And Then There Was Light
"Teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught.""The idea behind this bill is that students should be encouraged to challenge current scientific thought and theory." Republican senator Bo Watson
For mind-boggling ignorance is there anything more telling as a yardstick of a nation's intelligence? That seemingly rational people still, after all this time, insist that faith in spiritual scripture is not to be disturbed by unruly and unsupportable scientific thought and research,, pretty well says it all. These are the folk who consider themselves down-to-earth, when they really are hovering up in the spheres of the heavens dominated by the presence of that omnipotent Spirit.
They are inspired by the word of god, handed down verbatim and enshrined in the Holy Bible. Any system of thought or endeavour that strives to explain the inexplicable, that which the master of us all, our very maker, feels no need to explain needs no explanation. The governor of Tennessee, like his Louisiana counterpart is smugly certain that it is creationism that tells truth to reality.
Darwinism, therefore, is in bad odour, and its presence in the state's school curriculum only serves to confuse, not enlighten. For the scientific theory that it expounds, that of natural selection, is a man-made construction, unlike creationism which has been thoughtfully hand-made by god himself. "Intelligent design" is the vehicle by which god created he the heavens and the Earth, and all the things that crawl and creep upon it.
"They are not talking that much about creationism but rather about Intelligent Design. It's a very nuanced and clever way ... to challenge the theory of evolution and allow teachers to inject Intelligent Design and neo-creationism." ACLU, Tennessee Branch
Lest we hasten to the conclusion that scientific ignorance is solely an American monopoly, it would be well to recognize that people who live rurally in Canada, and who are faithful and regular church attendees, tend to think along similar lines. The result of which is that some science teachers in high schools inform their charges that they will tread lightly on the issue of natural selection, less some among them be offended.
Under a new law placed on the agenda by the State of Tennessee's Tea Party wing of the Republican Party, Tennessee would permit teachers to challenge the settled science on evolution and climate change. In favour of placing front and centre, the Holy Scriptures. Basically that a higher power is responsible for the development of the universe and all life forms.
Quite the solution to the never-ending mystery of the universe's unfolding. And, of course, strictly objective.
Labels: Education, Human Fallibility, Political Realities, Religion, Science, Traditions, United States, Values
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, April 11, 2012
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