David,
The creationist have never been able to win this argument ("proving" the
existence of a god) so they have taken another tact. They are not now
arguing to place creationism in the curriculum, but rather that evolution
cannot be proven either. Ergo, if their belief cannot be proven, and thus
is not in the curriculum, and evolution cannot be proven, then it should
not be in the curriculum either. I believe that was the outcome in KS.
Interestingly, it seems that microevolution is not being challenged with
the vehemence of macroevolution. They just can't stand to think that they
were not "created in the image of god" I guess.
I wish there was some way to help the biologists (and others) in KS fight
this lunacy.
And what is "proof?" Last I checked, we have all sorts of evidence for
evolution, both micro and macro. Do we have proof for the existence of
atoms? of gravity? (After all, gravity is only a theory! :- )
jim
At 03:55 PM 8/12/99 -0700, David Starrett wrote:
> >> >Religious groups have argued that evolution cannot be proven, and some
>feel
> >> >that evolution is not in accordance with Biblical teachings regarding the
> >> >origins of life.
> >> >
> >> >``It's deception,'' said Tom Willis, director of the Creation Science
> >> >Association for Mid-America, which helped write the new standards. ``You
> >> >can't go into the laboratory or the field and make the first fish. When
>you
> >> >tell students that science has determined (evolution to be true), you're
> >> >deceiving them.''
>>Last I checked we weren't any closer to 'proving' the existence of God or
>"creation"!!! Telling students there is a God or creation is true is just
>as deceptive, is it not? What the heck am I missing?
>>I deal with this same issue constantly here in SE Missouri, an extension of
>the same bible belt as in KS. I dread the thought that such a
>narrow-minded view/proclamation would show up here. At one point here, it
>was decreed that the two kingdom system be taught... the kingdom of man,
>and the kingdom of all other life....
>>Dave Starrett
>>>/^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\
>| Dr. David Starrett, Director |
>| Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning |
>| MS 4650, 1 University Plaza |
>| Southeast Missouri State University |
>| Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 \ |
>| Ph: (573) 651-2298 /\ |
>| Fax: (573) 986-6858 (__) |
>| email: starrett at cstl.semo.edu |
>| WWW: http://biology.semo.edu/starrett/starrhpg.html |
>\______________________________________________________/
>
James. W. Perry, CEO/Campus Dean
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
University of Wisconsin - Fox Valley
1478 Midway Road, P.O. Box 8002
Menasha, Wisconsin 54952-9002
Office: 920.832.2610
FAX: 920.832.2674
jperry at uwc.edu
