Re: Georgia, evolution, and religion

Y'know, this is kinda ridiculous.

I went to a Catholic high school and even there they taught evolution. 
It's one thing to include ID into the discussion, it's censorship to 
exclude evolution.

The problem with ID is that it can neither be proven nor disproven!  
That makes it unscientific.  It's like me saying "There is an elite 
group that controls the country.  They cover their tracks by losing the 
debate every once in a while."

Whatever, I'm pissed.  I'm about to get pissed drunk thanks to the 
happy consumerism that is the Super Bowl.  Yay capitalism!

l8a
nick
On Jan 31, 2004, at 3:53 PM, cpratt-UYko1UTVIqz2fBVCVOL8/[email protected] wrote:

>
>
> Cox: 'Evolution' a negative buzzword
> State schools superintendent defends purge of word from proposed 
> biology
> curriculum
>
> By MARY MacDONALD
> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
>
>  CURRICULUM ONLINE
>
>
> The proposed Georgia curriculum for kindergarten through grade 12 can 
> be
> viewed at www.glc.k12.ga.us/spotlight/gps1.htm There is an online form 
> for
> people to offer feedback.
>
> The proposed biology standards are based on the American Association 
> for the
> Advancement of Science benchmarks. Its complete approach to teaching 
> evolution
> can be found at: www.aaas.org/project2061/
>
>
>
>
> State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox said she removed references to
> evolution from the proposed biology curriculum because it is "a 
> buzzword that
> causes a lot of negative reaction."
>
> Cox, fielding questions at a news conference Thursday, defended her 
> decision
> to remove the word "evolution" from the curriculum. She said it was not
> designed to appease Georgians who have religious conflicts with the 
> scientific
> theory that all living things evolved from common ancestry.
>
> "This wasn't so much a religion vs. science, politics kind of issue," 
> Cox
> said. "This was an issue of how do we ensure that our kids are getting 
> a
> quality science education in every classroom across the state."
>
> 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."
>
> Cox said that concepts related to evolution -- including natural 
> selection,
> adaptation and mutation -- would still be in the curriculum. But 
> scientists
> argue their inclusion in the teachings doesn't mean much if they 
> aren't tied
> together through a coherent discussion of evolution.
>
> Decision angers many
>
> The superintendent's decision to replace references to evolution
> with "biological changes over time" in the proposed curriculum for 
> middle and
> high school science has drawn fierce rebukes from some state 
> legislators,
> scientists and teachers, who say it is an embarrassment for the state 
> and will
> weaken the education of Georgians.
>
> As of Thursday evening more than 1,000 people, including parents, 
> teachers and
> professors, had signed an online petition objecting to the curriculum 
> change.
>
> The state based the biology curriculum on benchmarks put forward by a
> respected national source, the American Association for the 
> Advancement of
> Science. But while Georgia educators copied many sections, such as the 
> nature
> of cells and inherited characteristics, they deleted most of the 
> standards
> relating to the origin of living things.
>
> The biology standards are being revised as part of a massive overhaul 
> of the
> state curriculum designed to have teachers concentrate on critical 
> subject
> areas. The yearlong process of revising the standards included 
> teachers,
> college professors and curriculum specialists.
>
> The new curriculum is to be voted on in May by the state Board of 
> Education
> after public comment. Cox said changes are likely to be made based on 
> public
> input.
>
> The superintendent, a former social studies teacher, said the new 
> curriculum
> would not prohibit teachers from taking a deeper approach to evolution 
> or any
> other topic.
>
> But Georgia's curriculum exam, the CRCT, will be rewritten to align 
> with the
> new curriculum. And the state exam is the basis for federal 
> evaluation, which
> encourages schools and teachers to focus on teaching the material that 
> will be
> tested.
>
> Critics say excluding the term "evolution" could prompt teachers to 
> avoid the
> topic. The state's current biology curriculum does include evolution.
>
> Scientists say biology is a gateway course to future studies of the 
> life
> sciences.
>
> And most scientists consider evolution the basis for biology, a 
> scientific
> explanation for the gradual process that has resulted in the diversity 
> of
> living things.
>
> Cox's reference to evolution as a "buzzword" rankled professors who 
> say it is
> a widely supported scientific explanation for the diversity of life and
> something students should understand.
>
> And the superintendent's mention of intelligent design sparked 
> criticism by
> scientists who say it is religion masquerading as science.
>
> "There is no science or evidence behind it," said Carlos Moreno, an 
> assistant
> professor in the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at 
> Emory
> University. "It is an attempt to take the creation story from Genesis 
> and make
> it into science."
>
> 'It's a slippery slope'
>
> If the proposed curriculum is adopted, it would be a national 
> embarrassment
> for Georgia, Moreno said. "It's going to institutionalize poor 
> education in
> science in this state."
>
> Even some parents who have criticized the teaching of evolution as 
> dogmatic
> say the state has erred with this new proposal.
>
> Larry Taylor, who has challenged the teaching of evolution in Cobb 
> County,
> said the proposal doesn't go far enough in detailing arguments against
> evolution.
>
> "The new standards do nothing but water down the terms used to 
> propagate the
> same old one-sided arguments, without challenging the students to think
> critically and examine for themselves if the claims are even true," 
> said
> Taylor, who has three children. Sen. Connie Stokes (D-Decatur) 
> denounced the
> proposal on the Senate floor Thursday.
>
> "I'm concerned School Superintendent Kathy Cox has taken this 
> position,"
> Stokes said. Students will be lost in college biology classes if they 
> don't
> know the terminology, she said.
>
> "It's another obstacle placed in front of our kids. It's a slippery 
> slope,"
> Stokes said. "This is a much, much bigger issue than what we believe
> personally."
>
> Staff writer Rhonda Cook contributed to this article.
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