A is for Atheism
- All
- General
Why Creationism Doesn't Belong In U.S. Public Schools.
In response to a comment left by Jesse Bethke, Douglas Bryenldson and a final argument presented I decided to make this blog about why creationism doesn't belong in our schools. The first of the arguments from Bethke went along the lines of all viewpoints to an argument should be presented in addition to each other. The problem with this argument is that it sends the wrong message. It presents the false idea that there is an actual debate about creationism, when simply there isn't. The only way that it could be presented in a scientifically consistent way is to present it the same way they present spontaneous generation. (not abiogenisis) The idea was that out of meat that flies spontaneously come from meat, when in reality the flies lay eggs in the meat. So in summation they should show it as a theory that has been debunked over and over again. Just like when the theory of a flat earth is presented. "They once thought the earth was flat now we know it is not." "We once thought that the earth was created in six literal days, now we know the earth is about 14 billion years old." That is not what the creationists want, they want the false claim of there being a debate among scientists about evolution. Now we can go to our second argument that of Doug Bryenldson.
Should we teach creationism in a class about world religions. I can respect that opinion because a good grasp on world religions is very important. If we are going to deal with peoples of other religions we need to understand them, it will also help with a better understanding of the world. The only problem with this is it would be impossible to have a fair view of different religions presented. Another good point is that they can teach the bible in classes as a piece of literature, just as long as it is not a requirement. That isn't enough though they want to teach it in the science class room. Now on to the last "argument" from a user identifying themselves as Christ's Warrior.
Now this person's comments were to priceless to summarize so I will quote directly. "Actually evolution is also just a THEORY not a FACT, just like
intelligent design is. I don't see how so-called "scientists" like
yourselves can keep on ignoring that inconvenient reality. What's wrong
with teaching 2 THEORIES alongside each other? Oh yeah, everything,
when you are advancing an anti-God agenda. Duh. This isn't about
science its about an irrational hate of God." The crux of the argument seems to be that since evolution is a theory and creationism is a theory than they are equal. This is false, first no one claimed evolution as a fact, so your claim to my ignorance is wrong. Second just because there are two theories does not make them equal. There have been plenty of times when two theories have been purposed and one of them has been utterly wrong. Say the earth is flat theory. Also there are a plethora of theories that we accept as if they were fact because of the overwhelming evidence supporting them. Here is a list for you; Gravity, Electromagnetism, Atomic. All of which are theories, so why then would we laugh at a theory of intelligent falling? All objects know they should fall and that is why they do, any scientist claiming otherwise is just angry with the thought process of objects. Why don't we teach both theories? Because the second one in each case is not founded on any scientific evidence. Finally your last "argument" about me hating God is sophomoric at best and moronic at worst. I don't believe in god, you can't hate something you don't believe in. Why do you hate the Easter Bunny so? Oh what the Easter Bunny doesn't exist? Just another part of your anti-bunny agenda.
Posted at 11:52PM Oct 04, 2007 by Dan Benjamin Smart in General | Comments[3]
Actually - I think most educated biologists and earth scientists in general would unequivocally state that Evolution IS indeed a fact. The only theoretical part of it is the 'natural selection' AS the process of Evolution.
Evolution cannot be denied as a fact because all you have to do is take a short lived species, such as certain kinds of insects or bacteria and chart the rate of mutation and adaption to a variety of environmental changes - and you can observe and record all evolutionary adaptions as they occur - note which which ones were successful and which ones weren't.
Folks - there shouldn't even be a debate about whether or not Evolution is a FACT. It is a FACT as sure as the Earth goes around the Sun. Only someone absolutely ignorant (or in purpose denial) of proven science and the scientific method would deny Evolution isn't a proven LAW of NATURE as predictable and repeatable as gravity or entropy.
Evolution was proven long ago and has been verifed countless times through scientific observation. The science of microbiology is - in fact - the study of how germs (bacteria) mutate and evolve into strains resistant (adapted)against antibiotic drugs. The process by which they this do this is called EVOLUTION.
EVOLUTION IS A FACT. No educated adult can deny this unless they are privy to some ground-breaking new scientific evidence to the contrary. Give me an hour with a fundamentalist - be they a pastor, a senator, a President or a layperson - and I can SHOW them how Evolution is factual knowledge based upon direct observation and documentable with some simple record keeping.
But I understand that the denial of EVOLUTION can be a 'threshold barrier' that some people just cannot cross. But I think it's less a matter of low intelligence than it is evidence of a kind of a collective obsessive compulsiveness in which certain people cannot accept changes or modifications to their 'status quo' belief systems. They maintain their comfortable childhood belief systems and translate them into adulthood as a kind of psuedo-scientific reasoning serves as a kind of existential crutch. It's a kind of intellectual 'thumbsucking', I think, this reality-challenged disease called "Conservatism".
Posted by Douglas Bryenldson on October 05, 2007 at 12:25 AM CDT #
Evolution is not a fact, it just may as well be. Just as gravity is not a fact because they don't know 100% how it works. But it really is as close as a theory can get to a fact. The best description of creationism is intellectual dishonesty.
Posted by Dan Smart on October 05, 2007 at 12:34 AM CDT #
Still - I challenge anyone to disprove Evolution as not scientifically factual. I think there is way too much misunderstanding of the term 'evolution' to begin with. Everything evolves. The Universe is evolving in part and whole. You evolve during the course of your life. You adapt to novel environments, discarding behaviors which are unsuccessfully maladaptive and reinforcing behavior which are successful adaptions. Computer technology evolves (BTW - this is a fantastic example/model of how Evolution is a fact and is being applied by humans who understand how Evolution successfully works!) Governments evolve. Even Religions evolve for God's sakes... er.. maybe that should be for humankind's sakes...
Anyway, when sentient beings evolve to become conscious and aware enough - Evolution itself becomes self-evident and can no more be denied as a LAW of NATURE than gravitational or quantum effects (and just like quantum effects cannot be accurately predicted, neither can Evolution due to the unpredictable effects of CHAOS), however I'm willing to concede that Evolution IS so slow and so perfectly imbedded into the very fabric of our fundamental experience of conscious Reality that it may indeed at times be easy to miss the forest (of Evolution) for all the trees (apparently static species).
You may politely call denial of Evolution 'intellectual dishonesty' - but I still call it 'intellectual thumbsucking'. I think it's past time that all mature, responsible, thinking adult human beings put aside their reality crutches and rise and walk on the gifts of their own human Evolution.
Posted by Douglas Bryenldson on October 05, 2007 at 11:03 AM CDT #