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Knoxville Father Wants Biology Book Banned
foxnews.com ^ | April 7, 2010 | Elizabeth Prann

Posted on 04/08/2010 9:32:18 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012

UPDATE: The school board has decided to postpone any decision on the textbook until May.

A Tennessee father told his son’s school board it should ban a biology textbook because of its ‘bias’ against Christians.

Kurt Zimmermann is appealing a Knoxville school district's decision to keep the book. He says the textbook used in his son’s biology class cites creationism as a "biblical myth." According to reports, he requests, 'non-biased' textbooks be used. In his words, the current textbook's phrasing misleads, belittles and discourages students in believing in creationism and calls the Bible a myth.

"Education material that is offensive, intolerant, racist, or one-sided in nature should not be used in our school system," Zimmermann told the board members Wednesday.

Knoxville County School superintendent Jim McIntyre says the committee's finding to keep using the book is appropriate. However he asked the board to hear Zimmerman's appeal Wednesday, April 7.

Melissa Copelan, the board’s director of public affairs tells Fox News, “when there is a concern about education materials there is a process that is followed… Now it is up to the board.”

(Excerpt) Read more at liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: bias; education; knoxville; tennessee
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To: freedumb2003
“TToE is a Scientific Theory” (Agreed).

Yet you go on to say, “Evolution happened.”

If it is a fact, then evolution is a scientific FACT, not a theory.

41 posted on 04/08/2010 10:50:30 AM PDT by Hulka
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To: AmishDude
evolutionary biology

The Theory of Evolution is not restricted to living things, everything in the universe is evolving. Our 4.6 billion year old Earth is evolving, as evidenced in earthquakes and asteroid hits.

Evolution is not only a theory, it's a fascinating science.

42 posted on 04/08/2010 10:53:43 AM PDT by OldNavyVet (One trillion days, at 365 days per year, is 2,739,726,027 years ... almost 3 billion years.)
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To: freedumb2003
I would argue that TToE is atheism masked as scientific materialism. The problem is that TToE, like creationism, makes assertions that cannot be proven by experiment. Both require "faith" to believe that the practitioners are interpreting the data correctly.

That being said, since we are here, either we are here by accident or design.

If we are here by accident, it doesn't matter what we do, even if you think it does, since there is no higher power or afterlife, and you are just a random collection of molecules creating random electrical patterns that you define as "thought".

Also, survival of the fittest is a dead end, since the universe will end up in heat death or collapse back on itself, and nothing survives either event.

However, if we are here by design, we should endeavor to understand the Designer's intent.

43 posted on 04/08/2010 10:54:52 AM PDT by kosciusko51
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To: ilovesarah2012

“Belief” would have been at least equally accurate, less loaded and therefore a better choice of words than “myth”. Would the board really care to dispute that?


44 posted on 04/08/2010 11:00:21 AM PDT by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: nmh

>>I know better than to waste any effort on you. Circular reasoning and illogical defenses of your faith in evolution are amusing.<<

The irony of that statement is palpable.

Have a great day.


45 posted on 04/08/2010 11:12:11 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Craven spirits wear their master's collars but real men would rather feed the battlefield's vultures)
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To: AmishDude

>>So predict it. Species A and B in environment E. Go.<<

It can be done and has been done. But I haven’t done so, nor would I presume to do so. I am not a practitioner in that area. Here is an example, with all the formulae and explanations: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v460/n7254/full/nature08150.html

That is one of hundreds of thousands (probably millions) of such analysis.

And in parting, math is NOT metaphysical anything. It is a tool to describe things. Math is a valid tool, but at the edges it isn’t certain (see the work of John Nash, or example).

And if geologists didn’t understand the forces that created the planet, they wouldn’t know what to look for when searching for oil. The same is true for trying to understand and predict Earthquakes — we have to analyze what happened in the past to understand what forces are in play to create a predictive model. It is within a theoretical framework, 100% based on actions that happened billions of years ago — and we didn’t see it.

If Geology is valid so is TToE.


46 posted on 04/08/2010 11:20:06 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Craven spirits wear their master's collars but real men would rather feed the battlefield's vultures)
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To: Hulka

>>If it is a fact, then evolution is a scientific FACT, not a theory.<<

Evolution is a fact — TToE is a Scientific Theory.


47 posted on 04/08/2010 11:20:50 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Craven spirits wear their master's collars but real men would rather feed the battlefield's vultures)
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To: AmishDude; freedumb2003

“Shut up, I’m not talking to you.” is not a persuasive argument.

Yes, it is typical of trying to attempting to have a rational discussion with freeDUMB2003 and why I don’t bother.


48 posted on 04/08/2010 11:22:12 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: nmh; AmishDude

The jokes just write themselves.

Thanks for making the point for me, nmh, much better than I ever could.


49 posted on 04/08/2010 11:30:39 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Craven spirits wear their master's collars but real men would rather feed the battlefield's vultures)
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To: mlocher

I agree that its Bigotry. Government schools like government cheese.


50 posted on 04/08/2010 12:10:39 PM PDT by steve0 (My plan B: christianexodus.org/)
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To: raybbr

Hey Mr. logic and Science. Don’t let the facts get in the way of your evolutionist thought. There is no lawsuit so there is nothing to, in your words, “should be thrown out.”


51 posted on 04/08/2010 12:13:54 PM PDT by steve0 (My plan B: christianexodus.org/)
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To: freedumb2003
You write ... Philosophy tells us why we need to know, science tells us what we need to know (about the physical universe).

That sounds good, but ... The following is from an Ayn Rand speech to West point cadets.

Philosophy would not tell you, for instance, whether you are in New York City or in Zanzibar (though it would give you the means to find out). But here is what it would tell you: Are you in a universe which is ruled by natural laws and, therefore, is stable, firm, absolute--and knowable? Or are you in an incomprehensible chaos, a realm of inexplicable miracles, an unpredictable, unknowable flux, which your mind is impotent to grasp? Are the things you see around you real--or are they only an illusion? Do they exist independent of any observer--or are they created by the observer? Are they the object or the subject of man's consciousness? Are they what they are--or can they be changed by a mere act of your consciousness, such as a wish?

The entire speech is at http://www.tracyfineart.com/usmc/philosophy_who_needs_it.htm

52 posted on 04/08/2010 12:30:16 PM PDT by OldNavyVet (One trillion days, at 365 days per year, is 2,739,726,027 years ... almost 3 billion years.)
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To: C19fan
"We need to see the exact text this guy is suing over. If it does make an explicit statment about religions belief than I believe he could have a case."

Here ya go.

"Creationism: The biblical myth that the universe was created by the Judeo-Christian God in 7 days."

53 posted on 04/08/2010 12:51:44 PM PDT by Darlin' (Stay well or the government will try to kill you.)
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To: OldNavyVet

Interesting — as I said, philosophy is fun.


54 posted on 04/08/2010 1:29:26 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (Craven spirits wear their master's collars but real men would rather feed the battlefield's vultures)
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To: Darlin'

>>”Creationism: The biblical myth that the universe was created by the Judeo-Christian God in 7 days.” <<

Then I agree with the guy in the OP. Not only is the statement insulting, it is also wrong. Creationism is shared by almost every major religion.

Whether it is allegorical or not is the debate within religious circles. Those outside those circles should at least respect the fact that there is a belief system.


55 posted on 04/08/2010 1:33:51 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (Craven spirits wear their master's collars but real men would rather feed the battlefield's vultures)
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To: ilovesarah2012

Christ never said a word about creationism so nothing about this issue is anti-Christian. It’s not even a Christianity issue. It’s a science issue and the board here is correct to set the issue straight by mentioning that creationism is not science and is, in fact, a myth. And, for the edification of those who are bound and driven to ask me, yes, evolution is a fact.


56 posted on 04/08/2010 1:41:05 PM PDT by DaGman
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To: AmishDude
More of what you can expect from a “debate” with freeDUMB2003:

“The jokes just write themselves.

Thanks for making the point for me, nmh, much better than I ever could.”

“Shut up, I’m not talking to you.” is not a persuasive argument.

freeDUMB2003 is not capable of a debate, let alone a “persuasive” debate. Hence the idiotic comments that make a mockery of himself.

57 posted on 04/08/2010 1:56:12 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: DaGman

Evolution is not a fact and saying creationism is a myth is absolutely anti-Christian.

Are you a Christian?


58 posted on 04/08/2010 1:57:27 PM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: ilovesarah2012

I’m a Catholic. The Catholic Church teaches that creationism is a myth and that evolution is fact. And Christ was silent on the matter.


59 posted on 04/08/2010 2:03:12 PM PDT by DaGman
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To: AmishDude; freedumb2003

More of what you can expect from a “debate” with freeDUMB2003:
“The jokes just write themselves.

Thanks for making the point for me, nmh, much better than I ever could.”

“Shut up, I’m not talking to you.” is not a persuasive argument.

freeDUMB2003 is not capable of a debate, let alone a “persuasive” debate. Hence the idiotic comments that make a mockery of himself.

What is it with these kinds of people?

Liberals and godless ones pull this worn out stunt all the time. They call OTHERS what they are!


60 posted on 04/08/2010 2:04:17 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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