The Senate Education Committee of the Indiana Senate has overwhelmingly voted to approve a bill allowing for the teaching of creationism in the state’s public schools. The Sponsor is Senator Dennis Kruse.
The bill states that “[t]he governing body of a school corporation may require the teaching of various theories concerning the origin of life, including creation science, within the school corporation.” The language appears to be an effort to circumvent the holding in Edwards v. Aguillard, 482 U.S. 578 (1987), where the Supreme Court struck down a law requiring the teaching of creationism in Louisiana schools in 1987. The Court stressed that “[w]e do not imply that a legislature could never require that scientific critiques of prevailing scientific theories be taught.” The Court added that “teaching a variety of scientific theories about the origins of humankind to school children might be validly done with the clear secular intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction.” (emphasis added)
This law could force a reexamination of that caveat and the overwhelming view of scientists that creationism is a religious not a scientific theory. Notably one of the two dissenting justices was Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Other states like Tennessee have moved to re-introduce creationism in schools as a “controversy” in science. Louisiana itself has used this approach to circumvent the precedent that it created in Edwards.
This legislation could lead to another major decision if it were to get to the Court, though Scalia would find new allies in jurists like Clarence Thomas. The Court held that it was unconstitutional when “pre-eminent purpose of the Louisiana Legislature was clearly to advance the religious viewpoint that a supernatural being created humankind.” On his official legislative site, Kruse has highlighted his work with such groups as “Child Evangelism Fellowship of Northeastern Indiana,” “The Gideons International,” “Northeast Indiana Youth for Christ Board, Chairman,” “County Line Church of God,” and other such groups.
Another supporter, Sen. Scott Schneider, R-Indianapolis, said that “many” scientists agree with creationism and asked “[w]hat are we afraid of? Allowing an option for students including creation science as opposed to limiting their exposure?”
Just to be clear, the fear is not that evolution could not hold its own as a scientific theory but that we are suggesting to students that creationism has a scientific basic. Beyond the “Creation Science boards, “many” scientists are not supportive of creationism and that suggestion by Schneider shows how “facts” are invented to suggest a scientific basis for creationism. According to a 1991 Gallup poll, only 5% of scientists identified themselves as creationists. However, even this small number was questioned since it included those with training outside biology.
Notably, these schools could take the lead from Governor Romney who has stated that evolution is a scientific theory while creationism is a philosophy. In Iowa, he explained:
“In my opinion, the science class is where to teach evolution, or if there are other scientific thoughts that need to be discussed,” he said. “If we’re going to talk about more philosophical matters, like why it was created, and was there an intelligent designer behind it, that’s for the religion class or philosophy class or social studies class.”
For academics in Indiana, this must be a particularly low moment. Indiana is a state with terrific institutions of higher learning. This bill looks like an appeal from The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes — 87 years too late.
Source: Courier Journal
Elaine M.
No creation science in my house.
Year Of The Bible?: Pa. House Urges ‘Faith In God Through Holy Scripture’
sufferingsuccatash,
“Every school day should start off with a brief moment of science.”
You’re not talking about creation science, I hope.
Every school day should start off with a brief moment of science.
Ask them the question: On the day before the first day, who created God?
Otteray Scribe: “New study shows a strong positive correlation between low IQ persons and conservative beliefs. It was published on Live Science…”
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If only there was an identifiable organic cause and a vaccine could be found.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbLDKLQYrg8&feature
Rich, you are right about our KKK heritage here in IN. I have to take exception to your line “yes, it’s where native born whites settle.” I moved to Indiana 17 years ago. And I look from state to state and wonder if I moved to a bad bad place. Then I look back to where I moved from and think, “I can’t believe I moved from AZ to IN and found some reasonable people. AZ is crazy!!!” I’ll take the “native white settlement of IN” any day over the “Brewer led coalition of crazy”I don’t know where you taught but if it wasn’t Bloomington then you should come here and spend some time THEN make that statement above. As a besides you had to see this coming here when they decided that “Vouchers” which are just handing money out to all of the Religious schools on the “Voucher Accepting schools”. The list is overwhelming filled with Christian schools.
Maybe these Christians are just getting scared. They dominated for 200 years. Now there are a lot of others here. Panic reactions?
Rich,
You are right about Indiana’s KKK heritage.
Indiana has one of the worst performing public education systems in the country, and this is a state with few immigrants and a lower minority population fraction than most other industrial state. Yes, it’s where dumb native born whites settle, which is consistent with its Klan heritage. And I taught at one of those fine universities. The best students were always from out of state.
Oro Lee re chemical to biological life
Quote:
This has been CONFIRMED in Dr. Jack Szostak’s LAB. 2009 Nobel Laurette in medicine for his work on telomerase.
Unquote
BTW he got his Nobel 2o years after his discovery, and left the field for more untroden turf which he prefers. Thus “abiogenesis” is his field for 20 years. I think most folks will enjoy this.
I had to watch it a couple of times, the ideas come fast and furious. Like how do you have cell walls before the lipoproteins are created? How do you have replication before DNA?
How do you have growth and competition from the beginning? How do you have structure before amino acids?
Kiinda wish I’d been there to watch. God must of laughed every million years or so, don’t you think.
What can we do? Set up an arkless expo with DNA ice cream flavors? And dinosaur movies?
Speaking of eyes, There was a tennis super star, who was known for his closely placed eyes. And for his habit of reading comic books in his spare time. The bookshelves in his new apartment were–guess what? Yeah, empty.
Otteray Scribe,
I got maybe another take on that. Although it’s a bit chicken n egg thing.
Dumb parent produce genetically dumb children. Dumb parents believe in dumb ideas, and being RWA’s crave obedience to these ideas by their kids.
Then comes puberty, which makes kids say: “Screw them, I’m gonna massturbate and have sex anyway.” Whereupon a new dumb generation starts.
Mike A.,
Well said. The Teapublicans in Indiana are merely pandering to the wild eyed religious right.
Steve Beai,
Yes, the State Senator is a liar when he claims that “many” scientists agree.
Where is the ‘science’ in this fairy tale? The Senator from Indiana says “Many scientists agree…” This is a lie. He is a liar. There is no science, no scientific studies, no scientific theories, no scientific research WHATSOEVER regarding “creationism”. This legislation will lead to public schools having to teach EVERY religion — after all, as the fanatical right-wingers are saying “What is the harm is giving children this information and letting them make up their own minds?” The “harm” is that Christian nutbags know what they claim to believe is simply outrageous to any adult, so they must brainwash children at an early age. Sounds like child abuse to me. Mitch Daniels and his dirty leg wife should be run out of the Governor’s mansion. No wonder this country is running near dead LAST in education compared to every other developed Western nation. Pathetic. You want your kid to have religion, take him to church. Leave the rest of us alone. This is legislation destined for the scrap heap of stupidity.
I’ve been wondering where are the political folk songs for these present times. Roy will do. Same with Garfunkel and Oates.
The Indiana state legislature is moving toward adoption of a law which it knows to be unconstitutional for the sole purpose of satisfying the demands of Christian conservatives. This pattern will be repeated in other Republican led state legislatures that are hell-bent on enacting a fundamentalist agenda while they still wield power. Indiana state Sen. Scott Schneider has professed commitment to teaching “various theories on the origin of life,” but that is a code phrase commonly employed by supporters of this nonsense. It is anti-science bias posing as academic openmindedness. The courts will of course strike down the law for what it is, a less than subtle attempt to introduce into secular science education the religious views of the most ignorant branches of Christianity, and Sen. Schneider and his intellectually dishonest brethren will of course then charge the judicial branch with legislating from the bench and attacking the Christian foundations of the nation. And, needless to say, the substantial legal bills incurred in the hopeless defense of the “principles” of legislators supporting the statute will be stamped “please forward” and sent on to the taxpayers of Indiana.
Otteray,
“Creation Science 101” by Roy Zimmerman
Elaine, I have not read Peirce’s book, but have seen excerpts with some of the money quotes.
I beg the reader’s indulgence for quoting Scripture and making arguments from a position of faith. I am not trying to convince anyone of the rightness or wrongness of Christianity or any faith sysytem, but to demonstrate the conflicted nature of certain believers as an explanation for their short-sighted and self-contradicitory behavior. I do hope, however, that the reader will appreciate that not every person of faith, including some Christians, is BSC.