-science into the curriculum. To put these other “theories” (with their religious underpinnings) on the same footing as evolution is the concern.
The ACLU, specifically, is involved because it is being pushed for religious motives.
The statement is being opposed by scientists because it is false, specifically:
Evolution is not a theory, it is an observed fact.
There is a theory (actually, there are several) regarding the mechanism of the fact of evolution. The strongest is Dawin’s Theory of Natural Selection, modified by Dobzhansky’s work with Mendel’s observations of genetics to be called Neo-Darwinism. It has, so far, stood up to over 140 years of challenges and keeps getting stronger.
However, Neo-Darwinism is not an attempt to explain the “origin of living things.” It is an effort to explain the origins of species within the already existing world of living things.
That leaves the schoolboard in the position of posting a statement with three falsehoods on every biology textbook they oversee, thus incurring a lot of opposition from people who oppose religious interference in public education and ignorant interference by school boards in any education.
That is the GQ answer to this question. (The Pit and GD already have threads dealing with this silliness.)
Because evolution is not a theory, it is a fact. The evidence backing it up is every bit as strong as the evidence backing up the law of gravity. It should be called “the law of evolution”, and would be if not for political reasons.
This belongs in GD, not GQ, by the way.
Yeah. I mean, just because it’s false and an attempt to get religion and intelligent design/creationism taught in science classes doesn’t mean anybody should pay attention or anything…
I can only echo this. If you wish to examine things beyond the simple answer to your GQ, then head to the Pit or GD and search.
Closed.
samclem GQ moderator