Tennessee Senate Passes Anti-Evolution Bill

[muffynbear]

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/03/20 ... tion-bill/

It gives students the ability to interrupt the teaching of real evidence based science with religious nonsense that belongs in church. So basically, as long as students bring up creationist theories, teachers can discuss them. This opens up the classroom to conflict between students of different religions or none at all, who all have different doctrines and points of view. Such conflict only serves to bury actual science under religious myth and superstition and is a distraction to learning real facts.

Love how America is being turned into a Theocracy.

Also, http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/03/20 ... mandments/

Tennessee Bill Allows Public Buildings To Display The Ten Commandments

In a blatant violation of the separation of church and state, the Tennessee House unanimously passed a bill allowing public buildings to brazenly display the Ten Commandments along with other “historically significant documents.†This includes courthouses, the governor’s mansion, the legislature, and other state governmental buildings.

WTF ever happened to Separation of Church and State?!

[Witsec7]

Crap like this will go up to the supremes. Thats why its so important to vote for president this year, at the minimum there may be 2-3 supreme court appointments during the next presidential term.

[MandyLaLa]

The one "positive" to come out of this election cycle and attack on women's and civil liberties in general, I now have a nice long list of states I would sooner move to mars than have to live there.

[Guest Anonymous]

Scopes Monkey Trial 2.0, really TN, you want to do that again?

[margiebargie]

Why are they so desperate to turn the US into a 3rd world country?

[2xx1xy1JD]

I found the bill here: http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/HB0368.pdf

It is indeed snark-worthy.

Section 1 a.(2) talks says that some subjects, like biological evolution and global warming, "can cause controversy".

(3) goes on to say that some teachers may be unsure of expectations on how to deal with such subjects - does the state of Tennessee assume that it is hiring idiots to teach?

Section 1 (b) - students are to learn to respond "appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues".

Here's the problem: any decent science teacher should be able to explain scientific theory and evidence and deal with questions. If you need to a bill to get them to do that, your teachers are incompetent.

The issue with the bill is that it specifically calls out certain scientific facts as "controversial", when the only real controversy is that they conflict with some literal readings of the Bible, and that it talks about respect for [opinions in matters of science. Since when is science about opinion? "I like blue" is an opinion. "The earth, based on worldwide temperature readings over the past X number of years, is getting warmer" is not an opinion. It is a verifiable fact. A teacher of science shouldn't be putting uninformed opinion in the same category as proven fact.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Folks, this is what happens when you are too scared to teach evolution:

www.imamother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t ... &&start=80

That's right, grown women who know absolutely nothing about basic genetics. Worse yet, they have no idea that they know nothing. They therefore grasp onto theories that were disproved over 100 years ago, and get highly defensive when someone dares to point out that yes, they lack basic high school knowledge.

[pomology]

I found the bill here: http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/HB0368.pdf

It is indeed snark-worthy.

Section 1 a.(2) talks says that some subjects, like biological evolution and global warming, "can cause controversy".

(3) goes on to say that some teachers may be unsure of expectations on how to deal with such subjects - does the state of Tennessee assume that it is hiring idiots to teach?

Section 1 (b) - students are to learn to respond "appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues".

Here's the problem: any decent science teacher should be able to explain scientific theory and evidence and deal with questions. If you need to a bill to get them to do that, your teachers are incompetent.

The issue with the bill is that it specifically calls out certain scientific facts as "controversial", when the only real controversy is that they conflict with some literal readings of the Bible, and that it talks about respect for [opinions in matters of science. Since when is science about opinion? "I like blue" is an opinion. "The earth, based on worldwide temperature readings over the past X number of years, is getting warmer" is not an opinion. It is a verifiable fact. A teacher of science shouldn't be putting uninformed opinion in the same category as proven fact.

Thanks for having the fortitude to go and actually read this piece of garbage. Your analysis seems to be spot on.

[pomology]

Folks, this is what happens when you are too scared to teach evolution:

http://www.imamother.com/forum/viewtopi ... &&start=80

That's right, grown women who know absolutely nothing about basic genetics. Worse yet, they have no idea that they know nothing. They therefore grasp onto theories that were disproved over 100 years ago, and get highly defensive when someone dares to point out that yes, they lack basic high school knowledge.

Although, I'm going to guess these women went to private Jewish schools. So while their lack of knowledge is horrifying, at least they didn't learn it in a school run by the supposed to be secular government.

[dairyfreelife]

I don't know how this passed. In a public school, you don't mix religion in. Creationism is nothing more than an interpretation of the Bible. If Creationism is to be taught, I vote to also teach children every other concept of how the world came into existence. It's only fair if you want to teach how the world came into being to teach all theories. I learned about them in college in a class called Origins, not science.

[TinyDancer87]

Section 1 (b) - students are to learn to respond "appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues".

In Tennessee? Unless you're from Nashville, Memphis or Knoxville where diversity is a little more common, responding "appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion" won't happen. Can you imagine a Muslim or athieist vocalizing his religion in a Bates-like classroom? Oh no. The only difference of opinions will be whether animals or Adam and Eve were created first, according to the Bible. :roll:

I hate to admit it- and I'm from TN- but minorities are BULLIED there, and this bill enforces and justifies it.

[BravaAmica]

You know, I don't have a problem with public schools teaching creationism... in a social studies or history of religion class. But in a science class? Hell, no! Creationism in not science, no matter what the TN legislature says.

[Constance Vigilance]

So next why don't they pass a bill against gravity? It'll do them about as much good.

[Esther]

I am completely fed up with the way we all have to "respect" that some people just don't believe in evolution and think that the world is only 6000 years old. I do not respect that. I could go out tomorrow and run around naked and claim gravity is not a thing and the earth is flat and the stars are AKSHUALLY little diamonds in the sky, which is just a strip of black fabric and that the grass is green because it's feeling queasy and THAT WOULD NOT MAKE IT SO. I WOULD STILL BE A CRAZY PERSON.

Evolution is a FACT. It HAPPENED. It is the truth. The world is not 6000 years old. The world is much older. Yeah, we're all kinda-sorta related to monkeys. This is the truth. No secular school needs to help perpetuating crazy fairytales.

[2xx1xy1JD]

What also bothers me is some of the weaselly wording, as if they are only trying to encourage scientific inquiry and reasoning.

Look, I think it's perfectly appropriate in a science class to respond to a child asking, "isn't it possible that all living things were created on purpose in 6 days, almost 6,000 years ago", by saying, "good question, let's talk about the scientific evidence", and then go on to explain carbon dating, basic genetics, the structure of DNA and how mutations can occur during meiosis or mitosis, natural selection, fossils, remains of Lucy and other potential "missing links", Darwin's observations of animal life in the Galapagos Islands, etc. If a student then has a specific question about the scientific evidence, deal with that as well, and set out what knowledge we do or don't have.

I don't think it's appropriate to respond in a SCIENCE class by saying, "yes, those are your religious beliefs, and we should respect your opinion on this. Evolution is just one controversial theory, and your belief in creationism is another theory. We respect all opinions here."

[She Who Laughs]

If you actually believe in evolution strictly, with no intervention of God, you are in the minority according to a gallup poll from 2010. Only 16% of Americans believe in evolution, while 40% believe in creationism and 38 percent believe in humans evolving with guidance from God. So the people who believe in pure evolution with no influence from God is a fairly small percentage. Poll here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/145286/Four- ... onism.aspx

[2xx1xy1JD]

If you actually believe in evolution strictly, with no intervention of God, you are in the minority according to a gallup poll from 2010. Only 16% of Americans believe in evolution, while 40% believe in creationism and 38 percent believe in humans evolving with guidance from God. So the people who believe in pure evolution with no influence from God is a fairly small percentage. Poll here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/145286/Four- ... onism.aspx

Science class in a public school shouldn't be talking about G-d one way or the other. They should be talking about biodiversity, fossils, carbon dating, natural selection, cell structure, chromosomes, DNA, meoisis and mitosis, factors that cause changes in DNA structure, Darwin's observations and formulation of his theory, mechanism of genetic inheritance, etc. It's not for the public schools to discuss what role, if any, if played by G-d in these processes.

[27randomscribbles]

If you actually believe in evolution strictly, with no intervention of God, you are in the minority according to a gallup poll from 2010. Only 16% of Americans believe in evolution, while 40% believe in creationism and 38 percent believe in humans evolving with guidance from God. So the people who believe in pure evolution with no influence from God is a fairly small percentage. Poll here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/145286/Four- ... onism.aspx

That's scary. And sad. I'm not at all surprised though, in Biology class in high school (PUBLIC HS in Florida) I remember when we had to write an essay on Evolution or something and the teacher said if we were Christian we could write about why we believe in Creationism instead. In public school. Granted, this was a small, very conservative town but I imagine I'm not the only one to have such an experience.

[PennySycamore]

John Scopes must be rolling in his grave.

[Swamptribe]

And Tennessee will waste a whole bunch of money defending this nonsense in court. Similar crap has lost many many times in the courts. You'd think they'd have better things to do with all that money. Like maybe buy text books or computers for classrooms.

[kb2]

And Tennessee will waste a whole bunch of money defending this nonsense in court. Similar crap has lost many many times in the courts. You'd think they'd have better things to do with all that money. Like maybe buy text books or computers for classrooms.

Talk about government waste.

[Austin]

Crap like this will go up to the supremes. Thats why its so important to vote for president this year, at the minimum there may be 2-3 supreme court appointments during the next presidential term.

Keep preaching it, sista! I feel like I should start wearing a sandwich board to spread the word. It's interesting how many people don't really connect the president to the supreme court, and how those implications don't necessarily register until pointed out. I feel like right now, especially, it is THE most important issue we face.

[Austin]

Hasn't Tennessee been down this road before? :shock:

[Witsec7]

Keep preaching it, sista! I feel like I should start wearing a sandwich board to spread the word. It's interesting how many people don't really connect the president to the supreme court, and how those implications don't necessarily register until pointed out. I feel like right now, especially, it is THE most important issue we face.

I've adopted it as my mantra for the election cycle. Its an important message to deliver to everyone. I fold newsletters once a month with a gaggle of women and men from my local NOW chapter and it was a major topic of discussion at our last get together. We've all vowed to be a Greek chorus when it comes to this topic.

Every time we hear about anti woman legislation, or recent legislation like teaching creationist BS in TN, or the move to Covenant marriages in AL we all must recognize that the the legal process will take these cases on appeal during the next presidents term.

[Cannelle]

It's because Tennessee is so perfect, you guys. Down here, the budget is completely balanced, all schools are adequately funded and have no fiscal problems, school test scores are the highest in the nation, no one is in poverty or on welfare because everyone who wants one has a high paying job, the environment is perfect and pristine in every way, there's no crime, no drugs...That's why they can focus on these things!

Except NOT. I hate this place sometimes.