Latest Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution

If you look at public polls in the United States, at any given time a significant percentage of Americans believe that it is acceptable to teach creationism in public high schools. And that gives rise to an assumption on the part of the public that judges should 'get with the program' and make decisions according to the popular will.

There's a problem with that....The framers of the Constitution, in their almost infinite wisdom, designed the legislative and executive branches under Articles I and II to be directly responsive to the public will. They designed the judiciary, under Article III, to be responsive not to the public will--in effect to be a bulwark against public will at any given time--but to be responsible to the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

That distinction, just like the role of precedent, tends to be lost in the analysis of judges' decisions, including my decision.

In any event neither can claim any major literary merits.

Will you explain why that's not plain silly. And notice the "almost".

his main inspiration, Julien Offray de La Mettrie (November 23, 1709 – November 11, 1751), French physician and philosopher

In any event neither can claim any major literary merits. Unlike Sade.

Panel approves textbooks
(By Mike Hasten • Monroe News-Star • December 8, 2010)

BATON ROUGE — The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will decide Thursday whether to purchase new science textbooks over the objections of some religious groups who argue the books should contain information other than evolution.

Six of seven members of the Student/School Performance and Support Committee voted to approve the recommendation of two review panels that endorsed the new books. The six members comprise a majority of the 11-member board.

Louisiana last purchased high school science and biology books eight years ago. Teachers told the panel that numerous scientific discoveries have been made in the past eight years and students are being denied access to the latest information.

A crowd of people at the meeting wanted books that at least mention creationism or intelligent design or say that evolution is not a fact. An almost equal group promoted teaching pure science.

Gene Mills, director of the Louisiana Family Forum, complained that the selected biology textbook "is biased and inaccurate when it comes to the controversies."

The "controversy" is the belief that Darwin's Theory of Evolution is just a theory and has little basis in fact. Mills said he wanted the committee to delay the purchase to "allow publishers to correct the inefficiencies."

But biology and evolutionary science professors and students at LSU asserted that in science, a "theory" is based in fact.

John Oller, a University of Louisiana at Lafayette linguistics and communicative disorders professor, joined Mills in contending the proposed science books should not be purchased.

"They're wrong because they're often 30-60 years out of date," Oller said. He said the books proposed for Louisiana were "dumbed-down."

"Louisiana students are prepared for this," he said, "You shouldn't deny controversies."

Barbara Forrest, a Southeastern Louisiana University philosophy professor and member of the National Center for Science Education board, countered Oller's and Mills' arguments and said they were promoting a "creationist agenda." She said "part of their religious agenda is attacking the teaching of science."

"These books are extremely weak on actually examining evidence of the claims being made in the books," said Lennie Ditoro, an associate of the Family Forum. She said the problem with the books is that evolution is "taught dogmatically, and the evidence that challenges it is completely ignored."

Patsye Peebles, a long-time Baton Rouge biology teacher and National Association of Biology Teachers board member, said the effort to block teaching of evolution results from "the mistaken idea that religion and evolution cannot co-exist." She said she not only teaches biology but Sunday school and a confirmation class.

Pastors from several churches argued on both sides of the issue.

University Presbyterian Pastor Patricia Snyder of Baton Rouge said she didn't want to attend the meeting but she had to speak out against "attempts to make the Bible a science textbook." She urged BESE to approve the textbooks "so the state can move forward" and not give in to "pseudo science."

Her associate pastor, the Rev. Clint Mitchell, said "there is no scientific controversy. The Bible is not a science book. Its intention is to transform lives. Textbooks should stick to teaching science. Teaching religion should be left to churches and families."

The Rev. Jesse Burgoyne, pastor of the Accountability Church in Watson, urged the board not to order the books.

John Yeats of the Louisiana Baptist Convention said a delay would give publishers time to incorporate provisions of the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act, which allows for the introduction of alternatives to evolution.

Only the committee chairman, Dale Bayard of Sulphur, voted against buying the books after about three hours of testimony by opponents and proponents. BESE members John Bennett of Port Allen, Glenny Lee Buquet of Houma, Penny Dastugue of Mandeville, Linda Johnson of Plaquemine, Walter Lee of Mansfield and Chas Roemer of Baton Rouge voted to send the issue to the full board.

It's up to parish school boards if they want to purchase new books for local schools.

Food poisoning it was at the table of Frederick the Great ..... viewers who don't know it are obviously barely literate.

LOUISIANA UPDATE

Quote:

Panel approves textbooks
(By Mike Hasten • Monroe News-Star • December 8, 2010)

John Yeats of the Louisiana Baptist Convention said a delay would give publishers time to incorporate provisions of the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act, which allows for the introduction of alternatives to evolution.

other posters will cover expenses for his stay there

Time to put up or shut up

I don't need to be defended to that troll piece of ****.

Any opinion , authored by spendius regarding US jurisprudence, is a wild guess at best.