Latest Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution

In order to understand each other it is necessary to do more than use the same word. We need to employ the word to describe the same species of inner experience and thus to have the experience in common.

Tenn. governor says may sign evolution bill
(By Lucas L. Johnson, Associated Press, April 3, 2012)

Tennessee, where the nation's first big legal battle over evolution was fought nearly 90 years ago, is close to enacting a law that critics deride as the "monkey bill" for once again attacking the scientific theory.

The measure passed by the Tennessee General Assembly would protect teachers who allow students to criticize evolution and other scientific theories, such as global warming. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said this week he would likely sign it into law.

Haslam said the State Board of Education has told him the measure won't affect the state's current scientific curriculum for primary, middle or high school students. Louisiana enacted a similar law in 2008.

"I think the one thing about that bill is this: Nothing about the curriculum of the state of Tennessee will change, and the scientific standards won't change," he said. "So I think some of the discussion about its impact has probably been overblown."

The bill says it will encourage critical thinking by protecting teachers from discipline if they help students critique "scientific weaknesses."

Scientists in Tennessee and the American Association for the Advancement of Science are asking Haslam to veto the bill, saying that evolution is established science that shouldn't be taught as a controversy.

"The Tennessee legislature is doing the unbelievable: attempting to roll the clock back to 1925 by attempting to insert religious beliefs in the teaching of science," three Tennessee scientists wrote in an op-ed column in The Tennessean. The PhDs and members of the National Academy of Sciences — Roger D. Cone and Jon Kaas of Vanderbilt University and Robert G. Webster of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — argue that the law is unnecessary and likely to provide expensive legal fights and hurt the economy in Tennessee, which is home to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Tennessee Education Association argued that the bill wasn't necessary.

"I think at a time when we're trying to put a focus on science, math, education; to pass something like this really sends a signal that the state is going backward instead of forward," TEA lobbyist Jerry Winters. " ... They're avoiding the real problems in education by dealing with some of these emotional hot-button issues."

The state held the famous Scopes "monkey trial" in 1925 in Dayton, Tenn., and opponents of the legislation say evolution is still under attack in 2012.

The 1925 trial convicted school teacher John Scopes of violating state statute by teaching evolution in biology class and fined him $100. The Tennessee Supreme Court overturned the verdict on a technicality a year later. In 1967, Tennessee's anti-evolution law was revoked.

Scientists believe the legislation — which passed the Senate 24-8 last month and 70-23 in the House last year — could open the door for some religious teachings.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee on Tuesday sent Haslam a letter asking him to veto the legislation on the grounds that it's unnecessary and "likely to result in significant violations of students' and parents' First Amendment rights."

State ACLU executive director Hedy Weinberg said allowing students to critique "scientific weaknesses" is actually language frequently used by those seeking to introduce non-scientific ideas like creationism and intelligent design into science curriculum.

"No one doubts the value of critical thinking to any serious course of scientific study, but this legislation is not truly aimed at developing students' critical thinking skills," she wrote.

House sponsor Bill Dunn, a Knoxville Republican, said the proposal states that it is "not ... construed to promote religion."

"What the bill says is that as long as you stick to objective scientific facts, then you can bring that into play," said the Knoxville Republican. "So if students start asking questions or if there's debate on it, it's not a one-sided debate. But it is a fair debate, in that it's objective scientific facts that are brought forward."

I am still worried that valuable class time will be wasted if a science teacher is asked to rebut creationist claims such as that the second law of thermodynamics disproves evolution. Creationists disguise their propaganda in scientific-sounding nonsense. I am sure that science teachers would not want to waste class time on crap like that.

I still would love to see some teacher, full of conviction, try to get in trouble by teaching "Critical thinking" the way it oughta.

As a matter of fact, that's one of the common points the creationistss bring up. Where have you been the last five years? You sure haven't been paying attention here.

Gov. Bill Haslam should veto 'Monkey Bill'
(Hedy Weinberg, Opinion Essay, KnoxNews.com, April 5, 2012)

Tennessee is dangerously close to enacting a law that would gut science education in public schools. The "Monkey Bill" sailed through the Legislature and is now on Gov. Bill Haslam's desk awaiting his review. The bill is adapted from a template offered by the conservative, Seattle-based Discovery Institute, which promotes intelligent design. As a force for moderation, Haslam should veto this legislation.

Under the pretext of fostering critical thinking, this legislation states that teachers must be allowed to discuss "weaknesses" in scientific theories such as evolution and other scientific subjects that "cause debate and disputation" — calling their validity into question.

No one doubts the value of critical thinking to any serious course of scientific study, but this legislation seeks to subvert scientific principle to religious ideology by granting legal cover to teachers who wish to dress up religious beliefs on the origin of life as pseudo-science. Terms such as "strengths and weaknesses" and "critical thinking" are frequently used by those seeking to introduce nonscientific ideas such as creationism and intelligent design into the science curriculum.

Prestigious scientific and educational organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Biological Sciences, the National Earth Science Teachers Association and the Tennessee Science Teachers Association, agree that there is no scientific controversy regarding the theory of evolution, only a political controversy that does not belong in the science classroom.

Tennessee has long been involved in a struggle about teaching science and religion in public schools. Eighty-seven years ago, on March 13, 1925, the Tennessee General Assembly passed the Butler Act, making it unlawful to teach evolution. In the well-known "Scopes Monkey Trial" that followed, American Civil Liberties Union volunteer attorney Clarence Darrow represented high school teacher John Scopes when he violated the Butler Act. The anti-evolutionists won and the Butler Act remained in place until repealed in 1967.

Six years later, the state Legislature passed a statute barring public school use of any textbook teaching the theory of evolution unless it was "not represented to be scientific fact'' and equal time was devoted to creationism. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit flatly rejected the law, holding that it was "obviously in violation of the First Amendment." Since then, federal courts have been clear that efforts to inject religious beliefs regarding the origin of life into public school science curricula are unconstitutional no matter what form they may take.

By allowing teachers to deviate from the established science curriculum, we take the risk that our students will be unprepared for advanced college work and at a disadvantage in our increasingly global economy. Tennessee may also be less appealing to employers offering science-based jobs. This bill could have serious consequences for the future well-being of our children and our economy and our state overall.

This legislation is the latest line of attack against evolution in a long-standing campaign waged by certain religious interests to promote creationism and intelligent design in Tennessee public schools. As the Supreme Court has stated, families "entrust public schools with the education of their children, but condition their trust on the understanding that the classroom will not purposely be used to advance religious views that may conflict with the private beliefs of the student and his or her family." This legislation represents a betrayal of that trust and, accordingly, Haslam must veto it.

Prestigious scientific and educational organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Biological Sciences, the National Earth Science Teachers Association and the Tennessee Science Teachers Association, agree that there is no scientific controversy regarding the theory of evolution, only a political controversy that does not belong in the science classroom.

By allowing teachers to deviate from the established science curriculum, we take the risk that our students will be unprepared for advanced college work and at a disadvantage in our increasingly global economy. Tennessee may also be less appealing to employers offering science-based jobs. This bill could have serious consequences for the future well-being of our children and our economy and our state overall.

Is the Knox News the Knoxville News Sentinel because if it is it is owned by the E.W.Scripps Company which is no stranger to this thread despite its many disguises.