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Debate Over Evolution Becomes War of Words
By JOHN HANNA, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 45 minutes ago
TOPEKA, Kan. - Eighty years after the first famed "Monkey Trial," a second one of sorts opened Thursday, but this time with evolution in the dock.
A State Board of Education subcommittee began four days of trial-like hearings that give evolution's critics, many of them advocates of intelligent design, a public forum to attack the theory attributed to 19th Century British scientist Charles Darwin.
The entire board plans to consider changes in June to standards that determine how Kansas students are tested on science.
"The purpose of the hearings is to assist us as the board members deal with complicated and sometimes confusing issues," said Board Chairman Steve Abrams, a member of the subcommittee.
The board asked a committee of educators to recommend changes but received two competing proposals. One, the majority plan, would continue the existing policy of treating evolution as a key concept for students to learn. The other, the minority plan, suggests more criticism of evolution.
Some science groups and many scientists contend the board is being pushed to adopt language that would enshrine tenets of intelligent design in the standards — even if that concept isn't mentioned by name. National and state organizations are boycotting the hearings, viewing them as rigged against evolution.
But intelligent design advocates say that's not true and argue that they're only trying to give students a more balanced view of evolution.
"Public science education is an institution," said Bill Harris, a University of Missouri-Kansas City professor of medicine and intelligent design advocate. "It appoints a teacher to be a referee among ideas.
"Nobody would tolerate a football game where the referee was obviously biased."
But Harris, the hearings' first witness, acknowledged the debate has religious and philosophical ramifications.
"We hope to show there is a scientific controversy," he said. "We now have a religious issue in our schools. One of our goals is to remove the religious bias."
But Pedro Irigonegaray, a Topeka attorney representing what he called mainstream science, repeatedly attacked Harris' assertion that the majority's proposed science stifles criticism of evolution in the classroom.
Irigonegaray asked him, referring to the majority proposal: "Where in the standards does it say teachers and students cannot discuss criticism of evolution?"
Harris replied: "It doesn't say that. I think it's implicit."
The presiding board members are part of a conservative majority that is receptive to criticism of evolution. Member Kathy Martin, a retired Clay Center teacher, even told Harris she agreed with much of what he said.
Evolution says species change over time and that such changes can lead to new species, giving different ones, such as man and apes, common ancestors. Intelligent design says some features of the natural world, because of their well-ordered complexities, are best explained by an intelligent cause.
The board has sought to avoid comparisons of its hearings with the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tenn., in which a teacher was convicted of violating a law against teaching evolution. But the hearings resemble a trial, with attorneys managing each side's case.
There was one key difference. In 1925, attorney Clarence Darrow, representing teacher John Scopes, attempted to make creationism look foolish. In the Kansas hearings, evolution is under attack.
"This is the Scopes Trial turned on its head," said Bruce Chapman, the Discovery Institute's president.
All I can say is good luck Kansas Students. Please don't transfer to the East Or West Coast. You may not like our Open Minded "Ideas" of life.
Poor Kids!
By JOHN HANNA, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 45 minutes ago
TOPEKA, Kan. - Eighty years after the first famed "Monkey Trial," a second one of sorts opened Thursday, but this time with evolution in the dock.
A State Board of Education subcommittee began four days of trial-like hearings that give evolution's critics, many of them advocates of intelligent design, a public forum to attack the theory attributed to 19th Century British scientist Charles Darwin.
The entire board plans to consider changes in June to standards that determine how Kansas students are tested on science.
"The purpose of the hearings is to assist us as the board members deal with complicated and sometimes confusing issues," said Board Chairman Steve Abrams, a member of the subcommittee.
The board asked a committee of educators to recommend changes but received two competing proposals. One, the majority plan, would continue the existing policy of treating evolution as a key concept for students to learn. The other, the minority plan, suggests more criticism of evolution.
Some science groups and many scientists contend the board is being pushed to adopt language that would enshrine tenets of intelligent design in the standards — even if that concept isn't mentioned by name. National and state organizations are boycotting the hearings, viewing them as rigged against evolution.
But intelligent design advocates say that's not true and argue that they're only trying to give students a more balanced view of evolution.
"Public science education is an institution," said Bill Harris, a University of Missouri-Kansas City professor of medicine and intelligent design advocate. "It appoints a teacher to be a referee among ideas.
"Nobody would tolerate a football game where the referee was obviously biased."
But Harris, the hearings' first witness, acknowledged the debate has religious and philosophical ramifications.
"We hope to show there is a scientific controversy," he said. "We now have a religious issue in our schools. One of our goals is to remove the religious bias."
But Pedro Irigonegaray, a Topeka attorney representing what he called mainstream science, repeatedly attacked Harris' assertion that the majority's proposed science stifles criticism of evolution in the classroom.
Irigonegaray asked him, referring to the majority proposal: "Where in the standards does it say teachers and students cannot discuss criticism of evolution?"
Harris replied: "It doesn't say that. I think it's implicit."
The presiding board members are part of a conservative majority that is receptive to criticism of evolution. Member Kathy Martin, a retired Clay Center teacher, even told Harris she agreed with much of what he said.
Evolution says species change over time and that such changes can lead to new species, giving different ones, such as man and apes, common ancestors. Intelligent design says some features of the natural world, because of their well-ordered complexities, are best explained by an intelligent cause.
The board has sought to avoid comparisons of its hearings with the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tenn., in which a teacher was convicted of violating a law against teaching evolution. But the hearings resemble a trial, with attorneys managing each side's case.
There was one key difference. In 1925, attorney Clarence Darrow, representing teacher John Scopes, attempted to make creationism look foolish. In the Kansas hearings, evolution is under attack.
"This is the Scopes Trial turned on its head," said Bruce Chapman, the Discovery Institute's president.
All I can say is good luck Kansas Students. Please don't transfer to the East Or West Coast. You may not like our Open Minded "Ideas" of life.
Poor Kids!
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no subject
Date: 2005-05-06 01:01 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2005-05-06 02:38 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2005-05-06 04:29 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2005-05-07 02:21 am (UTC)From:And isn't that whole Open mindedness one of the reasons you stayed here after College, besides film and all.
Hugs and see you next Friday!