Kansas Board of Education to VOTE on EVOLUTION

[Bluebear]

Kansas' long-running war over the teaching of evolution is headed for another showdown this week between science and the advocates of intelligent design.

The state Board of Education plans to vote Tuesday on academic standards that will direct the development of student tests used to measure how well Kansas' public schools teach the sciences.

Six of the 10 board members have previously endorsed language sought by advocates of intelligent design, a theory that says the universe is so complex it must have been created by a higher force.

Advocates of the theory say the state should give students a more balanced view of evolution. President Bush has even weighed in on the issue, saying schools should present both concepts when teaching about the origins of life.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051106/ap_on_sc/kansas_evolution&printer=1

[gristy]

1. No, no, no!!

Make it a ballot initiative!! :D

[triguy46]

2. Oh, my, that is a scary photo...the adulation of a clone... n/t

[C_U_L8R]

3. They sound like...

the least educated people on the planet.
No wonder.

[BattyDem]

4. This line says it all:

"President Bush has even weighed in on the issue, saying schools should present both concepts when teaching about the origins of life.'

Um ... excuse me ... BOTH CONCEPTS?!? What are the two concepts we are talking about ... science and Christianity? Well, I hate to break this to you, but there are a hell of a lot more than TWO concepts of the origins of life. If the beliefs of one religion are going to be included in a public school science class, than the beliefs of all religions should be included. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has the same right to have their beliefs acknowledged as an Evangelical Christian Church does!

[Silent3]

5. The "Panda Trial", aka Kitzmiller v Dover, PA Board of Ed...

Just wrapped up yesterday. No decision yet (and maybe not until January) but as someone who's been following the trial, it looks like it's going to be a major defeat for so-called Intelligent Design.

This Kansas state Board of Ed should take a long, hard look at how that trial went before jumping on the losing horse that is ID.

Of course, they could all be sitting back hoping that a packed-by-Bush SCOTUS will bail them out in the end no matter how miserably apparent it can be seen in a court of law that ID is just creationism by another name, pushed by hypocrites who transparently lie about their religious agenda.

Here's the PA ACLU's blog covering the trial: http://aclupa.blogspot.com/

[lapfog_1]

6. While they are at it...

why don't they go ahead and make PI = 3.141, that way you don't have to
remember any more of those pesky insignificant digits. Think how much
easier the world would be to live in!

[northzax]

7. interesting idea

how would you test someone's knowledge of "intelligent design"

1: Why does a plant photosynthesize?

a: to derive food from solar energy and water.
b: because that's how it was made.

2: Why do Chimpanzees have prehensile Tails?

a: to help grab branches and aid in climbing
b: because that's how it was made.

I wanna take that test, huh?

[NinetySix]

8. Why are people who so viscerally oppose science...

...in charge of adopting a science curriculum?

[Bluebear]

9. I think that's the idea.

As we move backwards towards the Dark Ages.

[Robb]

10. The headline reminded me of a math teacher I had once

...who, when different students had different answers, would put it to a vote.

His point being the majority is sometimes wrong, voting doesn't always find the right answer, etc. etc. :)

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. "What's the Matter with Kansas?"

And what's the matter with that woman? :scared: