This article from CNN’s website discusses the Georgia school board wanting to remove the word “evolution” from their curriculum, but to still teach it, using the phrase, “biological changes over time.”
Aside from the fact that it makes them look incredibly stupid, I don’t see how this action accomplishes anything for either side of the creation/evolution debate.
Does anyone think this action could open the door to removing the teaching of evolution in public schools?
They way you eat a meal is one bite at a time.
Make no mistake, ‘they’ do have an end goal of teaching creationism in school as science and not evolution.
You may contact, via email, Kathy Cox, the Georgia State School Superintendent if you have an opinion about the issue at this address: KathyCox@doe.k12.ga.us
She should not be confused with Cathy Cox, the Georgia Secretary of State.
I’m hoping it will clarify for people what evolution is, and what it is not. Most of the folks I’ve met who object to teaching evolution don’t really understand what it is they’re objecting to. They think evolution is the theory that man descended from apes, and while that’s one of the conclusions you could draw from it, that’s not what evolution actually is. Evolution is the process of biological change over time. If calling it something people can’t misunderstand will make people sit down, shut up, and learn something, I’m all for it.
Note that “changes over time” is fully accepted by creationists. “Time” in this context means a few thousand years only. E.g., it’s okay that say that bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics.
It is also not just evolution that is under attack. This also removes all mention of the Universe being over a few thousand years old and such. So Biology, Astronomy, Geology, etc. are effectively not going to be taught at all.
As to how this person got elected: A certain group went looking for someone with the same name as the (formerly) popular SoS. She was widely viewed as completely unqualified for the job. But she won despite the warnings in the media about the name confusion.
Maybe Ms. Cox DOES have an agenda. This quote is from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
"She said students need to understand that science is constantly changing and they need to be exposed to all legitimate theories.
Cox said that could include the teaching of “intelligent design,” though it is not specifically mentioned in the proposed curriculum. Most scientists deride “intelligent design” – the idea that life arose through a purposeful design by a higher being – as junk science. But Cox described it as a scientific theory that could be discussed in science classes.
“That is a scientific theory,” she said. “Now people say, ‘Oh, those folks, they’re kook scientists.’ But it does have scientists, rather than theologians, talking about other ways we may have come into being.”"
Also, Georgia did adopt most of the science benchmarks recommended by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, but revised or omitted many things ‘evolution’ related such as the introduction that mentioned Darwin, and many basic points about selection and descent. Georgia kids will be missing some important information if these changes go unchallenged. Despite what she says, it is not simply a word being debated here.
I suspect ID is not in the proposed curriculum… at this time.
That’s the problem with so called “creation science.” It starts with the result and tries to find evidence for it. Science is about finding data, and deducing a result from it. Creation science just takes various facts that somewhat support their theory and ignore everything that doesn’t. That’s not science.
A similar measure was passed in Kentucky six years ago. The last time that I spoke to my high school biology teacher, he was ignoring it entirely and there were no consequences.
Somewhere out on the 'net there’s a Scientific American article with a title along the lines of “Debunking 10 Creationist Myths”…lemme see if I can dig up the URL…Here we go. And it deals with the “Intelligent Design” cough theory…basically their response is the same as what Yumblie said.