LianaLi

Petition to remove ID from Science Textbooks

I apologize in advance if someone has already posted this, but a quick search through the forums didn't turn this up. And, yes, I've already signed. Damn Texas.

The basic gist? Someone actually got a freaking textbook to publish ideas teaching Intelligent Design. Let's get this out of the classroom, shall we?

-Liana

notMichaelJackson

Did anyone here know about petitiononline.com before I posted a link to it a few weeks ago?

Since the majority of students don't read textbooks anyway, we have nothing to fear.

Mageth

Signed

Rhaedas

Anyone have more information on exactly what is changed, other than the blurb on the article linked at the petition, which states:

The wording could be important, because as I see it there, it not only doesn't attack or question evolution at all, being it mentions "origin of life", it actually may be a good encouragement, for students to go out and try and learn more about the subject, inclusing less popular theories. I have no problem with someone going to various evolution and creationism sites, and comparing the data. That's a no brainer.

So do biology textbooks these days go inot any detail on abiogenesis anyway? There wasn't much to cover in my days at school, and I don't think there's a lot to add, as far as a high school textbook would cover.

Again, if all it is is a sentence mentioning that there are multiple theories on the origin of life, what's false about that? There are indeed multiple scientific theories, as well as crackpot ones, covering the topic.

I would also hope that a good textbook would specify that evolution has nothing to do with how life started, only how it has changed.

If there's no more to this than what I see, it hurts ID, not helps it. It promotes research and inquiry, which shows ID attacks as the fallacies they are.

RufusAtticus

"Students also are encouraged to research alternative theories on the Internet."

This is the passage that I have problems with. Just put "evolution" in Google and look at all the crap that comes up. It is unethical for a textbook writer to just tell highschool biology students to look up "alternative theories" on the internet, with out giving them guidence on what sites have valuable educational material.

blackthorne

Signed.

Indeed.

Duvenoy

I'm there.

doov

JaeIsGod

Signed

LianaLi

Therein lies the danger, methinks. Publishing ID in a textbooks lends it credence, not the round debunking of its basis that it deserves. I'd like to read the textbook myself, to see exactly what is said, but until I do, I'll settle for it not being in any textbooks. To counter example it, lamarkian theories are taught in college level biology, but it's also pointed out as a failed theory. I don't think this is how ID is presented in the textbook, nor would I encourage teaching it. If memory serves me right, most high school textbooks just give a quick gloss over abiogenesis, just because it's a hard subject to cover.

-Liana

markfiend

Umm... AFAIK petitiononline.com is just a way for spammers to harvest e-mail addresses. Sorry.