Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Inserting Creationism in the Standards
The science standards proposed by the majority of the Kansas science standards writing committee are silent on the question of how life began. That's because no one knows how it happened. There are a number of intriguing hypotheses about how life on this planet might have come into being, but no convincing evidence has yet been produced to settle the question.
For the creationists and intelligent design proponents on the state board of education -- and their friends and advisers at the Discovery Institute and the ID Network -- evidence, or the lack of it, has never been a barrier.
They know what the Bible says, or think they do, and that's good enough for them.
"How life began is not well known and, therefore, in the good standards we do not mention the origins of life," says Jack Krebs, a member of the writing committee and president of Kansas Citizens for Science, a group that has battled efforts by Christian fundamentalists to write their peculiar religious beliefs into the science standards for many years now.
Earl Watt of the Southwest Daily Times in Liberal has written an article featuring Krebs who shows how the creationists "inserted a line that said evolution postulates an unguided process."
"Unguided is a theological term," notes Krebs. "Science does not make a judgment about theological guidance. By putting this phrase in, they are trying to make science atheistic."
Read more here.
For the creationists and intelligent design proponents on the state board of education -- and their friends and advisers at the Discovery Institute and the ID Network -- evidence, or the lack of it, has never been a barrier.
They know what the Bible says, or think they do, and that's good enough for them.
"How life began is not well known and, therefore, in the good standards we do not mention the origins of life," says Jack Krebs, a member of the writing committee and president of Kansas Citizens for Science, a group that has battled efforts by Christian fundamentalists to write their peculiar religious beliefs into the science standards for many years now.
Earl Watt of the Southwest Daily Times in Liberal has written an article featuring Krebs who shows how the creationists "inserted a line that said evolution postulates an unguided process."
"Unguided is a theological term," notes Krebs. "Science does not make a judgment about theological guidance. By putting this phrase in, they are trying to make science atheistic."
Read more here.
