[Vision2020] NYTimes: On Evolution, Biology Teachers Stray

[Kenneth Marcy]

On Tuesday 08 February 2011 07:11:49 Joe Campbell wrote:
> In my philosophy of science class we discussed the evolution
> theory/creation theory debate, even bringing in a biologist to say a few
> things. The current model of creation theory is called "intelligent
> design" and is really just a revamped version of the design argument (or
> teleological argument). I'm actually of the opinion the broad issue should
> be discussed in high school, but in a philosophy class not a science
> class. But I've talked with some science students, who are studying to be
> teachers, and they thought that it was best to spend at least one day
> discussing the theory of intelligent design in the classroom. A nice but
> rather long read (suggested to me by Pat Carter of WSU Biology) is Judge
> Jones' decision in the Dover trial, available here:
> 
> www.pamd.uscourts.gov/kitzmiller/kitzmiller_342.pdf
> 
> Jones does a nice job of showing how clear it is that the theory of
> intelligent design is just religion in disguise, and how much the Dover
> school district did to distort this truth and deceive the folks in the
> school district into thinking otherwise.

Edward Humes wrote a book-length history of the events around the Dover 
Township case and the Kitzmiller decision titled Monkey Girl: Evolution, 
Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul. It's a pretty good 
read if one wants to understand more about creationists nearby schools.
 
> One common fallacy used by creationists is the fallacy of false dilemma,
> that there are only two options: evolution theory, which is atheistic, and
> creation theory. It is also worth noting that the claim that God exists and
> created the world is not at all inconsistent with the theory of evolution.
> Of course, the claim that God created man and all the animals AT THE SAME
> TIME is inconsistent with evolution theory. But the fossil record is pretty
> clear on the implausibility of this claim.

Yeah, yeah, but a poster of Jesus riding a miniature Tyrannosaurus Rex has a 
panache that just isn't there with a list of commandments on the wall. Do you 
suppose that armament like that could have been the first May Day parade?


Ken