Creationism Returns to Tennessee

[cleanhippie]

By a vote of 70-28, the Tennessee House of Representatives has just approved a bill to protect teachers who choose to teach creationism, rather than evolution, in their public school classrooms. The State of Tennessee, which pays their salaries, would no longer be able to enforce standards for the teaching of evolution, as it currently does. Instead, science curriculum would become a free-for-all. Studies already show that 13% of high school biology teachers advocate creationism in their classrooms, and that a large majority avoid talking about evolution altogether, because it would get them in hot water with the local God experts. If this bill takes hold – it’s already been introduced in seven states – expect those numbers to skyrocket.

Proponents of the Tennessee bill disingenuously say they are simply trying to promote academic freedom. Evolution is just an unproven “theory,” they say, and other “theories” like that contained in the book of Genesis should be taught as well. In fact, evolution is a “theory” in the same sense that gravity is a “theory”: a coherent group of principles used to explain a class of phenomena. Like evolution, gravity hasn’t been conclusively proven in every case, and Isaac Newton was roundly condemned by the God experts of his day. I can only suggest that those who prefer divine revelation to observable fact should try stepping off a rooftop sometime.

http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2011/04/18/creationism-returns-to-tennessee-%E2%80%93-part-1/

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Here we go AGAIN!

[ZombieHorde]

1. 70-28! 70-28! This is not a small handful of kooks.

Thank God for atheists.

[cleanhippie]

2. Oh come on now, as we have been told, its simply a vocal minority of radicals.

The "liberal" christians are not part of this.

[ZombieHorde]

4. The liberal Christians on DU are the small minority of radicals.

Christianity is like the NRA; there are some liberal critical thinkers, but not many.

[skepticscott]

14. Yes, but they think

that they are the only part of Christianity that matters. Sheesh.

[RKP5637]

3. +1000 +++ n/t

[opihimoimoi]

5. Already dumbed down....the State further burdens herself with more ignorance

sad

[ixion]

6. so TN follows TX in devaluing their High School diplomas

I mean, I guess they don't realize that a HS diploma from a state supporting creationism is worthless.

[sharesunited]

7. Even Anthony Kennedy isn't going to go along with THIS!

[Angry Dragon]

8. Hang your head in shame Tennessee

[indepat]

9. Look for the TN legislature to out-do itself time and time again as they implement their special

brand of religious zealotry (bizarre-land USA). :patriot:

[struggle4progress]

10. I wonder if I would be allowed to teach: Australopithecus found the dinosaur fossils

in the toy department at Walmart and buried them all in deep rock formations all over the earth just for fun

Or if that won't be allowed, how about: UFOs synthesized all our fossils in situ by using a modified Star Trek phaser?

Or maybe: fossils are an optical illusion, but I stopped seeing them after I exposed my eyes to N-rays?

[AC_Mem]

11. SHAME ON MY STATE

Ughhhhhh.

I will be taking time to discuss this with my grandchildren so that they are not programmed with this nonsense. I'll use this as a teachable moment. I'll also be looking for a museum that shows evolution for a family field trip.

Good grief. What is our country becoming!!!!!!

Annette in Memphis

[asjr]

12. This is a follow the leader state. If we

ever find a real leader maybe we can change.

[tularetom]

13. Glad my dad decided to move us out of there...

back in 1952.

I was only in the 6th grade so they didn't have that much of a chance to fuck me up.