James Randi: Science-bashing is in full throttle

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Since the beginning of this year, there were bills being considered in seven of the United States legislatures, bills that pose a distinct threat to educational standards in this country. Three are now out of consideration, but will certainly be re-submitted in order to promote the nonsense of creationism. The others, still being considered, yet to be presented, or half-passed are as follows:

First, the State of Florida is currently considering SB 1854, an amendment that would change the law to require what is being called a

"…thorough presentation and critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution."

I’d have no problem with such an examination, I’d applaud it – if it were to be fairly done. I’m chilled by the fact that in 2009, Florida State Senator Stephen Wise, this current bill's sponsor, naively asked during a radio interview, “Why do we still have apes if we came from them?" Well, Dumbo – pardon me for insulting a Disney cartoon – any school kid should know that the well-established Theory of Evolution has never supported nor claimed such a scenario. Senator, go to Google – or any young student not already misinformed by creationist drivel – and look it up. Get smarter, please…?

This bill is now being referred to the Florida Senate Committee on Education Pre-K-12. Chillingly, we note that this same Senator Stephen Wise is the chairman of that Committee. No, don’t look at me. I only live in the state…

more:
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/1256-science-bashing-is-in-full-throttle.html

[Keith Bee]

1. Yeah but if we came from the Monkeys.....

...why were they never as popular as the Beatles or Stones?

[exboyfil]

2. My daughter went on a church youth conference trip last

week. A couple of months ago I had taken her to several lectures at the local university for Darwin Week. She has studied evolution twice now (once with me for Life Science I and now in Earth Science at the Junior High). The adults at the conference were not pleased about her defense of evolution ("Darwin was an old fool" etc). While I like her involvement with this group in other ways (good kids with high morale standards), I am troubled about the anti-science bias. This group is not in our home church. In our home church I have been fighting a battle with The Truth Project proponents (Intelligent Design among other things). I guess like father like daughter.

It is kind of funny, but both daughters are studying evolution at the same time. My 9th grader's Biology class is now studying it (it is her first exposure to it because they somehow missed talking about it in 8th grade Earth Science in her class - it was probably due to the nature of the class, loud and disruptive, they covered far less than my younger daughter's class).

[LibertyLover]

3. I confess that I generally find I don't agree with James Randi and the

the positions he takes, but in this instance, he is spot on.

[SDuderstadt]

5. I'd love to hear more about...

Randi's positions that you disagree with.

[exboyfil]

7. Isn't he a Penn Jillette Libertarian

type? He questions Global Warming for example.

[SidDithers]

8. Michael Shermer and James Randi are different people...nt

Sid

[exboyfil]

9. Yep caught that after I posted

Sorry for the confusion. James Randi may be more liberal than Penn. I am still looking for quotes on his economic thoughts.

[SDuderstadt]

11. How could you...

miss it in the first place?

[SidDithers]

12. Randi is a Democrat. He's donated to Democrats...

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=FL&last=randi&first=james

Sid

[exboyfil]

13. Is he a democratic on social issues alone

or on economic issues as well? I was wrong to think of him as a Penn Jillette "I don't want to pay taxes for expansive government programs" type, but he is quiet on his economic thoughts. Sometimes you stereotype by the company you keep. My mistake.

Says a great deal about Randi that he keeps his own counsel in those areas he does not want to enter into public discussion. I appreciate his service and how he has advanced skepticism regarding the supernatural.

[SDuderstadt]

10. That's not a quote from James Randi...

read your source again.

[jimlup]

4. Interesting

The Creationists must have figured this is the best way to wedge creation into the public schools post Dover. If the teachers were given sufficient resources for teaching it would actually work in favor of Darwin's evolution. Darwinian Evolution would easily stand much stronger after a "critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution." If I were a high school biology teacher (it would have to be the Honors class) I'd have my students read Dawkin's "The Greatest Show on Earth". Evolution wins but unfortunately most biology teachers in Florida won't have the skills, the disposition, nor the courage to teach it this way.

[SidDithers]

6. Always K&R for Randi...nt

Sid