Be Diligent…

Not evolution that happens in the classroom, but… Well, you know what I mean…

Last week the Florida Senate passed a bill that would allow public school teachers to challenge evolution with “scientific information”. Naturally, there is opposition to this, and you can probably guess where some of the most vocal opposition is coming from. (Hint: it’s a 4-letter word.) Of course they’re worried that the Christian right will be force-feeding Christianity into the students’ young skulls full of mush. That isn’t their main public objection though. The objection they’re hanging their hat on is that “such information would not necessarily need to undergo peer review, the process by which scientists evaluate and test each others’ work”, according to Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller, of Cooper City, who debated against the bill.

Frankly, I don’t know what they’re afraid of. You can’t prove the Bible story of creation with the scientific method anyway. Perhaps they’re worried that the “scientific” experiments “proving” evolution that are taught as fact in schools today have long ago been disproved — in some cases as much as 50 years ago. Now I can see that as being a huge threat to them.

According to The Gainesville Sun, “the bill passed the Senate with a 21-17 vote, with only one Democrat in favor and five Republicans opposed. It next goes to the House, which is considering a different bill that not only would allow teachers to question evolution but require them to present a ‘critical analysis’ of Charles Darwin’s scientific theory.” I think this is a good bill, and would like to see something similar on the books in all 50 states.

What do you think?

No related posts for this topic.

Posted on May 2nd, 2008 by Bob Mathews
Filed under: Evolution