Another look at Intelligent Design -- Teach a wide range of beliefs

[LdyGuique]

If Creationists want to insist on Intelligent Design being taught in schools as an alternative to scientific theory, then include a wide range of these beliefs:

10. Hammer of the Gods
With its bounty of brawny, barrel-chested gods and buxom goddesses, the ancient Norse religion of the Scandinavian and Germanic countries is truly the creation myth for fans of both pro wrestling and heavy metal music. . . .

9. Zoroastrianism, the Religion of Ancient Persia
The Bundahishn of the Middle Persian era tells of the world created by the deity Ahura Mazda. The great mountain, Alburz, grew for 800 years until it touched the sky. From that point, rain fell, forming the Vourukasha sea and two great rivers. , , ,

8, By the Rivers of Babylonia
The Babylonian creation myth, the Enuma Elish, begins with the gods of water, Apsu (fresh), and Tiamat (salt), spawning several generations of gods, leading to Ea and his many brothers. . . .

7. Spirits of Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians had several creation myths. All begin with the swirling, chaotic waters of Nu (or Nun). Atum willed himself into being, and then created a hill, otherwise there'd be no place for him to stand. Atum was genderless and possessed an all-seeing eye. He/she spat out a son, Shu, god of the air. Atum then vomited up a daughter, Tefnut, goddess of moisture. These two were charged with the task of creating order out of chaos. Shu and Tefnut generated Geb, the earth, and Nut, the sky. . . .

6. The Aztecs
The earth mother of the Aztecs, Coatlicue ("skirt of snakes,") is depicted in a fearsome way, wearing a necklace of human hearts and hands, and a skirt of snakes as her name suggests. The story goes that Coatlicue was impregnated by an obsidian knife and gave birth to Coyolxauhqui, goddess of the moon, and to 400 sons, who became the stars of the southern sky. . . .

5. China -- The Middle Kingdom
A cosmic egg floated within the timeless void, containing the opposing forces of yin and yang. After eons of incubation, the first being, Pan-gu emerged. The heavy parts (yin) of the egg drifted downwards, forming the earth. The lighter parts (yang) rose to form the sky. Pan-gu, fearing the parts might re-form, stood upon the earth and held up the sky. . . .

4. Japan -- This Island Earth
The gods created two divine siblings, brother Izanagi and sister Izanami, who stood upon a floating bridge above the primordial ocean. Using the jeweled spear of the gods, they churned up the first island, Onogoro. . . .

3. Hindu Cosmology
The Hindu cosmology contains many myths of creation, and the principal players have risen and fallen in importance over the centuries. The earliest Vedic text, the Rig Veda, tells of a gigantic being, Purusha, possessing a thousand heads, eyes, and feet. He enveloped the earth, extending beyond it by the space of ten fingers. , , ,

2. The Greeks and the Titans
The early Greek poets posited various cosmogonies. The best-preserved is Hesiod's Theogony. In this hymn, out of the primordial chaos came the earliest divinities, including Gaia (mother earth). Gaia created Uranus, the sky, to cover herself. . . .

1. The Genesis of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic Faiths
Genesis, the first book of the Jewish Torah and the Christian Bible, contains two origin stories, both of which are accepted as the creation of the world by today's Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths. . . .

Note: Buddhism doesn't have a creationist tradition--this belief system deals with life as it existed at the time of the Buddha.

Several Native American Creation Traditions

[BBradley]

1. How about we keep religion out of science entirely?

Is it really so hard for people to accept that religion isn't science? When's the last time something was invented based on a religious theory?

[Baconfoot]

6. Oh you haven't heard? Science is just ONE belief system.

It's not more or less valid than any other.

Plus, hadn't you heard? Not having your eternal soul damned is the invention of religious theory. Duh.



PS I'm trying to come up with new exciting names for pedestrian relativism. What about "Crackerjack Prize relativism?" All crackerjack prizes are of equal value. They're just different! You happened to get your crackerjack prize but I have mine. You can't deny that. Except that mine is better.

[Tux]

9. But

It's ignorance in the south that keeps this crap up. Ministers, scientists, it's all the same. They don't see them as different but one trying to destroy Christianity and kill god.

[Warpy]

12. Right, they should be taught separately

Teach myths so the kids don't end up cultural illiterates.

However, that has NO place in science, and should be kept completely out of it.

If Shi'ite Christians can't stand the fact that they can't push their god in as a first cause in science, that's just too bad. Something's got to get through to these folks that no matter how much they love Jesus, that's THEIR thing, not everybody else's.

[papau]

13. amen to that idea! :-) the untestable faith based god is not science- but

then string theory and other untestable - but fun - stuff could not be discussed.

And even QM might merit a reframing: say to "this happens and we do not know why".

:-)

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Also need to include the Kumulipo

[RandomKoolzip]

3. How about we ALL just admit we don't freakin' know how the universe

was created, but we know it works and evolution is the best prism to see through if you want to understand the universe's history?

[Spider Jerusalem]

5. Evolution doesn't speak to the origins of the universe.

Only to the origins of LIFE, which is a completely different subject.

[Baconfoot]

8. I think it speaks more to the origins of specific types of life. Origins?

I don't think it speaks to that issue very much to that issue.
It can lay down preconditions for the emergence of life but beyond that you're really involved a related field, not so much evolutionary science.

[Tux]

10. Actually

It is only about how LIFE changes to adapt to it's environment. It holds nothing of how life started.

[papau]

14. excellent thought!

:-)

[Avalux]

4. None of these belong in SCIENCE class

although an alternative, elective course of creationism, intelligent design and those you've mentioned above would be acceptable. They aren't scientific theories, but religious beliefs.

[Tux]

11. Keep ignorance at home

[Redstone]

7. Hell with all them dumb religions. I know the real truth.

It is expounded by the followers of Basbo the Bewildered, an itinerant steel-mill puddler who resides in a packing crate just outside Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

He tells us that we were created by a team of demented genetic engineers from the planet Arxx during a drunken spree on what passes for their Saturday night.

After sobering up and seeing how badly they had botched their attempt to create a self-winding garbage disposal, they hid the evidence in the most godforsaken corner of the galaxy they could find, and sped off as fast as their hangovers would carry them back to civilization.

We can now only redeem ourselves as failed Arxxian creations by making a sincere effort to fulfill our intended role as garbage disposals by eating only at fast-food establishments when out, or prepackaged dinner food products when at home. Only then will the Arxxians raise us up and install us in our ordained place in the Kitchen Sink Drain of the Universe.

We'll see your kids in school soon enough. Equal time with the Intelligent Designers, and all that.

Redstone