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Edumication News

For Now, at Least, Evolution Rules the Day at State Board of Education Hearing

By Robert Wilonsky, Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 2:37PM
Comments (25)
Categories: Edumication News
explosm-evolution-t-shirt.jpg
Explosm!
Several neighbors and friends of the show attended yesterday's public hearing of the Texas State Board of Education down in Austin in advance of today's evolution vs. creationism vote -- which ended in a 7-7 draw, meaning the board will not add, at the moment, language that requires public schools teach the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution. (Dallas's Mavis Knight voted against the amendment favored by chairman Don McLeroy and Cynthia Dunbar, among others.)

For those so interested, go to the 11-minute mark of the testimony to hear what one Dallas Independent School District parent has to say on the subject; the whole recording is available here (and runs about two hours, for those with the time). And the Texas Freedom Network is live blogging all of today's proceedings, which are still taking place and sound utterely riveting. And, as the TFN notes, today's vote isn't the end of this:
This is a huge victory for sound science, but not the final word. The final vote will be taken on Friday. And board members may now offer additional amendments to the standards, so there is still room for mischief by anti-evolution board members. So Act 1 is over with a victory for science advocates. Stay tuned as Act 2 begins.
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Comments (25)

Heywood U. Buzzoff says:

Can't we just forget this and prepare for 'Hot Fudge Friday'!?!?!??!?

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 3:21PM
Robert Wilonsky says:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yop62wQH498

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 3:24PM
Erich Scholz says:

What's so insane and sad about this whole thing is that these creationists have absolutely no idea what the "theory" of evolution is even about. Every half-baked idea that dribbles from their mouths is based on an unclear grasp of the subject. Evolution is real. It's here. We see it happening within our lifetimes (at the bacterial level for example). Evolution really has NOTHING to do with the origin of life itself...it's about the ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES. Philosophers and theologians can debate the reason for existence all they want but they can't alter the fact that life mutates, changes and evolves...This is bad for Texas.

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 3:27PM
Tom L (No, Not That L) says:

You know, I'm all for textbooks that show the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution. In fact, I think we should also show the "strengths and weaknesses" of:

1. The heliocentric theory of the solar system. I say geocentrism is a valid scientific theory and should be given equal mention.
2. This whole business about "molecules" and "atoms" and states of matter and so forth. The ancients knew that everything was made of water, fire, earth, and air and we shouldn't dismiss that out of hand. In fact, the only "new age learning" I would allow would be a serious discussion of the phlogiston.
3. Now that I think about it, is carbon dating really all that reliable? We keep getting geologists who keep making inane pronouncements about finding rocks that are billions of years old.
4. And the more I think about item #1, I'm wondering about astronomy in general. They talk about weird stuff about the universe being billions of years old. They must hang around geologists too much. Equal hearing for good old astrology is the only way to counter their odd and heretical thinking!

Give me time and I can come up with "strengths and weaknesses" for just about every discovery ever made. Gravity? Ha!

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 3:52PM
J says:

"Every half-baked idea that dribbles from their mouths is based on an unclear grasp of the subject."

Why do you think they want to hinder the education of everyone else? It's easier to brainwash 'em young!

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 4:01PM
lmao says:

Yeah, "scientists" never have an agenda, do they? Liberals have been pushing their idiotic agendas down the throats of public school students and most colleges for decades now, you chumps made the rules, creationists are just playing the game. Keep on whining, it's funny as hell.

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 4:11PM
J says:

Yep, evolution is an agenda. Scientists just want to screw with the masses regarding development of species. The unwashed won't know until it is too late!

Your foolish rebellion will be crushed! Evolution is a fully functional Death Star ready to destroy your fleet!


.
..
...
..
.


Ahem, where was I?

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 4:20PM
Anonymous says:

Evolution, as change over time, has been observed and documented in the vast amount of scientific literature available to us all. This is “true”.

Evolution, as the source of all life on the planet, has been neither observed nor documented and has not been simulated in a laboratory setting. This is also “true”.

The origins of life on the planet Earth remains a matter of faith for the remaining religious peoples on the planet and a matter of speculation for the atheistic, research-grant whores of the scientific establishment.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." Matt 6:19-24

Have a great Easter, or Passover or Spring Break or whatever.

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 4:21PM
Catbird says:

Evolution, as change over time, has been observed and documented in the vast amount of scientific literature available to us all. This is “true”.

Evolution, as the source of all life on the planet, has been neither observed nor documented and has not been simulated in a laboratory setting. This is also “true”.

The origin of life on planet Earth remains a matter of faith for the religious peoples on the planet and a matter of speculation for the atheistic, research grant whores of the university-based scientific establishment.

The Holy Scriptures tell us: No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

I hope you all have a splinded Easter.

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 4:25PM
imnotamonkey says:

It is so much easier to brainwash em young! If we wait until they're old enough to learn about the 2nd law of thermodynamics, they might figure out that by itself, it compleatly disproves the 19th century nonsense that is evolution!

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 4:27PM
Expo says:

I'm lmao at lmao. The old liberal agenda rears its ugly head again. Damn liberals. All they wanna do is brainwash our children to be a bunch of pot-smoking,god-hating, socialist gays who think they come from monkeys and not Adam and Eve.
Damn them to hell!

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 4:35PM
J says:

"The origin of life on planet Earth remains a matter of faith for the religious peoples on the planet and a matter of speculation for the atheistic, research grant whores of the university-based scientific establishment."

This "we're right, you're wrong" explanation is the perfect example of why science rejects faith-based explanations. There's no hypothesis, observation, and verification here; it's all "listen and obey or else."

That being said, I know more than one scientist who can resolve the God and evolution problem without being told they are wrong from some misguided evangelicals. No need to "serve two masters" as long as you don't apply worship where it is inappropriate (in fact, worshiping science would be a sign that you are 'doing it wrong', as some might put it).

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 4:40PM
lmao says:

Awww, lil' expo thinks he/she can just deny what everyone knows. Sorry exy, that game just doesn't work anymore.


This "we're right, you're wrong" explanation is the perfect example of why science rejects faith-based explanations.


Huh, that's strange, because "scientists" are saying just that, they're right and everyone else is wrong. Seriously, you people need to get your stories straight, you're becoming a joke.

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 4:48PM
Brittany says:

What breaks my heart is the ignorance in which several people on both sides of this debate are speaking. The assumption that anyone who shares a different faith (I say faith because even if you do not believe in a God or creationism, it takes as much faith not to believe as it does to believe.) is automatically a raging proselytizer.

To the person who believes in evolution and prefers that its weaknesses be taught in school: I apologize that many people who profess to hold to Judeo-Christian ethics do so out of a social and cultural standard, and these people fail to see that damning those around them is no way to demonstrate the incredible love and mercy we (myself included) have been shown SOLA GRATIA.

To the "believer" or creationist: Encourage one another, and bear with one another in love. The most honorable and important way to share your views is to do so gently, and be sensitive to the other parties established beliefs and feelings while you share truth.

may GOD bless each of you. To those who are saved by HIS grace, let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths. To those who are yet to recognize the LORD as God, I pray daily for you to come to know him personally before the day on which every knee will bow and declare HIM God.

In love,
Brittany

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 5:16PM
JohnC says:

All I can say is, wow, I think I was just called an atheistic whore. I can't possibly be upset by bad-ass name calling like that. I wish I could think of a vanity plate that corresponds. Maybe ATHWHRE? Well, enough fun for now. Time to go back and earn some mammon.

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 6:14PM
amy says:

To Catbird...
That's just it...we "all" aren't going to have nor do we want to have a "blessed easter" but I hope you do!

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 6:38PM
scott says:

Science doesn't support any theory, science is process. Evolution doesn't really open itself to replication. This seems an instructive issue and should be used to show that science and faith here have two different objectives. It should be used to teach the scientific method.

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 8:38PM
Catbird says:

Poor choice of words: "whore".

Better choice: "mercenary".

No matter - no PhD scientist can establish that evolution is the source of life on the planet any more than a PhD theologen can establish that God did it.

What's wrong with teaching the little children that evolution means "change over time" and that no one knows how life started on the planet?

Why is this so important to the progress of science?

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 26 2009 @ 9:11PM
bhousen says:

brittany: you're creepy. seriously. especially when you start capitalizing willy-nilly and talking about my knees.

Posted On: Friday, Mar. 27 2009 @ 10:08AM
Coleman says:

So do you have to exclusively be an atheist to also be a "research grant whore," or....?

Posted On: Friday, Mar. 27 2009 @ 11:26AM
Susie McMinn says:

A special thanks needs to go to Geraldine Miller for standing up for science. She is a Republican and did not bow the extreme pressure put on her and did the right thing.

Thanks Ms. Miller for protecting the scientific teaching for science for my 2 kids.

Posted On: Friday, Mar. 27 2009 @ 11:28AM
Ernest Hua says:

Keep in mind that these people are trying to push their religious ideas through the back door because they do not have enough credibility to even get in line at the front door of science.

Notice that these pro-creationism bureaucrats were selected for their PR abilities instead of their scientific credentials?

Notice that they are only attempting to force their ideas on children, rather than well-educated university folks?

Notice that they use dirty tactics to push out bureaucrats that do not support their position? (Chris Comer, etc ...)

Hmm ... If their ideas are so right, why do they have to use lies and deception to get their way? Shouldn't their ideas be able to stand on the merits?

Evidently not.

Ern

Posted On: Friday, Mar. 27 2009 @ 12:04PM
@n0n1m0us3 says:

lmao, one the undoubtedly many differences between you and many of us who disagree with you, is at least some of us attempt to struggle with our inevitable confirmation bias.

You and your ilk, on the other hand, not only embrace and celebrate your confirmation bias, you embrace it, celebrate it, gild it, polish it, place it on an alter, and call it God.

Posted On: Friday, Mar. 27 2009 @ 1:24PM
Joe says:

All together now:

"Evolutionary theory does not discuss the origin of terrestrial life."

Please repeat that over and over until you remember it.

Evolutionary theory is a well-documented, repeatedly verified, internally consistent set of rules that illustrates how life changes over time due to mutation, natural selection, and external pressures.

There is nothing within evolutionary theory that discusses life's origin. There are many hypotheses that have been advanced, but none so far have been broadly accepted by the scientific community. This is what science does: imagine all the possible answers, and then reduce the possibilities by experimentation and observation until the best, most logical model has been deduced.

If you choose not to believe in evolutionary theory, that's your choice. Just don't try to push your religious views in my child's science classroom.

Posted On: Friday, Mar. 27 2009 @ 3:52PM
jesearese says:

Sen. John McCain met with an irritated congregate at a town-hall colloquy close by up heed revise Wednesday, from moment to interval having to oppose to talk and noted one-liner helpmate who wouldn't allure to a finish yelling that she had to leave.

The Arizona senator hadn't till opened up the engagement at [url=http://www.newhot.info][color=Black]How to make 5 figures monthly on autopilot with forex robot[/color][/url] McCain's centre Phoenix church to questions when an unique audience fellow continuously yelled to him.

"You're well-to-do to pester to desist from or you're bourgeoning to contain to adieu to," McCain told the woman. When fastness guards approached to entourage her obsolete, he told her "Goodbye, discern ya" to a mellifluous of applause.

Posted On: Thursday, Aug. 27 2009 @ 11:26AM

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