Teaching evolution: Legal victories aren't enough
Atheism isn't a church. The establishment clause was to keep the gov't from using tax dollars to support one religion over any other. The gov't isn't supplying money to atheist organizations. Evolution isn't an argument against god or any particular religion, it is a model explaining how life changes over generations. This would be similar to the gov't continuing to encourage mathematics education without kowtowing to the bible's claim that pi = 3. Using the actual value isn't slamming the Xians. (May 20, 2008 | post #28)
Intelligent Design: Coming To A State Legislature Near You
The theory of gravity, like all scientific theories, is based upon observable evidence. What makes it a theory and not a law is that we have no solid proof of what gravity *is*. There is a lot of math and a lot of ideas, but we are still seeing events that don't quite mesh up with the equations that we have. This is a huge stumbling point in this debate, half of the people involved dismiss the terminolgy of "theory" without understanding what it means in this context. See also: the conversation about atomic theory, which we have used to create neat things like A-bombs, but we're still learning more and more about everyday. Lots of evidence and experiments, still a theory. (May 9, 2008 | post #907)
Intelligent Design: Coming To A State Legislature Near You
Yes, and.... What you are describing is the same kind of expansion of knowledge that we have in ToE. Darwin had a starting point, and as we've gained evidence and refined what we can understand from it, we've added on to and changed the Theory. That's how theories work. We are not at a complete understanding of everything to do with evolution, we still continue to make adjustments as we gain more knowledge. ID doesn't fit into the same category as science. It is entirely based upon spurious assumptions stemming from 1) a desire to promote a religious agenda and 2) a poor understanding of the data. (May 9, 2008 | post #873)
Intelligent Design: Coming To A State Legislature Near You
I was referring specifically to the Bible's inadequacies as a science text. I also wouldn't rely on it for historical data. As far as moral teachings, it's pretty hit or miss. Most of what Jesus was reputed to have stated was awesome, most of the rest is so-so and some if it is detestable. People already pick and choose what they want out of the Bible, claiming through various rationalizations that some parts don't apply to them and that other parts are mandatory. I just don't see why the "science " bits are held as more credible than the ban on shellfish or pork. (May 9, 2008 | post #687)
Intelligent Design: Coming To A State Legislature Near You
Googled it. Without going to far into it, it is based on misquotes of Dawkins, faulty assumptions about math and the fossil record and poor understanding of genetics. In other words, bad science for the fundies to quote. (May 9, 2008 | post #677)
Intelligent Design: Coming To A State Legislature Near You
Because of the race and class wars that have overrepresented African-Americans in prison. No room for atheists. (May 8, 2008 | post #212)
Intelligent Design: Coming To A State Legislature Near You
You're misinterpreting his post. He said that to do so is "bad science." He, you and I are in agreement here. (May 8, 2008 | post #180)
Intelligent Design: Coming To A State Legislature Near You
The irony here is that a lot of scientific principles are named after denigrations by respected scientists. Schroedinger used the analogy of a cat in a box with a lethal amount of radioactive substance to mock the Uncertainty Principle. It was then widely embraced as a great example of it. Einstein was opposed to quantum theory and claimed that "God doesn't roll dice with the Universe", but it is his equations that inspired advances in quantum mechanics. I have heard of this one with Hubble before and there is another example by Lord Kelvin, but I forget the particulars. The point is: knowledge changes. The more we research and develop research techniques, the more we learn and the more we find that what we thought we knew needs revision. To apply that here, the Bible was (arguably) a decent text 2000 years ago, but it is WAY outdated and obsolete. (May 8, 2008 | post #169)
Chile Volcano Erupts With Ash, Lava, Lightning
Beautiful and Horrifying I'd love to see more pics of "dirty thunderclouds " (May 8, 2008 | post #1)
Intelligent Design: Coming To A State Legislature Near You
You are absolutely wrong on this. ID is a rewording of Creationism perpetrated by the exact same organization and therefore a religious belief trying to counter science. It's supporters have repeatedly FAILED to demonstrate any scientific evidence, and haven't suggested any experiments that can prove ID is true. It is based on belief only. The best they've gotten is applying bad science to evolutionary evidence. It has also been argued on this thread that removing the term "god" from ID is enough to make it a scientifically relevant theory. Not so. Not until they come up with measurable evidence that shows that there is some kind of force acting on species development. The problems with the Bills that Missouri, Florida, et al are trying to pass are: 1) they are motivated by a fringe group of religious fundamentalists. 2) is a waste of time that detracts from our kids getting competitive science educations (if this kind of crap continues we are so going to lose to the Indians and Chinese) 3) are springboards for them to try to slip in other fundamentalist laws. Anyone claiming that the writers of the Constitution did not mean to have a separation of church (meaning religions and dogma) and state, please read "Founding Faith" by Waldman. Religion was extremely important to the founding fathers and they wanted it absolutely kept out of government (hint: they weren't all the same religion and they had been exposed to religion based governments since the colonies were formed, and MANY people were oppressed and/or killed by them) (May 8, 2008 | post #100)
Intelligent Design: Coming To A State Legislature Near You
I just wanted to say "Thanks" . Your posts are well written and cogent. I tend to lose my temper when dealing with fundies. There are a lot of us that believe in higher powers and science. This willful ignorance is painful and embarassing. (May 8, 2008 | post #86)
Florida House OKs bill requiring teachers to challenge evolution
This is the why it shouldn't be used in a science class. You start off with "we believe..." not "it has been demonstrated that..." or "this is evidence of..." (May 2, 2008 | post #845)
Florida House OKs bill requiring teachers to challenge evolution
Stick your fingers in your ears and quote the bible. (May 2, 2008 | post #841)
Florida House OKs bill requiring teachers to challenge evolution
ask a psychologist. Changing your mindset is the first step to effectting change in your behavior. Doesn't necessarily have to be finding religion. Though it is odd how few conversion stories start out "My life was great, and then I met Jesus..." (May 2, 2008 | post #839)
Florida House OKs bill requiring teachers to challenge evolution
Religious scholars would be happy to explain to you that the books of the Old Testament are categorized as historical, prophetical and poetical. Job was a poetical book. The author would have been unable to have actually overheard the conversations of god and the adversary. It was a book with a message explaining why bad things happen to good people. A sensible person would not take the descriptions literally. (May 2, 2008 | post #788)
Like what you see?
Create your own Topix Profile
