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The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Quote:The theory of evolution has become a flashpoint for religious conservatives, many of whom argue that the idea of life evolving over billions of years clashes with Biblical beliefs. Republican State Rep. Gary Hopper, who with his Republican district mate John Burt introduced HB 1457, told the Concord Monitor that the theory of evolution teaches students that life is nothing but an accident.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45840321/n...wIEdNQS18w
This really pisses me off!!!
As the mother of a 1st grader, and two girls that are not yet school aged, I am infuriated that this is still an issue. If these stupid fucking religious fools want their kids to learn fairy tales in science class, then perhaps they should send their poor children to a private fucking school, and let the secular public schools teach the reality of evolution. If this sort of revolting bullshit comes to where I live, you will be seeing me on the news.
My kids would probably get in trouble for disrupting class to tell their teacher about evolution. I mean seriously, I can hear my daughter shouting, "We're primates, not skymates! Get over it!"
Something has to be done about this madness. This is public fucking school we're talking about here! They teach evolution as a fact in Catholic schools now. WTF?!?!?!
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RE: The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 3:41 pm
(January 2, 2012 at 3:36 pm)aleialoura Wrote: Something has to be done about this madness. This is public fucking school we're talking about here! They teach evolution as a fact in Catholic schools now. WTF?!?!?!
The Catholic church do a lot of wrongs in the world, however their contribution to science in recent years does deserve respect. I only learned the other day that the scientist who first proposed the Big Bang theory was also a Catholic priest.
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RE: The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 3:43 pm
If i remember correctly, the Vatican accepts both the big bang and evolution as fact, the problem lies with the Evangelicals.
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RE: The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 3:46 pm
(January 2, 2012 at 3:36 pm)aleialoura Wrote: As the mother of a 1st grader, and two girls that are not yet school aged, I am infuriated that this is still an issue. If these stupid fucking religious fools want their kids to learn fairy tales in science class, then perhaps they should send their poor children to a private fucking school, and let the secular public schools teach the reality of evolution. If this sort of revolting bullshit comes to where I live, you will be seeing me on the news.
My kids would probably get in trouble for disrupting class to tell their teacher about evolution. I mean seriously, I can hear my daughter shouting, "We're primates, not skymates! Get over it!"
Something has to be done about this madness. This is public fucking school we're talking about here! They teach evolution as a fact in Catholic schools now. WTF?!?!?!
... and people wonder why the ACLU is so bloody prolific.
They're still one of the best organisations in America.
But yeah, this is the sorry state of education in this country.
Facts are so bloody inconvenient these days.
If today you can take a thing like evolution and make it a crime to teach in the public schools, tomorrow you can make it a crime to teach it in the private schools and next year you can make it a crime to teach it to the hustings or in the church. At the next session you may ban books and the newspapers...
Ignorance and fanaticism are ever busy and need feeding. Always feeding and gloating for more. Today it is the public school teachers; tomorrow the private. The next day the preachers and the lecturers, the magazines, the books, the newspapers. After a while, Your Honor, it is the setting of man against man and creed against creed until with flying banners and beating drums we are marching backward to the glorious ages of the sixteenth centry when bigots lighted fagots to burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and culture to the human mind. ~Clarence Darrow, at the Scopes Monkey Trial, 1925
Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. ~Ronald Reagan
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RE: The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 3:50 pm
I fear the dark ages might be making a comeback. Why do these idiots feel the need to impose their personal beliefs on innocent children in science class? I don't get it!
When people ask me why I have a problem with religion, I fail to understand why they even have to ask.
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RE: The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Quote:I only learned the other day that the scientist who first proposed the Big Bang theory was also a Catholic priest.
Did they burn him at the stake?
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RE: The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Well, today is a different kind age than the middle ages.
There are too many people with too many vested interests and too many people who want a bit of a brighter future than the Kansas-style theocratic education system that some of the reddest states want.
As pessimistic as I can be about where the country is headed, I know there is a plataeu where the vast majority of the people will say "we've had enough of this shit" and take action.
The Occupy movement is a good sign that i might be right, although I doubt that the occupy movement is the fullest expression of what's actually possible if they're pushed hard enough.
It's little things like that that have made me a little more optimistic than I probably should be.
Still, as much as I like to protest on these forums about the evils of America, I'm still going about my business and my menial job and I'm not fighting for any of the things I believe in. I think that's a good sign that many people might still be in these 'reserves' given the popularity of the occupy movement.
These radical people are not in the majority, but they are the most vocal. I certainly hope that New Hampshire doesn't listen to those fuckwits, but it is a blue state and even red-state judges and school officials tend to vote more sensibly than we give them credit for. It's just the most retarded of people that tend to make the news for the stupid shit they believe.
If today you can take a thing like evolution and make it a crime to teach in the public schools, tomorrow you can make it a crime to teach it in the private schools and next year you can make it a crime to teach it to the hustings or in the church. At the next session you may ban books and the newspapers...
Ignorance and fanaticism are ever busy and need feeding. Always feeding and gloating for more. Today it is the public school teachers; tomorrow the private. The next day the preachers and the lecturers, the magazines, the books, the newspapers. After a while, Your Honor, it is the setting of man against man and creed against creed until with flying banners and beating drums we are marching backward to the glorious ages of the sixteenth centry when bigots lighted fagots to burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and culture to the human mind. ~Clarence Darrow, at the Scopes Monkey Trial, 1925
Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. ~Ronald Reagan
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RE: The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 4:25 pm
(This post was last modified: January 2, 2012 at 4:27 pm by Perhaps.)
Quote:The second proposal in the New Hampshire House, HB 1457, does not mention evolution specifically but would "require science teachers to instruct pupils that proper scientific inquire [sic] results from not committing to any one theory or hypothesis, no matter how firmly it appears to be established, and that scientific and technological innovations based on new evidence can challenge accepted scientific theories or modes."
What's wrong with this? When I attended my middle school, and even high school (both of which were public) we conducted experiments then came to conclusions, we then compared those conclusions to accepted theories and saw differences and similarities. I'm all for teaching multiple perspectives and theories, if the most evidence falls behind evolution then there is nothing to worry about. I'd rather have my children grow in understanding by negating other theories with evidence as opposed to being taught a single definitive 'fact'.
There is a distinct difference between a law and a theory, one never changes, and the other does all the time. Nothing wrong with teaching children that knowledge is limited and that nothing is definitively true. In fact, if you take a step back, allowing creationism to be disregarded and negated by the youth as there is no evidence to support it would bring about a great deal of intellectual growth and maturity.
Quote:"I want to introduce children to the idea that they have a purpose for being here," Hopper told the newspaper.
As parents, you have the ability to dictate to your children whatever 'purpose' you wish. This should have no significant effect, in my opinion. No more so than Santa Clause.
Brevity is the soul of wit.
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RE: The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 4:36 pm
(January 2, 2012 at 4:25 pm)Perhaps Wrote: What's wrong with this? When I attended my middle school, and even high school (both of which were public) we conducted experiments then came to conclusions, we then compared those conclusions to accepted theories and saw differences and similarities. I'm all for teaching multiple perspectives and theories, if the most evidence falls behind evolution then there is nothing to worry about. I'd rather have my children grow in understanding by negating other theories with evidence as opposed to being taught a single definitive 'fact'.
There is a distinct difference between a law and a theory, one never changes, and the other does all the time. Nothing wrong with teaching children that knowledge is limited and that nothing is definitively true. In fact, if you take a step back, allowing creationism to be disregarded and negated by the youth as there is no evidence to support it would bring about a great deal of intellectual growth and maturity.
This is all well and good, and would work if the creationists actually were interested in the scientific method. Most of them only appear interested in peddling their beliefs as truth.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
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RE: The Attack on Scientific Truth in Public Schools
January 2, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Quote:What's wrong with this? When I attended my middle school, and even high school (both of which were public) we conducted experiments then came to conclusions, we then compared those conclusions to accepted theories and saw differences and similarities. I'm all for teaching multiple perspectives and theories, if the most evidence falls behind evolution then there is nothing to worry about. I'd rather have my children grow in understanding by negating other theories with evidence as opposed to being taught a single definitive 'fact'.
what a waste of time....and we all know it will only be Christianity and its version of god presented as an alternative.
The kids will not be "comparing experiments to the Zeus model of creation"...no. Its nothing more than to make Christianity seems to be so respectable that they are given equal time in a science class...are you out of your head?
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