Intelligent Design Theory: Science or Religion?

Evolution isn't a moral code, Spendi.

Florida can't evolve at war with science
(BY FRED GRIMM, Miami Herald, April 17, 2008)

Five years ago, the Florida Legislature was duped into putting up $310 million to lure the Scripps Research Institute to Palm Beach County.

Our cracker politicians were misled by promises that Scripps' biomedical research would be just the ticket to keep Florida from devolving into a low-skilled, low-tech, low-paid, know-nothing backwater.

Can't blame 'em. Jeb Bush himself was ballyhooing the deal. ''A defining moment in Florida's future,'' the governor said.

Nobody explained to our hoodwinked legislators that those Scripps fellows were nothing but a bunch of damn evolutionists.

That stuff those scientists do: tearing apart molecules, studying cellular biology and immunology and neurosciences and chemistry, hunting down cures for cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases -- all of that's based on godless evolution.

If only our brave Bible-thumping legislators had known this back in 2004, they could have put the fear of God into those Darwinian lab rats. They would have warned 'em: Either do your so-called biomedical research by giving equal time to the seven-day creation theory, the 7,000-year-old earth theory and intelligent design or take your (monkey) tails straight back to Cow-Lie-Forn-Ya.

Of course, scientists at Scripps might be thinking, ``Hey, wait just a minute. We're the ones who were duped.''

Sir Harold Kroto, Britain's 1996 Nobel laureate for chemistry and a professor at Florida State University, said the scientific community has been taken aback by Florida's retro-war on evolution. ``We thought this was just something that happened in Kansas. Or maybe Texas.''

''If this had blown up four years ago, there certainly would have been discussions about whether Florida was the right place for Scripps,'' said Kroto, who happens to be on the Scripps board of governors.

Kroto has watched (''It's quite unbelievable'') as bills designed to counter the state board of education's decision in February to include evolution in the curriculum wend through both the House and Senate.

The bill guarantees teachers the right to offer a ''full range of views on biological and chemical evolution.'' Except, Kroto noted, Darwin's theory happens to be the only view that has withstood rigorous scientific scrutiny.

Kroto has been elected into the National Academy of Science, an outfit that has embraced evolution as key component in the study of biology, physics, geology, astronomy, paleontology, chemistry. And on and on. ''You'd think that the Academy would be the first stop political leaders would make when it comes to science education,'' he said.

Not in Florida. Our legislators seem poised to downgrade evolution to the equivalent of religious dogma.

''If I was a young scientist asked to come to work at Scripps in Florida, I'd think very carefully whether I'd want my children to go to school here,'' Kroto said Wednesday.

No doubt, our sanctified lawmakers wouldn't want those unholy Darwinians here anyway.

Sir Harold suggested a nice compromise. Legislators and others who object to teaching evolution in Florida's classrooms should refuse medical treatments derived from research guided by Darwin's black art.

That ought to thin the ranks of the true believers. And allow science teachers to get on with teaching Florida kids some actual science.

Throwing fuel on the fire
(Jeffrey S. Solochek, St. Petersburg Times Education Blog, April 17, 2008)

As if the issue of evolution hasn't been controversial enough in Florida, two state senators have moved to fan the flames by proposing a sex ed amendment to the "academic freedom" bill that's scheduled for second reading on the Senate floor today.

Riffing off the question of why some lawmakers have singled out evolution for special treatment in law, senators Ted Deutch and Nan Rich have pitched the concept that teachers who instruct the equally contentious subject of sex education might deserve similar protection as those who raise questions about the origin of species.

Their amendment states, in part:
A public school teacher in the state's K-12 school system may not be disciplined, denied tenure, terminated, or otherwise discriminated against for objectively presenting scientific information relevant to the full range of scientific views regarding biological or chemical evolution and comprehensive sexual education that is age-appropriate and factual in connection with teaching any prescribed curriculum regarding chemical or biological evolution and any prescribed abstinence-only curriculum regarding human sexuality, respectively.

Deutch's own bill requiring schools to teach medically accurate, factual and age-appropriate sex education curriculum has show no sign of life in committees. So why not try to attach the concept, which Republicans seem to dislike, onto the evolution bill that so many Democrats disdain, right? (Deutch was the lone nay vote on the evolution bill when it passed the Senate Education committee.)

The poison pill is not likely to win adoption. But it's entertaining to note.

UPDATE: The amendment failed on voice vote.

I agree, TCR. Florida's Senate is hilarious. I recently saw mention in a Florida newspaper that Florida citizens gave their state legislators an approval rating of only 34%.

Wolf-

I'm sorry mate. It would take me six months to sort out your post and I just don't have that amount of free time.

But-

Quote:

Evolution isn't a moral code, Spendi.

is a statement that doesn't surprise me one iota. That's why I'm against teaching it to kids. I'm in favour of moral codes. As long as they work I mean.