New Orleans Schools Reject Creationism

[doggie]

This is so great. Old rick perry cant run the whole world.

A Louisiana school district voted on Wednesday to ban from its schools any textbooks and school curricula that follows the guidelines of Texas’ extreme, ideological standards.

Texas approved a hard-right curriculum in 2010 that taught utterly misleading assertions as fact — suggesting, for example, that Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist witch hunt had been vindicated and that the Crusades didn’t happen. But Orleans Parish (which covers New Orleans) schools were so worried about the spread of misinformation that it approved explicit rules in protest of Texas’s guidelines, requiring teachers to teach accurate historical and scientific information which wouldn’t necessarily be conveyed under Texas rules:

“No history textbook shall be approved which has been adjusted in accordance with the State of Texas revisionist guidelines nor shall any science textbook be approved which presents creationism or intelligent design as science or scientific theories…No teacher of any discipline of science shall teach any aspect of religious faith as science or in a science class,†it reads. “No teacher of any discipline of science shall teach creationism or intelligent design in classes designated as science classes.â€

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/ ... ?mobile=nc

[Kitty]

Woohoo! :dance:

[Arete]

I think we may have slowed the first horseman of the apocalypse down. :clap:

[IceTwinkie]

A small victory for sane and rational thought. :banana-dance:

[AddieBelle]

I don't think it should be totally left out. They should teach the scientific facts as the facts but maybe add in some people believe in creation although science has proven otherwise. I just think kids should know both s

ide of an arguement.

[doggie]

I don't think it should be totally left out. They should teach the scientific facts as the facts but maybe add in some people believe in creation although science has proven otherwise. I just think kids should know both s

ide of an arguement.

that would be bad. remember not all Christians believe in creationism or one particular version of it. it is best left to parents or religious schools to teach it.

[valsa]

I don't think it should be totally left out. They should teach the scientific facts as the facts but maybe add in some people believe in creation although science has proven otherwise. I just think kids should know both s

ide of an arguement.

Which creation?

There are almost as many creation myths as there are religions (which is to say, thousands) I believe one of them even involves one of the gods of a pantheon fucking his own daughter and creating all life when he pulls out and ejaculates on the ground.

You wanna volunteer to teach kids about that creation story too?

Or maybe we should just stick to teaching science in, you know, science class.

[themadapple]

Finally, some good news! The teaching of creationism as some sort of fact has no place in public schools.

And there are plenty - and I mean plenty - of other opportunities for children to learn about creationism, which isn't a matter of science, but of religion and faith.

[ILoveJellybeans]

The only place for creation myths are in classes specifically for studying religions (which I loved as a kid, even if I was an atheist from the age of about 7), and even then, it should be in a non factual way, just as "some people believe..." and should include more than just Christianity.

We learned about the main world religions, and also in history classes when learning about a specific time period, we learned about their religious beliefs. I remember learning about ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, and some Greek myths.

In science, evolution was taught as scientific fact, and creationism wasnt even mentioned.

[Swamptribe]

Wow, they musta made some major attitudinal adjustments since I lived there.

[AddieBelle]

When I was in school I took a world religions class as an elective. It was interesting and I learned a lot. I think kids should have this opportunity. Maybe I wasn't clear before I do not want creation taught as science but I do think in a class like this it should be included.

[valsa]

When I was in school I took a world religions class as an elective. It was interesting and I learned a lot. I think kids should have this opportunity. Maybe I wasn't clear before I do not want creation taught as science but I do think in a class like this it should be included.

No one is talking about not teaching it as a separate elective. The OP even quotes where the rule specifically talks about science classes and science textbooks.

[docmom]

I don't think it should be totally left out. They should teach the scientific facts as the facts but maybe add in some people believe in creation although science has proven otherwise. I just think kids should know both s

ide of an arguement.

Well mainly they shouldn't do this because there is no argument. There is no scientific basis for creationism and there is no credible debate about it. If schools wish to teach (several versions of) creation myths in religion or literature classes that's fine, but they have no place whatsoever in a science classroom.

[QueenSyd]

I will soon be a certified teacher in Texas and am glad to see other places are taking actions to keep our crazy from spreading.

[SpeshulTaterTot]

I don't think it should be totally left out. They should teach the scientific facts as the facts but maybe add in some people believe in creation although science has proven otherwise. I just think kids should know both s

ide of an arguement.

No. Creationism can be taught at church or wherever, but not at school. There is no other side of the argument that doesn't involve religion, so there is no room for it in a science class. Some people still argue that the sun moves around the earth, should that be mentioned, too?

[synchroswimr]

*happy dance!* creationism doesn't belong in science classes because it isn't science