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Dave, why do the IP consider recognition of cr eationism in a fewschool districts so


From: "David Farber" <dave () farber net>
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 19:25:28 -0500



_______________ Forward Header _______________
Subject:        Dave, why do the IP consider recognition of creationism in a fewschool districts so
Author: "Munro, Neil" <NMunro () nationaljournal com>
Date:           12th February 2005 5:19:59 pm

 
much more offensive than the crummy math & science scores among so many poor and middle-class Americans? Or the 
declining number of Americans going into the sciences and engineering? Or, more broadly, why care about Kansas schools 
when there are so many greater horrors, such as  global warming, genocide in Sudan, President Bush, war, AIDS, etc.  
 
I'm not defending or attacking creationism, just trying to find out why your folks care so much about the policy of a 
school board in Kansas. 
 
Neil 

________________________________

From: owner-ip () v2 listbox com on behalf of n
Sent: Sat 2/12/2005 11:16 AM
To: ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: [IP] Re: Creationists take their challenge to evolu tion theory into theclassroom




----- Original Message -----
From: "John S. Quarterman" <jsq () quarterman org>
To: <dave () farber net>
Cc: "John S. Quarterman" <jsq () quarterman org>; <ip () v2 listbox com>
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 10:45 AM
Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Creationists take their challenge to evolu tion theory
into theclassroom


_______________ Forward Header _______________
Subject: Re: Creationists take their challenge to evolution theory into
theclassroom
Author: David Byrden <iplist () byrden com>
Date: 12th February 2005 1:26:23 pm

...

I think my approach should be used to deflate the Creationists such as
Mr. Harris, who said:

 >> "There are creation myths on both sides. Which one do you teach?"

Mr. Harris is wrong; there are more than two sides. Every religion has a
different creation myth.

And Christianity has at least two: Adam and Eve created simultaneously vs.
Eve created out of Adam's side; they're both in Genesis 1.  This is
well known to every serious student of religion, or, for that matter,
to anyone who simply reads that book.

If the Creationists force Creation to be taught in
schools, the schools should teach every single creation myth from
cultures all around the world. This would leave no time for any science
in science class - thus making a point - and would undermine the
students'
unthinking acceptance of Christianity.

Or at least undermine their unthinking acceptance of some particular
sect's interpretation of Genesis as representing Christianity.  After all,
when did Bishop Ussher's dating of Creation to 4004 BC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ussher

become more important than the Sermon on the Mount or the parable
of the Good Samaritan?

David has said what I haven't seen many people say: the response that
will succeed to a creationist attack on evolution is not to circle the
wagons around evolution or even around science.  It is to counterattack
against the creationists' version of religion and Christianity.

This isn't something that many of us particularly want to do;
science isn't about attacking religion; it is about science.
However, this isn't science; it is politics.  What creationists
believe and teach in their own homes and churches is their affair.
But when they interject their dogma into public school systems as fact,
they expose it for critical examination, not to mention ridicule.

David

-jsq

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