Florida State Representative Marti Coley was one of the critics of the new science standard who spoke at Tuesday's debate. "The opposing side keeps saying that we're trying to bring religion [into public school], and we're not," says Coley. "We're simply asking them to acknowledge that this is a theory."

Due to the public outcry and Tuesday's debate, the Florida State Board of Education decided to change the language of the new science standard and label evolution as a science theory, and require that it be taught as such. The standards then passed by a margin of 4-to-3.

[Sarcasm]Yea, I can see how people could get, “Evolution is a theory” as teaching religion in public schools…[/Sarcasm]
Oh well, at least we got my state on the right track.
Next.

Source: Florida decides 'evolution as theory' better way to go (OneNewsNow.com)

__________________
Only a liberal would know how hard it is to get a nicotine patch to stick to a monkey.

Did you know that it's still the theory of gravity as well? What should we do about that? We can't actually detect gravity but only base our knowledge of it's effects on matter.

__________________
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Yea, are they also moving the theory of gravity, the theory of relativity, the atomic theory, the germ theory, the theory of plate tectonics, chaos theory, the theory of thermodynamics, etc.?

Oh, well. Florida has always ranked pretty low in education, anyways, so it's not like it's going to change much.

__________________
“Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.” -Dr. Carl Sagan

Exactly Speakeasy, why on earth is Florida wasting time on this nonsense when they need toaddress why they are ranked so lowly in education? How many years of Republican rule in the state legislature is necessary for people to realize this evolution thing is so 1920s. Time to figure out how to make the education SYSTEM better, not quibble over these silly things.

__________________
Yesterday, John McCain actually said that if he’s president he’ll take on, and I quote, 'the old boys’ network in Washington.' I’m not making this up. This is somebody been in Congress for 26 years, who put seven of the most powerful Washington lobbyists in charge of his campaign. And now he tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network,” he said. “In the McCain campaign that’s called a staff meeting!- Obama, 9/17/2008

Next the republicans can have "Earth Centered Universe Science" taught as the equivalent to "Copernican Theory", and maybe even add "Evil Spirit Disease Science" as a legitimate alternative to "Germ Theory".

__________________
“ The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state.”

Adam Smith , The Wealth of Nations 1776

"We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics"
FDR's second Inaugural Address

The only time I was at Hank's house I noticed all the furniture was nailed to the floor.

__________________
This land was made for you and me
-Woody Guthrie

This is even more amusing than most products of creationist ignorance.
The creationists insisted evolution be identified as a theory in the standards and so it will be. In fact it will be identified as "the scientific theory of evolution".

That means the science standards will not only include evolution (for the first time) but will also include the definition of "scientific theory" and an explanation of the difference between a "scientific theory" and half baked concoctions like astrology, creationism, and flat earth theory. Finally Florida's children will learn that creationism has no place in a science class because it is not "a well-substantiated natural explanation of some aspect of the natural world that incorporates facts, natural laws, tested hypotheses, and logical inferences". Looks like the creationists have shot themselves in the foot on this one.

__________________
A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to the utmost extremes of injustice and oppression.
Edward Gibbon

Bah, I think its a non-issue, the teachings haven't really changed. The only real difference is that they use "evolution" instead of biological change. Still, its silly to think that students are too stupid to decide for themselves what they believe. Theory, fact, or whatever.

It's not a question of "stupid". It's a case of "ignorant". Some people want children to remain ignorant of evolution and of the difference between science and religion. IMO that's bad.

__________________
A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to the utmost extremes of injustice and oppression.
Edward Gibbon

Evolution is such a central part of biology that the whole course would really need to be removed since so much would have to be avoided or left out anyway. What happens when the class asks questions that venture into that realm? The teacher should just say "we are not allowed to go into that part"?

__________________
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

It seems to me that the always-entertaining politicizing of science has actually, inadvertently resulted in an accurate classification. Evolution is a scientific theory.

Perhaps both sides of the evolution "debate" can finally bury the hatchet and agree on this. Though it appears to me that the people on the "creationism" side of things have no idea what a scientific theory means and are making a rather hilarious mistake. This is sort of like saying, "we're tired of subjecting our children to the filth written by Mark Twain - it's time to bring in some wholesome stuff, such as that author Samuel Clemens!" The kids get the right information, and the irrationally outraged are mollified by their own lack of understanding of what's going on.

It's actually perfect.

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

By the way, if I had children and the public school started subjecting them to nonsense about "creationism", I would have them in private school faster than you can say "substandard education" (and I'd probably demand vouchers )

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

What is truly funny is that I grew up believing that God created everything and gee, somehow, in my 47 years, it has never hurt me! Sure, those that don't believe in God may look at me as being stupid but I've never really banked much on others' opinions of me anyway, especially when they can't understand the meaning of 'faith'!!!!

__________________


"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

Too bad we do not have any private schools around here that are not religious schools. I'm not sure what the hell I would do. I would definitely be giving the ACLU a call.

__________________
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Hey! Us Flat-Earthers demand equal time in geology, too!

And my brother in law just graduated from nursing school and they didn't teach him anything about the four bodily humours, either! Unfair! Biased!! Witchcraft!!!


That reminds me. It's about time for my bleeding! Where'd those leeches go?