Shinobi

Just read the thread on Newsweeks virgin birth poll. Glad I don't live in America.
Is the religification and ID in schools having an adverse effect on the sciences in the US? Are people unwilling to enter into scientific careers and distrustful of science? If your going to teach people that evolution didn't happen, or is questionable how can that benefit the biological or medical sciences? (ie. anything that might have somehting to do with DNA, genetics.)

krazykatlady

That's a good question. What I have found just through a quick google is:

from National Trends in Science/National Assessment of Educational Progress
It appears as if science literacy hasn't changed much. But then again, I think the interest in ID in the science classroom has been a relatively more recent phenomenon. It certainly wasn't something discussed in my grade school years (which ended in the mid-90s).
I'd be interesting in seeing a study done of children who've graduated w/ basic, standard science education (including evolution, the big bang & anything else the fundies find abhorrent) vs. children who graduate w/ modified science education (omitting Darwin & the like & substituting Biblical or otherwise religious creationism). I'd like to see which group of kids fares better in college, in scientific careers, etc.
Ange =^..^=

MonCapitan2002

It is my suspicion that the religionists in this country are deliberately trying to prevent the masses from gaining a good degree of scientific literacy. A society that is scientifically literate is so grave a threat to religion (at least as far as they may believe), that they will do whatever they can to increase scientific ignorance and distrust of science. What is most disturbing about this phenomena is how they fail to realise that modern civilization and all its technology is built upon the foundation of science. I shudder to think about what will happen to this nation in the next cantury.

Considering the increasing religiosity and scientific illiteracy in this country, I believe the US will either be splintered into several nations or will be a third world country by 2150. My guess is predicated on the belief that we actually survive World War III, of course.

Jehanne

It appears that the “creation versus evolution�? debate is somewhat cyclical, in that the creationists come “on the scene�? every ten or twenty years, are exposed as being complete scientific fools, disappear and then return later as something else. If anything, the “dialogue�? (no matter how absurd that you think it is) will, I believe, have a productive purpose over the long term. Christianity, in general, and Roman Catholicism, in particular, is far “less devout�? in its beliefs compare to 100 years ago. The topic of “hell�? is rarely mentioned these days but was “staple preaching�? a century ago.