Fact: You cannot teach biology without evolution.
Several years ago, my 10th grade son was taking AP Bio. My Bio major (and quite successful immunologist today) brother asked to see his textbook. When I (art major sister) asked why, my brother said, “Just wanted to make sure the textbook started off with evolution. It does, so all is fine.”
A Missouri lawmaker has proposed what ranks among the most anti-evolution legislation in recent years, which would require schools to notify parents if “the theory of evolution by natural selection” was being taught at their child’s school and give them the opportunity to opt out of the class.
The bill had its first public hearing Thursday after being introduced in late January.
State Rep. Rick Brattin (R), who sponsored the bill, told a local TV station last week that teaching only evolution in school was “indoctrination.”
“Our schools basically mandate that we teach one side,” he told KCTV. “It is an indoctrination because it is not objective approach.”
I’ve reached the point with Creationists where my only response is… Show your work. I won’t hold my breath. Creationists and Climate Change Denialists never do the heavy lifting – work/research is hard, don’tchaknow. And given all the focus on STEM lately, it’s scary that a group of people are willing to handicap their children educationally. Perhaps they really, really believe that the world needs more Communications majors? (And that’s not a slam against true Communication majors, who are probably equally offended by all the riff-raff in their midst.)
And can we stop indulging people who don’t understand the meaning of scientific theory:
“It’s an absolute infringement on people’s beliefs,” Brattin told the Kansas City Star of requiring schools to teach evolution. “What’s being taught is just as much faith and, you know, just as much pulled out of the air as, say, any religion.”
Why, no. No it’s not.
Science teacher organizations (what do those people know? Amirite?) weigh in:
The bill “would eviscerate the teaching of biology in Missouri,” Branch said in a statement. “Evolution inextricably pervades the biological sciences; it therefore pervades, or at any rate ought to pervade, biology education at the K–12 level. There simply is no alternative to learning about it; there is no substitute activity.”
So, why not just make Biology an elective? Because that’s what this bill proposes.
And just to show what we’re really dealing with, HBO has a documentary on Creationists where these words are said:
“If somewhere within the Bible, I were to find a passage that said 2 + 2 = 5, I wouldn’t question what I’m reading in the Bible. I would believe it, accept it as true, and then do my best to work it out and understand it.”
And there you go.
