A Usenet persona calling itself BCITORGB wrote:

weiser on:
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theories of intelligent design
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look, you seem to know something about this. at some level of inquiry,
it may make for an interesting debate.

but you likely heard the kansas school board officials as i did. most
(all?) of them wouldn't recognize theories of intelligent design if
they jumped up and bit them in the ass! as you well know, the agenda
was not about broadening the intellectual base. this was about
religious dogma.

Perhaps the issue has never been posited to them.


if the people of that community think religion is important, i say go
ahead and have religion classes where you can promote this doctrine. it
very clearly does not belong in the science class.

When religion and science touch on the same issue, why is it inappropriate
to address it in either or both? Presenting information about various
theories is never harmful, so long as it's done in an objective manner.


when it is accepted as part of the science canon (determined by the
science community), then by all means. I don't think your local school
board officials who have a background in, say, used car sales, farming,
insurance, or whatever, are in any position to determine what is or is
not "scientific".

You put "science" up on too high a pedestal and you discount religion too
much. Again, presenting opposing theories does not constitute
indoctrination, it is an academic necessity if students are to learn
critical thinking. Indoctrinating them into the cult of secular scientism is
a bad as indoctrinating them into the cult of Scientology...or Catholicism.

All sides of the debate must be presented openly, accurately and
objectively, and students must be taught to sift through the available
evidence to reach a reasoned conclusion. Excluding religion from discussions
of evolution is merely anti-religious bias and censorship.

next we'll be asking them to write revisionist
history for the history classes. recommend projects for shop class,
perhaps? decide which language ought to be taught in computer classes?

Amphigory.
--
Regards,
Scott Weiser

"I love the Internet, I no longer have to depend on
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© 2005 Scott Weiser