Monday, June 13, 2005
Kibitzers
Red State Rabble has been spending a lot of time pouring over the transcripts from the May science hearings over the past few days. The transcripts – though not yet complete – just became available for the first time late last week.
Since Friday, we've also been taking a hard look at the revisions to the science standards made by the board of education sub-committee last Thursday.
Those changes will be presented to the full board for approval this Wednesday. Connie Morris, who feels strongly that the revisions authored by board president Steve Abrams do not challenge evolution strongly enough, may add more criticisms based on testimony contained in the transcripts, then. All the revisions are expected to be approved by the six member conservative majority.
Although supporters of science education may well be disappointed in the board, there is a silver lining to this dark cloud.
As those who have read and laughed along with RSR Transcript Follies know, our intelligent design "theorists" are loathe to put forward any hypotheses of their own. Getting them to answer simple questions about their theory, such as their working hypothesis of the age of the earth, is like pulling teeth.
Until now, they have been completely content simply to kibitz from the sidelines. The transcripts and the revisions, however, put them on record, for example, as not supporting common descent. They deny the increasing weight of genetic evidence.
This gives scientists and educators an opportunity to take them on in ways that we couldn't before. It will also give the courts a rich record to review when the inevitable case that the revised science standards are motivated by the religious beliefs of Christian fundamentalists and for that reason theyviolate the establishment clause of the Constitution is brought.
Since Friday, we've also been taking a hard look at the revisions to the science standards made by the board of education sub-committee last Thursday.
Those changes will be presented to the full board for approval this Wednesday. Connie Morris, who feels strongly that the revisions authored by board president Steve Abrams do not challenge evolution strongly enough, may add more criticisms based on testimony contained in the transcripts, then. All the revisions are expected to be approved by the six member conservative majority.
Although supporters of science education may well be disappointed in the board, there is a silver lining to this dark cloud.
As those who have read and laughed along with RSR Transcript Follies know, our intelligent design "theorists" are loathe to put forward any hypotheses of their own. Getting them to answer simple questions about their theory, such as their working hypothesis of the age of the earth, is like pulling teeth.
Until now, they have been completely content simply to kibitz from the sidelines. The transcripts and the revisions, however, put them on record, for example, as not supporting common descent. They deny the increasing weight of genetic evidence.
This gives scientists and educators an opportunity to take them on in ways that we couldn't before. It will also give the courts a rich record to review when the inevitable case that the revised science standards are motivated by the religious beliefs of Christian fundamentalists and for that reason theyviolate the establishment clause of the Constitution is brought.
