“Intelligent Design” Officially Belongs in the Science Classroom

Yes, it’s a very sad day indeed. By a 6 to 4 board vote, the Kansas School Board just approved teaching Intelligent Design in science classrooms.I think one of the four dissenting board members, Janet Waugh of Kansas City, summed it up best: "This is a sad day, not just for Kansas kids, but for Kansas. We’re becoming a laughingstock not only of the nation but of the world." Andrew wasn’t sure he should even post about this story, as he couldn’t think of anything positive to say about it, but I thought I’d toss it up here anyway…

4 Responses to ““Intelligent Design” Officially Belongs in the Science Classroom”

---

And on the other side of the ring, The Vatican.
Yes folks, while Kansas is regressing back 150 years, the Catholic church is say things like, “The fundamentalists want to give a scientific meaning to words that had no scientific aim” and that the story in Genesis and Darwin’s theory of Evolution are not mutually exlusive.

As silly as some of the Catholic dogma is, I’m glad they have come to their senses on this issue.

stephenh - November 9th, 2005 at 5:17 am

---

Oh, that Kansas Board of Education has been spatting about Intelligent Design for years now…no doubt someone will bring up a lawsuit against this ruling and it’ll start all over. Well, we can hope.

The Vatican, on the other hand, is headed backwards I fear. The new Pope seems to be pretty conservative.

Mallorn - November 9th, 2005 at 5:32 am

---

The reason this made it through is a two-parter.

The first is that Because of W’s money networking and scare tactics, loyal Kansas republicans voted in droves based solely on party lines.

The second is that the Kansas School Board neatly side-stepped the whole issue by refusing to teach ID (that’s what they tried in ’99 and we became a laughingstock then, and there was “regime change” once the voters realized what they’d done to the State’s image). What the school board actually did, I’m not shitting you–I’ve read it–is to emphasize the “criticisms” of evolutionary theory–the board does not provide an alternative, they simply add an attack campaign to teaching evolution–and the criticisms are all wicked stupid–things like there is no fossil record explaining how the varied body plans in the precambrian explosion evolved–AHA! the nail in the coffin!!!

Still a sad day tho’–that’s ok, we have the promise of Niall Shanks at our University!

Jonathan - November 12th, 2005 at 11:45 pm

---

This week was one step back, two steps forward. Kansas is the step back. The reaffirming by the Vatican under Pope Scary XVIII was the first step forward, and the ousting of the dover school board due to their endorsement of “Pandas and People” was the other step forward.

I would be all for teaching creation stories in school, but only if it were a class that was designed to teach as many different belief systems as possible, and not just center itself around creation stories. Maybe have a semester long “Religions of the World” class that starts with creation stories, and then move from there. Show how different religions are similar and different. I just think theology shouldn’t be a part of a science! course.

stephen - November 13th, 2005 at 1:00 pm

---

Leave a Response (or trackback on your own site)

You must be logged in to post a comment.