Ga. Evolution Stickers Ordered Removed

Woodmonkey · 01-14-2005, 17:51

I don't understand why people objecting to this theory do not acknowledge that students are first taught definitions and know that theories are just that, theories and not facts. Those are clearly defined by science teachers. They are all taught that the theory can change as more observations, facts, interpretations surface. It is not the place of a science teacher to present what/who caused the big bang, directs evolution etc.

When religious leaders meddle in science classes they just want their interpretation given. They forget, or ignore, the fact that even Christians disagree on evolution. Some believe that the world is 4,000 years old and everything is created as is and that Satan put the fossils there to fool people, others believe that God is directing evolution and I'm sure there are still other variations for Christians. None of that takes into account that all religions have their own creation stories. Is Science class to be eaten up telling all the creation stories around?

It wasn't all that long ago that Gallileo was persecuted for daring to say that the sun/moon/stars didn't revolve around the earth.

Quote:

Ga. Evolution Stickers Ordered Removed

Quote:

A federal judge Thursday ordered a suburban Atlanta school system to remove stickers from its high school biology textbooks that call evolution "a theory, not a fact," saying the disclaimers are an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.

Judge Rejects Evolution Stickers in School Books

"By denigrating evolution, the school board appears to be endorsing the well-known prevailing alternative theory, creationism or variations thereof, even though the sticker does not specifically reference any alternative theories," U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper said.

The stickers were put inside the books' front covers by public school officials in Cobb County in 2002. They read: "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."

"This is a great day for Cobb County students," said Michael Manely, an attorney for the parents who sued over the stickers. "They're going to be permitted to learn science unadulterated by religious dogma."

In a statement, the school board said it was disappointed by the ruling and will decide whether to appeal. A board spokesman said no decision had been made on when, or if, the stickers would be removed.

The stickers were added after more than 2,000 parents complained that the textbooks presented evolution as fact, without mentioning rival ideas about the beginnings of life, such as the biblical story of creation.

Six parents and the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) then sued, contending the disclaimers violated the separation of church and state and unfairly singled out evolution from thousands of other scientific theories as suspect.

At a trial in federal court in November, the school system defended the stickers as a show of tolerance, not religious activism.

"Science and religion are related and they're not mutually exclusive," school district attorney Linwood Gunn said. "This sticker was an effort to get past that conflict and to teach good science."

But the judge disagreed: "While evolution is subject to criticism, particularly with respect to the mechanism by which it occurred, the sticker misleads students regarding the significance and value of evolution in the scientific community."

The case is one of several battles waged around the country in recent years over what role evolution should play in the teaching of science.

Last year, Georgia's education chief proposed a science curriculum that dropped the word "evolution" in favor of "changes over time." The idea was dropped amid protests from teachers.

A school district in Dover, Pa., has been locked in a dispute over a requirement that science students be told about "intelligent design" — the concept that the universe is so complex it must have been created by some higher power.

Officials in Alabama said they do not think Thursday's ruling affects the several-paragraph evolution disclaimer in the front of that state's science books.

The disclaimer says that "any statement about life's origins should be considered theory, not fact," and lists four of the "many unanswered questions about the origin of life which are not mentioned in your textbook." One of the questions is, "How did you and all living things come to possess such a complete and complex set of 'Instructions' for building a living body?"

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...rs_9&printer=1

Caldric · 01-14-2005, 18:25

Lordy that must be one of the stupidest rulings I have read this year so far. It is still a young year though lets give them time.

I would have to add though that I do not see the point of the sticker.

I have never had a class where the teacher did not explain theory when the class started if it was in regards to theory. There is no need for stickers if the teacher is even below average science teacher.

Woodmonkey · 01-14-2005, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caldric

Lordy that must be one of the stupidest rulings I have read this year so far. It is still a young year though lets give them time.

I would have to add though that I do not see the point of the sticker.

I have never had a class where the teacher did not explain theory when the class started if it was in regards to theory. There is no need for stickers if the teacher is even below average science teacher.

Something happens to fundamentalist Christians down South. They forget that they aren't the only people who have beliefs. Also, they don't seem to care that some students go on to other science classes and need to be taught science, and not religion.

Kind of reminds me of what the Taliban did with their young kids. Taught them religion instead of science, math etc. How shortsighted.

Caldric · 01-14-2005, 19:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodmonkey

Something happens to fundamentalist Christians down South. They forget that they aren't the only people who have beliefs. Also, they don't seem to care that some students go on to other science classes and need to be taught science, and not religion.

Kind of reminds me of what the Taliban did with their young kids. Taught them religion instead of science, math etc. How shortsighted.

Oh yes I agree I was just saying it just another court case of many to come.

BrianK · 01-14-2005, 19:35

I wonder if the sticker wasn't an attempt to prevent teachers & school boards from being sued ? Imagine little Johnny not remembering that his teacher stated "theory" . By having "theory" explained in writing little Johnny and his parents wouldn't have basis for a lawsuit.

Once upon a time there was a TV anouncement that said " A mind is a terrible thing to waste". Seems to me the ACLU is not wasting minds only channeling minds to very limited thinking. The analogy of how the Taliban limited thinking fits perfectly with what is happening here. Maybe the ACLU is really an extension of the terror network and is destroying America from within.

Bluehawk · 01-15-2005, 11:09

Guerrilla warfare takes many forms, eh?

We have free speech, guaranteed.