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Deceptive anti-evolution bill passes in Tennessee House of Reps, onto Senate...

House Bill 368 passed on April 7, now watch out for Senate Bill 0893. This bill is disguised as promoting critical thinking and scrutinizing scientific evidence, but in actuality is a classic creationist "Teach the Controversy" bill. Just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of this.

The bill, or at least I believe it to be the current version:

http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/SB0893.pdf

A committee meeting that makes abundantly clear the intent of this bill:http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB...

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Cody Gaisser

Tags: creationism, education, evolution, politics, science, tennessee

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lary9 on May 9, 2011 at 8:32pm

Bummer. Question him on it by invoking your role as a student and a consumer of higher educational goods and services (LOL)...you know, ask him in the spirit of academic inquiry...without being hostile or anything. I would... in a New York minute!
In fact, I would relish the dialogue...and he might too.

Permalink Reply by Chris Haughey on May 12, 2011 at 7:39am

I suppose it would be safe to do so now that our final grades are in. I somehow managed to eek out an A in his class. But I've been extremely hesitant to counter his beliefs until now lol.

Permalink Reply by Lary9 on May 12, 2011 at 12:47pm

Next time.

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on May 9, 2011 at 11:53pm

Certainly. I was never a believer, but I was stuck going to Catholic mass and CCD until I was 14 or 15. I still curse like a Catholic. I just like the idiom.

Permalink Reply by Ashley H. on May 8, 2011 at 8:02pm

If history tells us anything, the courts will strike this bill down. Sadly, I don't live in Tennessee so I can't really fight to well against it, but I have trust that the bill will end one way or another.

Permalink Reply by Lary9 on May 10, 2011 at 8:47am

I was just exchanging e-mails with Dr. Eugenie Scott at the National Center for Science Education in Oaklnd, CA and I made a strong case for the idea that the I.D./Creationism vs. Evo conundrum is essentially just another "teaching mission" albeit this one is a public mission, not one limited to academic settings. Most of the vocal, agitating Christian right wing is woefully misinformed on evolution...they do not even understand the 'science' of what they are denying! So it falls to us to do "pro bono" public education everyday, in our daily lives, like a public relations issue, if we want to lay the ground work for a smooth resolution of this contentious issue.
I went on to say that as educators, we have to make the important point that atheism and evolution are NOT necessarily equivalent ideas. Evolution is all about methodology and faith is about metaphysics---that's the first mistake that needs to be corrected in the public mind. I may be an atheist but not because I accept evolution as an organizing principle of all of biology. It's because of another process...another set of conclusions. My atheism is as intuitive as my former belief in God used to be...(I'll grant that my naturalistic worldview has come to support that decision.) Here's a link with Eugenie Scott's own words and it's the best, clearest writing on this topic ever: http://ncse.com/creationism/general/creationevolution-continuum
Check it out. It's good stuff.

Permalink Reply by Dr. Terence Meaden on May 10, 2011 at 9:54am

Thank you. I have just read through the entirety of Eugenie Scott's fine piece of writing.

Permalink Reply by Lary9 on May 10, 2011 at 3:23pm

You're welcome. It's a great site and I love the NCSE...but I especially adore Eugenie!

Permalink Reply by Adam Patrick on May 11, 2011 at 8:35pm

When they say "teach the controversy" they might as well be saying, "teach my particular myth over all the other myths." Then they claim to be "intellectually honest."

Permalink Reply by Cody Gaisser on May 12, 2011 at 1:03am

It's as if these biblical creationism education activists have no concept that there are a zillion other creation myths out there. Can they really be ignorant to the fact that all those other religions out there believe OTHER STUFF? Stuff NOT IN THE BIBLE.

It's not just a matter of "a creator made all things according to their kind" versus "we evolved." Opening that door lets in so much other ridiculous riff-raff.

Permalink Reply by Lary9 on May 12, 2011 at 3:05am

Of course. It's an attempt to achieve parity and respectability by getting people (who are naive about the science) to assume that there really is a "controversy"...but there isn't any at all. It would be the same as teaching astronomy and astrology in an astronomy class as if they were competing scientific views of the cosmos. Nonsense. It is an unnecessary and confused representation of what science is. It is an intellectual war crime against young minds.