Quote:
On 2002-08-23 22:38, Jigsaw wrote:
The point of the news article in question is that the Cobb County School Board voted to have both creationism and evolution taught in their schools. Shouldn't we be happy that evolution's going to be taught, instead of boo-ing and hiss-ing about the creationism aspect?
|
No we shouldn't be happy that junk science is taught along side of science. It
would be absolutely acceptable
if creationism were a viable scientific theory but it isn't.
Do you think children who attend those schools will have equal access to education? Not if they happen to be placed in a class where a poorly trained science teacher is trying to teach each 'theory' as if they were 'equal'.
On to my soapbox, the world needs enlightenment! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
As I have posted before and no doubtedly will again, genetic research has opened the doors of bioscience to a whole new level of discovery. Evolution is a fact, the process can be reproduced, even creating life from inorganic beginnings is close to being accomplished.
You can call the whole body of knowledge a 'theory' if that language suits the situation, but there is no more debate among the genetic scientists about the overall process. There will, of course, be fine tuning of specifics, there may be a few 'way out of the mainstreamers' who 'say it ain't so', as there seems to be in all sciences, but the process of evolution is NOT in doubt.
Anyone who wants to argue this fact cannot do so without an education in genetics. Once you have that education, you cannot dispute evolution.
One big problem is the general public is not yet in the loop, (unless as individuals they have made an effort to get there). In the next decade or two, the knowledge only genetic researchers have now will filter down into the public domaine. We will all see the incredible benefits, (or maybe disasters), and come to appreciate, (or maybe dread), the advances bioscience has made in genetic research.
It would seem likely, the acceptance of evolution is taking the same route as acceptance of a round Earth, a heliocentered solar system, plate tectonics, the germ theory of disease, and many other revelations have taken, (not necessarily in that order and not necessarily with the same degree of difficulty to effect the change in beliefs).
Imagine if you were an oceanographer and were aware of the research in plate tectonics in the 50's. As the information about moving crustal plates began to filter out to the public, you would likely have heard discussions between people who for whatever reason didn't believe it was a valid theory. You would know there was a whole body of evidence the people you heard discussing the theory had not yet seen.
Well, hopefully you get the picture.
What these school board actions say to me is never 'don't get involved' or you might have a more radical minority controling aspects of your life. (If the majority's against you, that's a harder battle.) It also says to me that scientists need to be involved in education outside of university and work settings.
And she steps off the box to see how her message was received.....