Posted on 02/20/2006 5:33:50 AM PST by ToryHeartland
Churches urged to back evolution By Paul Rincon BBC News science reporter, St Louis
US scientists have called on mainstream religious communities to help them fight policies that undermine the teaching of evolution.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) hit out at the "intelligent design" movement at its annual meeting in Missouri.
Teaching the idea threatens scientific literacy among schoolchildren, it said.
Its proponents argue life on Earth is too complex to have evolved on its own.
As the name suggests, intelligent design is a concept invoking the hand of a designer in nature.
It's time to recognise that science and religion should never be pitted against each other Gilbert Omenn AAAS president
There have been several attempts across the US by anti-evolutionists to get intelligent design taught in school science lessons.
At the meeting in St Louis, the AAAS issued a statement strongly condemning the moves.
"Such veiled attempts to wedge religion - actually just one kind of religion - into science classrooms is a disservice to students, parents, teachers and tax payers," said AAAS president Gilbert Omenn.
"It's time to recognise that science and religion should never be pitted against each other.
"They can and do co-exist in the context of most people's lives. Just not in science classrooms, lest we confuse our children."
'Who's kidding whom?'
Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education, which campaigns to keep evolution in public schools, said those in mainstream religious communities needed to "step up to the plate" in order to prevent the issue being viewed as a battle between science and religion.
Some have already heeded the warning.
"The intelligent design movement belittles evolution. It makes God a designer - an engineer," said George Coyne, director of the Vatican Observatory.
"Intelligent design concentrates on a designer who they do not really identify - but who's kidding whom?"
Last year, a federal judge ruled in favour of 11 parents in Dover, Pennsylvania, who argued that Darwinian evolution must be taught as fact.
Dover school administrators had pushed for intelligent design to be inserted into science teaching. But the judge ruled this violated the constitution, which sets out a clear separation between religion and state.
Despite the ruling, more challenges are on the way.
Fourteen US states are considering bills that scientists say would restrict the teaching of evolution.
These include a legislative bill in Missouri which seeks to ensure that only science which can be proven by experiment is taught in schools.
I think if we look at where the empirical scientific evidence leads us, it leads us towards intelligent design Teacher Mark Gihring "The new strategy is to teach intelligent design without calling it intelligent design," biologist Kenneth Miller, of Brown University in Rhode Island, told the BBC News website.
Dr Miller, an expert witness in the Dover School case, added: "The advocates of intelligent design and creationism have tried to repackage their criticisms, saying they want to teach the evidence for evolution and the evidence against evolution."
However, Mark Gihring, a teacher from Missouri sympathetic to intelligent design, told the BBC: "I think if we look at where the empirical scientific evidence leads us, it leads us towards intelligent design.
"[Intelligent design] ultimately takes us back to why we're here and the value of life... if an individual doesn't have a reason for being, they might carry themselves in a way that is ultimately destructive for society."
Economic risk
The decentralised US education system ensures that intelligent design will remain an issue in the classroom regardless of the decision in the Dover case.
"I think as a legal strategy, intelligent design is dead. That does not mean intelligent design as a social movement is dead," said Ms Scott.
"This is an idea that has real legs and it's going to be around for a long time. It will, however, evolve."
Among the most high-profile champions of intelligent design is US President George W Bush, who has said schools should make students aware of the concept.
But Mr Omenn warned that teaching intelligent design will deprive students of a proper education, ultimately harming the US economy.
"At a time when fewer US students are heading into science, baby boomer scientists are retiring in growing numbers and international students are returning home to work, America can ill afford the time and tax-payer dollars debating the facts of evolution," he said. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4731360.stm
Published: 2006/02/20 10:54:16 GMT
© BBC MMVI
I noticed.
Abiogenesis is a pipe dream that follows nothing but imagination.
"but are willing to not only accept, but base their living philosophy on, magic"
An opinion based in ignorance. Biblical assertions have the strong proof behind them of fulfilled prophecy, and the statistical science that is documented in "The Bible Code Bombshell." The fact that you are too pig-headed to even read that powerful scientific evidence limits the value of your opinion severely.
Jethro Bodine is Jed Clampett's nephew.
Still paranoid, I see...
Paranoia is never having to provide evidence.
Unless they change their minds :-D
Not true. He evidently couldn't forgive mankind without killing His own son. It's apparent even God must obey some sort of outside "law."
I'm just asking for someone to prove Evolution exists. Sheesh. Is that so difficult?
It seems to be difficult for those (animals) that hang onto that word to validate their existence. Lots of talk about nothing. They are just monkeying around with a word.
That's right! We don't need no pointy-headed larnin', no sirree! Everything we ever needs to know is right there in the Bible!
Luckily, those Bible readers saved us from the preferred candidates of the secularists:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-06-02-religion-gap_x.htm
Yeah Dimensio! Quit posting facts and exposing Creationist' lies and logical fallacies by throwing their words in their face.
Now that's funny!
God's a liar? or is Dimensio and his thinking? Your choice.
I believe that at least your higher order of animals that live in packs have a rudimentary law, or morality, of their own -- basically there are rules you live by in the pack, and if you break them, exile city, dude.
Of course, that's just my WAG.
Everything we ever needs to know is right there in the Bible!
should be '.....is right in that thar Bible'.
Job 26:7
He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing
this is Job speaking. in Ch. 38:4-6, the Lord responds, and says
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
IE Job says the Earth hangs upon nothing, and the Lord corrects him and says it has a foundation and a corner stone.
BOOKMARK
I think assigning only the barest minimum of intelligence to different species is not necessarily the best thing.
Not all Bible readers are know-nothing bohunks who don't accept evolution. If you noticed, the post to which I responded recommended ignoring text books for what was in the Bible. I'm sure a great many Christians on this forum would consider it the height of stupidity to ignore scientific teaching and replace it with exerpts from the Bible.
From the imagination of evolutionists and public education
Honestly, I can't believe this nonsense is still being bantered about.
Everything we ever needs to know is right there in the Bible!
We all need education. It would certainly benefit YOU to get the 'basics' first; otherwise, you will be deceived and you already proved that.
Also, DON"T mock God because you will be the looser. Test Him!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.