Freethought & Rationalism Archive

RufusAtticus · 01-30-2004, 09:36 AM

I just got off the phone with NewsRadio 640 WGST in Atlanta.

He was asking me about the petition, and I hope I was clear and didn't say something stupid.

RufusAtticus · 01-30-2004, 09:39 AM

Even the former president from Georgia is getting into the ring.

Here

Quote:

As a Christian, a trained engineer and scientist, and a professor at Emory University, I am embarrassed by Superintendent Kathy Cox's attempt to censor and distort the education of Georgia's students. Her recommendation that the word "evolution" be prohibited in textbooks will adversely effect the teaching of science and leave our high school graduates with a serious handicap as they enter college or private life where freedom of speech will be permitted.

Nationwide ridicule of Georgia's public school system will be inevitable if this proposal is adopted, and additional and undeserved discredit will be brought on our excellent universities as our state's reputation is damaged.

All high school science teachers, being college graduates, have studied evolution as a universal element of university curricula, and would be under pressure to suppress their own educated beliefs in the classroom.

The existing and long-standing use of the word "evolution" in our state's textbooks has not adversely affected Georgians' belief in the omnipotence of God as creator of the universe. There can be no incompatibility between Christian faith and proven facts concerning geology, biology, and astronomy.
There is no need to teach that stars can fall out of the sky and land on a flat earth in order to defend our religious faith.

Fortunately, it is the responsibility of the State Board of Education to make the final decision on the superintendent's ill-advised proposal.

wildlifer · 01-30-2004, 09:52 AM

Question? Does the proposal go as far as removing the word evolution from texts, as Carter implied? I understood it to be just in the curricula.

RufusAtticus · 01-30-2004, 09:52 AM

LA Times / Constra Costa Times

RufusAtticus · 01-30-2004, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wildlifer
Question? Does the proposal go as far as removing the word evolution from texts, as Carter implied? I understood it to be just in the curricula.

It doesn't affect textbooks. Apparantly people are getting that impression from some of the media reports.

I hope it doesn't come back to hurt the effort to adopt all of the national standards.

However, down the road there might be existing state laws about textbooks and the curriculum that would cause the DOE to pressure textbooks to replace "evolution" with "biological change over time."

RufusAtticus · 01-30-2004, 10:00 AM

Screw it. If you're tired of me spamming the board,

Google Search of the News for "Georgia+Evolution"

Discovery institution press release (who didn't see it comming)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040129/sfth097_1.html

Quote:

"This is just absurd. Georgia needs to teach more about evolution, not less," said Rob Crowther, spokesman for Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. "They need to be presenting the scientific evidence both for and against Darwin's theory. There is a growing controversy among scientists about the ability of natural selection or chemistry alone to explain the complexity of life. Ignoring the word evolution won't make the controversy go away."

RufusAtticus · 01-30-2004, 10:19 AM

Holy mother of God!

The petition is on a tear! 2000+ sigs so far

I believe that is double what it had yesterday.

It is now showing up on Google, so people can probably find it better if they're not getting it via email.

RufusAtticus · 01-30-2004, 10:31 AM

If anyone wants to listen to the interview, you can listen to the radio station online at http://www.wgst.com/stream.html.

I'll air occationaly during the news in the late afternoon and evening.

S2Focus · 01-30-2004, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RufusAtticus
More letters to the editors in the AJC

My head is spinning.

My favorite letter:

My response to the proposed state school standards omitting evolution is simple: As head of advising for the biology major at the University of Georgia, I will recommend that we not give advance placement credit for college-level introductory biology, regardless of test score, to students who take biology in Georgia high schools.

A student who wants to be a science teacher or go to medical, dental or other graduate school will have to retake intro biology here.

Evolution is simply too important for all of modern biology to omit it at the whim of religious zealots, most of whom know nothing about biology but are only too happy to spout off about it.

BARRY A. PALEVITZ
Palevitz, of Athens, is a professor of plant biology.

Albion · 01-30-2004, 12:02 PM

"The very nature of science is that its laws must withstand public scrutiny."

That's hilarious! What does this character think will happen if the State of Georgia decides that the laws of nature don't cut it? King Canute isn't even in the same class.

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01-30-2004, 09:36 AM	#61
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	I just got off the phone with NewsRadio 640 WGST in Atlanta. He was asking me about the petition, and I hope I was clear and didn't say something stupid.

01-30-2004, 09:52 AM	#63
wildlifer Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: OK Posts: 267	Question? Does the proposal go as far as removing the word evolution from texts, as Carter implied? I understood it to be just in the curricula.

01-30-2004, 10:19 AM	#67
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	Holy mother of God! The petition is on a tear! 2000+ sigs so far I believe that is double what it had yesterday. It is now showing up on Google, so people can probably find it better if they're not getting it via email.

01-30-2004, 10:31 AM	#68
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	If anyone wants to listen to the interview, you can listen to the radio station online at http://www.wgst.com/stream.html. I'll air occationaly during the news in the late afternoon and evening.

01-30-2004, 12:02 PM	#70
Albion Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: US east coast. And www.theroyalforums.com Posts: 2,829	"The very nature of science is that its laws must withstand public scrutiny." That's hilarious! What does this character think will happen if the State of Georgia decides that the laws of nature don't cut it? King Canute isn't even in the same class.

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