# What Difference Could This Possibly Make? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758 "2004-01-30T15:08:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/1 "2004-01-30T15:08:04Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/01/30/striking.evolution.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/01/30/striking.evolution.ap/index.html) 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? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/2 "2004-01-30T15:38:11Z")
I was asking myself that same question this morning. I guess the fundie master plan is to chip away at “evil-otion” by bit by bit. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/3 "2004-01-30T19:58:50Z")
Exactly, 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. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/4 "2004-01-31T01:21:59Z")
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](mailto:KathyCox@doe.k12.ga.us) She should not be confused with Cathy Cox, the Georgia Secretary of State. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SuperNova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNova)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/5 "2004-01-31T02:55:09Z")
Nice [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=237280) about this is growing in the pit. Really ridiculous. Most of the state seems against it at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/6 "2004-01-31T04:15:27Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/7 "2004-01-31T07:47:32Z")
OH!!! Now I get it! It all makes sense now… _And_ I’m not offended!!! I’m so glad they decided to change the wording of it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/8 "2004-01-31T08:03:26Z")
IMHO, any time a single word is rejected in favor of a much longer avoidance phrase, it’s probably a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/9 "2004-01-31T15:01:00Z")
Not using the word “evolution” to describe the process is almost as bad making a thread title that doesn’t describe the thread. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/10 "2004-01-31T16:33:41Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/11 "2004-01-31T19:29:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/12 "2004-02-01T05:58:50Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > 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.”" 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. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/13 "2004-02-01T06:29:23Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Call\_me\_Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/14 "2004-02-01T06:43:10Z")
I’d like to apologize for my laziness in advance. 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](http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000D4FEC-7D5B-1D07-8E49809EC588EEDF). And it deals with the “Intelligent Design” _cough_ theory…basically their response is the same as what **Yumblie** said. And that’s a good analogy **Zebra** … ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-difference-could-this-possibly-make/226758/15 "2004-02-01T13:20:43Z")
> [@SuperNova](#): > > Nice [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=237280) about this is growing in the pit. > > Really ridiculous. Most of the state seems against it at the moment. As has been pointed out by **SuperNova** , the subject is already up and running in another thread. I’m locking this one off.