The Jan. 2009 edition of Scientific American focuses on evolution, but one article takes a look at creationism in the classroom and uses the Louisiana Science Education Act as its primary focus. It also offers a historical overview of past attempts to inject creationism into public school science curricula.
Failing to demonstrate the scientific credibility of their views, creationists are increasingly retreating to their standard fallback strategy for undermining the teaching of evolution: misrepresenting evolution as scientifically controversial while remaining silent about what they regard as the alternative. This move represents only a slight rhetorical shift. From the Scopes era onward, creationists have simultaneously employed three central rhetorical themes, sometimes called the three pillars of creationism, to attack evolution: that evolution is unsupported by or actually in conflict with the facts of science; that teaching evolution threatens religion, morality and society; and that fairness dictates the necessity of teaching creationism alongside evolution. The fallback strategy amounts to substituting for creationism the scientifically unwarranted claim that evolution is a theory in crisis.
Creationists are fond of asserting that evolution is a theory in crisis because they assume that there are only two alternatives: creationism (whether creation science or intelligent design) and evolution. Evidence against evolution is thus evidence for creationism; disproving evolution thus proves creationism. The judge in McLean v. Arkansas, the 1981 case in which Arkansas’s Balanced Treatment Act was ruled to be unconstitutional, succinctly described the assumption as “a contrived dualism.” Yet by criticizing evolution without mentioning creationism, proponents of the fallback strategy hope to encourage students to acquire or retain a belief in creationism without running afoul of the Establishment Clause. Creationism’s latest face is just like its earlier face, only now thinly disguised with a fake mustache.
"Scientific American" versus "Creationist Louisianan" written by Paul Burnett , January 20, 2009 - 04:39 am
Scientific American magazine has been around longer than Darwin's "Origin of Species" - it started publication in 1845. The magazine has a unique perspective on science in the United States. The subject article details Louisiana's previous trip to the US Supreme Court, where the state was defeated and chastised for attempting to fraudulently break the church-state barrier.
Now, with its admitted exorcist governor caving in to the creationists and inexplicably signing another creationist hoax into law, history will no doubt repeat itself. Once again, ignorance and barbarism have temporarily triumphed over evolution and biology and science; once again the taxpayers of Louisiana will have to pay the butcher's bill for a misguided law which may temporarily comfort the local religious fanatics but bring the state disrepute nationally and even internationally.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana. Whether you call it creationism, creation science, or intelligent design creationism - it's religion, not science, and it has no place in the public schools. Read the article and weep in shame and embarrassment for Louisiana.
You must be logged in to post a comment. Log in using your Facebook account or register if you do not have an account yet.
There will soon be a whole lot of shakin’ going on at Benny’s Sportshack Supplement Depot, a new concept by Opelousas native Benny Nele. Located at 2002 Johnston St., the supplement shop, smoothie bar and café, featuring hot off the press paninis and wraps, plans to open in late May.
Philip deMahy Sr., a once respected New Iberia ad exec, was sentenced May 2 to spend the next two years (he faced up to 100 years) in a state penitentiary after state and federal investigators found dozens of images depicting children engaged in lewd sexual acts on his personal computer.
This year’s Cool Town issue is all about people who are not native to South Louisiana but made a conscious decision to be here, to be among us, to participate in our culture and contribute to it.
A shelved ordinance transferring $200,000 from a northside drainage project to a south Lafayette development may not break any laws, but it stinks to high heaven.
An effort to restore a shuttered dancehall and document other vacant or razed honky-tonks could serve as a model for saving an endangered species of entertainment.
Lafayette’s gene pool has been host to a long line of eccentric characters who have blurred the lines between crazy, genius, disturbed and curiously entertaining.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Now, with its admitted exorcist governor caving in to the creationists and inexplicably signing another creationist hoax into law, history will no doubt repeat itself. Once again, ignorance and barbarism have temporarily triumphed over evolution and biology and science; once again the taxpayers of Louisiana will have to pay the butcher's bill for a misguided law which may temporarily comfort the local religious fanatics but bring the state disrepute nationally and even internationally.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana. Whether you call it creationism, creation science, or intelligent design creationism - it's religion, not science, and it has no place in the public schools. Read the article and weep in shame and embarrassment for Louisiana.