Modesto science teacher's plan to teach intelligent design sparks debate

[ZombieHorde]

By Nan Austin

~snip~

Last month, a Modesto science teacher announced at a back-to-school night that he would teach the theory of intelligent design alongside evolution. Modesto City Schools district officials say that will not happen.

However, some trustees and other science teachers say it should. Parents on both sides of the divide are discovering that it is.

~snip~

Wilde's classroom has a life-size cutout of Albert Einstein by the window and a crucifix over the door. The 34-year teacher, who holds master's degrees in physical sciences and theology, said there is no conflict between evolution and her faith.

"I love this quote by Pope John Paul II: 'Let science tell us what and how. Let religion tell us who and why.' Truth is truth. We just answer different questions," she said. "We believe in a God that is so powerful he could create it all, then allow it to unfold. To me, that is a far more awesome God."

~snip~

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/26/1355528/modesto-science-teachers-plan.html#ixzz10emTz1IS

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Once again Christianity is being offered as evidence, and once again the duty arises to refute such evidence.

[Warren Stupidity]

1. "a crucifix over the door." ?? In a public school?

[Warpy]

6. Yeah, it's inappropriate

So is any religious teaching, even the sort of amorphic Deism that guided the founding fathers. Leave it in the homes and the churches/temples/mosques, please. After all, parents would be outraged at having kiddies taught the "wrong" god as well as no god and we might as well leave the slate as blank as possible for the family's religious folks to write on.

Having said that, I survived intense religiously based education in primary school and came out of it all an atheist. Sometimes the injection just doesn't take and I've often joked that Catholic schools are best at producing atheists because that's where most of my atheist friends got their start.

[struggle4progress]

7. "Central Catholic High School" -- click the effin link, why doncha?

[Warren Stupidity]

9. So why is it modesto city council's business?

If this is a private school they can teach any crap they want. If the OP made it clear what the situation really is, I wouldn't have to check the fucking link to straighten this out would I?

[arKansasJHawk]

18. The story is a mess ...

It goes on a lot at the beginning about teachers at Catholic and Christian schools, then finally gets around to naming the teacher at a PUBLIC high school who just decided he was going to teach intelligent design in his class.

[Warren Stupidity]

20. yeah I read it twice and have no idea

if this teacher has a crucifix in his classroom in a public school or not.

[Jim__]

21. Really?

"The problem is that intelligent design is trying to somehow wed science to faith and it can't because in intelligent design you start with an assumption and it's unquestionable," said Central Catholic High School science teacher Chris Wilde.

Wilde's classroom has life-size cutout of Albert Einstein by the window and a crucifix over the door. The 34-year teacher, who holds master's degrees in physical sciences and theology, said there is no conflict between evolution and her faith.

Does that help?

[Book Lover]

2. Sometimes I'm glad my son is in special ed

His teacher's are busy teaching him basics for years longer than other kids, and his literary and scientific education is left up to me.

[bherrera]

3. it is amazing to see the USA is so backwards

The Catholic Church clearly stated evolution is the right theory, and intelligent design is just a stupid idea. This guy should not quote the Pope.

[Xipe Totec]

4. I would love to teach intelligent design

Complete with experiments.

I think it would be a great idea to teach high school students to apply the scientific method.

Question #1: How intelligent was it to put procreation organs next to the poop shoot? If you were an intelligent designer, where would you put them?

Question #2: How intelligent was it to make food that tastes good be bad for you?

Question #3: Would an intelligent designer design a universe with hell and Satan in it?

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Although I find "intelligent design" to be a joke,

as a biology teacher (not in the field anymore), I found that you could not avoid at least discussion of intelligent design. There were always the students who refused to take evolution theory seriously and would argue endlessly about how god created everything as we know it. I had choices here. I could tell them that it really didn't matter what they believed, they would just have to learn evolution or they would hear all about it again next year in my class. I could allow for discussion of all the differing "theories" there were about how life appeared on earth and became so diverse. One choice would stifle student thought and probably make them even more close-minded about it. The other choice would open dialog from every angle, as well as defuse all the bombs set by the fundamentalists.

I took both choices at different times, and decided that ignoring the intelligent design discussion was the wrong way to go. Students who were indoctrinated with this by parents and church just turned off their brains when it was all evolution and no opposition ideas. But it made the students really get involved in learning when I forced them to look at all the "theories" from a scientific angle.

[ZombieHorde]

8. In my opinion, a big difference exists between a teacher teaching ID along side

evolution, and a teacher who listens to his/her students and allows some class discussion.

[AlecBGreen]

12. I taught Biology

just teach Earth Science now. I told them the following: "Some of you may have issues with this topic (evolution). I am a paid employee of Virginia and I am paid to teach you what THEY think I should teach. Now I also happen to personally believe it (evolution) but if you want to talk after school how God fits in with all this, I am happy to stay and have that discussion. But just so you know, "God did it" will not be an acceptable answer for any of the test questions you will be taking."

The people who say "evolution doesnt exist" make me want to pull my hair out. YES IT DOES!!! Thats like saying the sun doesnt exist. Now, did humans evolve from a chimp-like ancestor? Thats another issue because none of us were there to see it; we have to rely on evidence (I think we DID evolve from earlier hominids, btw) but to say "evolution doesnt exist" just reveals your ignorance about what it really is and how it operates.

[DeSwiss]

10. 'Let science tell us what and how.'

:shrug: - So does this mean (except for those of us who had already) that everyone else can drop the "what and how explanations" found http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah5xFMYbP4s">in Genesis now???

[skepticscott]

11. So religion was going to tell us

why the sun rises and sets, and why we have plagues? How'd that work out for everyone?

And unfortunately, religion has tried very hard for most of its existence to answer some of the same questions that science does, but has had to abandon more and more "faith-based" explanations as scientific and rational inquiry have progressed. Religion doesn't even do a particularly good job of answering the questions it's supposed to be able to answer.

[AlecBGreen]

13. what questions is it supposed to answer?

"Religion doesn't even do a particularly good job of answering the questions it's supposed to be able to answer."

"Why are we here? Whats my purpose in life? How do i fit into the grand scheme of things? "

My beliefs do a good job of answering those questions, as I am sure they do for many other people of faith.

[trotsky]

15. Yep, religions have made stuff up in response to all those questions.

Are they "answers?" Not by any stretch of the imagination.

[skepticscott]

16. Except that you really answered those questions

for yourself, as did everyone else who feels like they have a grasp on them. Religion can't really claim to provide an answer for any of those questions since, despite thousands of years of debating them with the greatest pomposity, a consensus has yet to be reached.

[Goblinmonger]

19. Why do you need religion to answer those?

And does religion really give you a good answer?

In order:
1. We are here because a lot of shit happened before us that created the perfect conditions for life of this type. It's pretty awe-inspiring, actually (and I don't need a god to think that).
2. Your purpose is whatever you make it to be. Hopefully you will include in there to make this a better place for others.
3. Bad question. Assumes that there is a grand scheme. You (and all of us) are just one person among billions. We fit in however we decide we will.

No faith needed, and I haven't killed myself for "lack of a purpose" yet.

[AlecBGreen]

23. you dont need religion to answer those questions

I can imagine people leading happy lives not believing in God but its not for me. I can also see how people's personal interpretation of what God is or isnt can affect their reaction to my belief.

I agree wholeheartedly with your assessments of #1 & 2. As to #3, that brings us back to the question of free-will vs. destiny/predetermination. Somehow I think there is room for both. Was it destined that I should cook shrimp chicken sausage jambalaya tonight or was that a random chance brought about me seeing shrimp on sale for $4.99/lb? I dont know, Either way, its going to be ready in 15 minutes and its going to taste really good :)

[dimbear]

14. According to the Bible, one of the big ones was caused by

taking a census. God hates those.

[cleanhippie]

17. Is this a public school?

I don;t think so, so whats the problem? Why do county school officials care?

[Warren Stupidity]

22. yes you are correct, by paragraph 16 it might be clear

that the headline is not at referring to the two other classrooms discussed in the first few paragraphs.

"
She said the union was not notified of any problem in the case of Roosevelt Junior High teacher Mark Ferrante, the instructor who last month told parents of his intention at back-to-school night. Ferrante did not answer e-mails seeking comment."
-- para 16.

One of the worst written/edited articles I have seen in a long time.