Posted on 11/08/2004 6:01:50 PM PST by Joe Taranto
Parents in Georgia are suing their local school board over a textbook sticker, which emphasizes that the Theory of Evolution is just… a theory. Apparently, not only can public schools no longer teach Creationism, but they also cannot even question Darwin’s ideas.
"This textbook contains material on evolution,” the sticker read. “Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."
The Cobb County School Board has now found itself in a court battle with none other than the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU filed the lawsuit for the parents expressing a bias in the material and demanding that the stickers be removed. They have also charged that the stickers present discrimination against non-Christians.
The school board, however, feels that the stickers say nothing about faith or religion, but only that the students should keep an open mind on the subject.
They had previously introduced the stickers in order to please the many conservative Christian families in the district, but clearly had no intention of pushing the belief of Creationism onto the students.
The teaching of Creationism, traditionally associated with Christians, was deemed unconstitutional in a 1987 Supreme Court case.
This law suit exemplifies a change in American society, as in 1925, John Scopes’ teaching of the Theory of Evolution was deemed illegal. Years later, it’s just about the only thing you can teach in a public school.
Rather, it's just to show all of us that they can get compliant judges to allow the court system to be used to suppress speech even if only a sticker at a time.
I see why the libs are against this. Adherence to that guidance would mean the end of the democratic party.
"...emphasizes that the Theory of Evolution is just… a theory."
This is almost funny. The attacks on such a position are pathetic, though. The ACLU is getting stranger and stranger.
Its about the money the ACLU receives from settling these lawsuits. Truth and Justice are being replaced by $ and more $$.
"The school board, however, feels that the stickers say nothing about faith or religion, but only that the students should keep an open mind on the subject."
I thought an open mind was supposed to be a good thing in the eyes of educators? Especially so in science?
I guess they only are for open minds to the things they want children taught(indoctrinated)!
The ACLU has officially run out of things to do.
Maybe the school board should inform the parents of the truth, its in the small out of print book titled "Lady Charlotte". She was a friend of Darwin's who took care of him in last days, he received Christ, and said "it was only a theory". Amazing how that book information, and the book was so suppressed.
I think the theory is reversed.
Man evolved into monkeys (A Democrat is somewhere in between)
I think that (alas) is an urban legend
I have updated my FMCDH (From My Cold Dead Hands) sign-off with the addition of (BITS).....Blood In The Streets, which I foresee coming soon, due to the enormous increase of the Marxist progressive movement being shoved down the throat of this failing REPUBLIC through the Judicial tyranny of fiat law, the passing of unconstitutional laws by the Legislative and Executive branches of our government and the enormous tax burden placed upon the average American to support unconstitutional programs put forth by Marxist ideology.
FMCDH(BITS)
INTREP
wtf? All of Science undergoes change every day. Evolution actually is just a theory. No one knows for sure - especially not the ACLU. I can only hope that the aclu gets even more radical, and steps up its attacks on all things Christian, getting many, many wins from activist liberal legislating judges. It will only thrwart the elections of '06 and '08. That whole "moral values" thing was about judges, but also about the aclu.
Don't hang your hat on that story. It is questionable at best and even if true proves nothing other than that an old man was covering his bets. Nothing in this story refutes the tenets of Darwinism. Look for the things that challenge it directly - try "Darwin on Trial" by Phillip E. Johnson or "Darwin's Black Box" by Michael Behe. This story is like the "NASA computer and Joshua's missing day" hoax. If you base your faith on weak arguments or hoaxes your faith will suffer greatly when the argument fails.
Nothing more subject to ACLU lawsuits than an open mind. Good grief! Why can't the ACLU understand that people can think for themselves? This is just a disclaimer for Pete's sake. It doesn't advocate anything. Lawyers love disclaimers, HEY ACLU! It's a discalimer. It's a lawyer thing. Don't you just LOOOOOVVVVVE disclaimers?
In science, you have facts, hypotheses, and theories. A fact is something that is directly measurable, about which one has made no conclusions. For instance, one might measure a candle and find that it is 10 centimeters shorter than it was yesterday.
A hypothesis is a reasonable explanation of the observable facts. For instance, one could hypothesize that the candle is shorter because it has been cut off or it has partially melted. From the hypothesis, one determines which experiments or observations should be carried out to support or disprove the hypothesis. Although it can be disproved, a hypothesis is never proved.
A theory is larger than a hypothesis, in that it encompasses all of the observations and can be used to formulated new hypotheses. It ties together everything known about the subject, and reconciles observations from many different scientific disciplines together. It can be refined as more facts become available, but, like a hypothesis, it can never be conclusively proven.
There is nothing larger in science than a theory. Because of the nature of science, no theory will ever be more than "just a theory." Most scientists spend their careers developing and testing hypotheses and never develop a theory.
Why the ACLU should object to language indicating that the theory of evolution is "just" a theory is beyond me. Would they object as vociferously to language indicating that the theory of electromagnetism is "just" a theory?
Can we get Clarence Darrow back from the grave for the defense?
Darwin's evolution was a theory, and it had missing links. It isn't even believable at best, it takes less faith to believe in creationism than it does darwinism. My faith is not based on weak arguments, I just mentioned a book I had read 30 yrs ago. I am not concerned.
I read the book 30 yrs ago, it isn't legend.
So now the ACLU is endorsing one scientific theory? How does this have to do with the constitution or civil rights?
These people are not about civil liberties, they're just kooks with an agenda.
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