Sunday, December 05, 2010

Louisiana Gearing Up for Another Evolution Battle?

It looks like Louisiana school boards are looking to insert the "teach the controversy" nonsense into their classrooms. They're scheduled to have a debate on whether or note they need to balance their textbooks with "information questioning the theory of evolution."

*snrk*

This comes after the school board asked a review council to look over the textbook before approving it and weigh in. Fortunately, it looks like the team is at least somewhat qualified as there was an 8-4 vote to approve it by that council. Obviously the school board was looking for a different answer because they're still stalling to try to open up "debate" on the issue. This sounds reminiscent of the Kansas Evolution Hearings in which the school board flew in "experts" in Intelligent Design on the taxpayer's dime to tell the board what they'd already decided on.

Of course, the advisory council obviously has some scientifically illiterate fools on it.
State board member Dale Bayard said he plans to vote against the texts—which the state textbook-adoption committee overwhelmingly approved—and will urge his colleagues to join him.

“The textbooks in the life sciences that were proposed ... did not include all science that is currently available on the subject [of evolution],” he said, asserting that some findings “refuting” the theory have been ignored.
Additionally, the author did have to do the job of poor journalism and get quotes from someone completely unrelated to the discussion, talking to a Reverend from the 'Louisiana Family Forum, an advocacy group whose stated mission is to promote “biblical principles in the centers of influence”'.

Right. Because a reverend is an expert on what should be taught in science classes. And not to be satisfied with just trashing evolution, he went on to state he had "other issues such as global warming and “embryonic issues.”"

Thanks for reminding us that this isn't just an attack on evolution. It's an attack on science.... being waged in our classrooms. It's disgusting.

4 comments:

Chet Twarog said...

I'd recommend they ALL read "God and Sex - What the Bible Really Says" by Michael Coogan, www.TwelveBooks.com.
Much to learn--basically, you can't really use the Bible since it (and the Lord God of Israel) changes its position, has opposite positions on lots of social issues.
Anyways, libraries have it if you don't want to buy.

PillowNaut said...

Meh. They invented the controversy, and hopefully they'll stew in it. I love how they tried to insist, "It has absolutely, positively nothing to do with creationism."

Right. That's about as convincing as Octomom saying she "doesn't like the spotlight."

Chet Twarog said...

I was just wondering, why is it that mostly everyone defers to the very limited Hebrew centric Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 "creation myths" without considering the hundreds of other "just so stories" of hundreds of other tribes, cultures, and civilizations?

Chet Twarog said...

I'd recommend they ALL read "God and Sex - What the Bible Really Says" by Michael Coogan, www.TwelveBooks.com.
Much to learn--basically, you can't really use the Bible since it (and the Lord God of Israel) changes its position, has opposite positions on lots of social issues.
Anyways, libraries have it if you don't want to buy.