Has there ever been an effort to stop the teaching of Creationism in public schools?

[1-Old-Man]

I never met a Republican who could be convinced that North was not up. No kidding, its the real acid test.

Do any of you know of any movement or group devoted to stopping the teaching of Creationism in public schools?

[Archae]

1. The Texas Freedom Network is trying to stop creationism in Texas schools.

http://www.tfn.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TFN_homepage

[longship]

2. National Center for Science Education.

The NCSE is a one stop shop for all things Creationism. They've recently added climate change denial.

And by the way, for three decades the NCSE has been headed by the awesome and charismatic executive director, Dr. Eugenie Scott.

Here's a recent video of her:

Sadly, she is retiring at the end of the year. She will be missed.

[LaydeeBug]

3. Yes. Religious Doctrine is for the church to teach, not our SECULAR schools. nt

[dballance]

4. Did you see this OP about TX and creationism in textbooks?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023888777

[Silent3]

5. Most of the court cases against teaching creationism have been won

It hasn't stopped the fundies from trying to do it over and over again, however, sometimes with new tactics, sometimes just pulling the same old shit that's been tried elsewhere and failed, happy to try to get away with it for as long as they can.

The ACLU has been behind a lot of the efforts to fight teaching of creationism, but various organizations and individuals have taken up the cause from time to time.

The sad thing is that no matter how often creationism loses, the teaching of evolution suffers collateral damage, with many schools and teachers choosing to ignore the entire topic, or water it down, rather than get involved in controversy.

[LWolf]

6. There has been an effort to START the teaching of Creationism in public schools. nt

[etherealtruth]

20. Exactly

I am 51 ... when I was young the teaching of religious doctrine/ belief in science class was unheard of (Note: I went to a Catholic grade school ... even there, science was science).

This "new" effort is mind boggling

[Warren Stupidity]

7. Yes, frequently and ongoing.

Numerous court cases.

[seveneyes]

8. We need to teach the big "We don't know" facts

Perhaps it will incite some future science genius to figure it out. Until then, all we have is theory and the big gray bearded dude is one of them.

[Tikki]

10. But we do know...a lot.

I would prefer students start at what we do know and move forward.


Tikki

[cpwm17]

11. Theory, in science, doesn't mean what you think it means

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_theory

Scientific theories are the most reliable, rigorous, and comprehensive form of scientific knowledge. This is significantly different from the word "theory" in common usage, which implies that something is unsubstantiated or speculative.

A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on knowledge that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation. Scientists create scientific theories from hypotheses that have been corroborated through the scientific method, then gather evidence to test their accuracy. As with all forms of scientific knowledge, scientific theories are inductive in nature and aim for predictive and explanatory force.

Science, properly applied, doesn't make claims that it can't back up with evidence. There is a huge amount of evidence for evolution. Evolution is a fact. Evolution is also a theory since the theory of evolution is an explanation for the evidence and facts concerning evolution.

[seveneyes]

12. Yes, Evolution is a fact

But who or what started the ball is unknown. We only know the ball is rolling. The big circle where there is no beginning and there is no end. Pondered my many, solved by none. For some, this blast from the past in the present reminds us of that early search in life...

[Tikki]

14. Pretty sure it wasn't a who...until our brains can understand nothingness

as a measure..most of our thinking is static.

Tikki
ps I am no Bible scholar but, where do they say their God came from?

[seveneyes]

15. They don't say

Last edited Sun Oct 20, 2013, 01:58 PM - Edit history (1)

Nothingness can't be measured or quantified. Zero is the line in math where the negative joins the positive and everyone is happy knowing nothing about nothing. One can't add or remove anything with nothing to work with. When we can comprehend infinity, Nothing will be accomplished.

</damn keyboard>

[Tikki]

16. So one has to say and the other doesn't...that's convenient.

Tikki

[seveneyes]

18. Nothing is impossible to prove

Philosophy is the only avenue that exists to define nothingness. Humans are very special to be able to even ponder it.

[Tikki]

19. Or..to prove..nothing is impossible..

You are prob correct to start at 0 and move on..but as out~there as it may sound I believe there
could be other than carbon based life forms.

If I prove to be correct, remember my name.

Tikki

[hatrack]

9. Kitzmiller vs. Dover Area School District

ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and National Center for Science Education all heavily involved.

The suit was brought in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. Since it sought an equitable remedy, by the Seventh Amendment, right to a jury trial did not apply. It was tried in a bench trial from September 26, 2005 to November 4, 2005, before Judge John E. Jones III, a conservative Republican appointed in 2002 by George W. Bush.[7] On December 20, 2005, Jones issued his 139-page findings of fact and decision ruling that the Dover mandate requiring the statement to be read in class was unconstitutional. The ruling concluded that intelligent design is not science, and permanently barred the board from "maintaining the ID Policy in any school within the Dover Area School District, from requiring teachers to denigrate or disparage the scientific theory of evolution, and from requiring teachers to refer to a religious, alternative theory known as ID."[8] All eight of the Dover school board members who were up for re-election on November 8, 2005 were defeated by a set of challengers who opposed the teaching of intelligent design in a science class. (The ninth member was not up for re-election.) The school board president subsequently stated that the board did not intend to appeal the ruling.[9]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitzmiller_v._Dover_Area_School_District

[ladjf]

13. It's unfortunate that such a "notion" as Creationism is being taught to school children, but, in the

end, Creationism will be dropped from almost all school curricula. The non-scientific basis will eventually cause it to fade away to the dust bin of religious fantasies.

[Arugula Latte]

17. This great young guy, Zack Kopplin, is leading a movement to do just that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zack_Kopplin

[hootinholler]

21. No more than the effort to stop teaching the sun revolves around the earth

Bad science has no place in our texts. Creationism under any label is still bad science.

[Jamaal510]

22. They never taught it in any of my schools. nt

[Igel]

23. North is necessarily up?

What?

That's just by convention. No good reason for it not being the other way 'round.

I view this as a sign of mental flexibility, the ability to adopt other equally valid frames of reference. (Sort of "empathy in the sciences".)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rotated_map_of_Europe.png