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August 15, 2005

Mile High Madness

The Creationist-in-sheep's-clothing movement has come to Colorado.

DENVER - Colorado high school students may soon find their biology curriculum at the center of a debate at the State Capitol.

A State Representative says when lawmakers return to work this winter, she will introduce a measure to allow teachers to teach about intelligent design in addition to evolution in any class discussing the origin of the species.

Alas, the article doesn't indicate if she'll also introduce a measure to allow the teaching of "magical invisible elves holding it all together" in addition to gravitation in any class discusing the physical sciences.

"I think we are limiting our students' capacity to sort out information for themselves," said Rep. Debbie Stafford (R-Aurora) who is also an ordained minister. "I think that as in any other educational debate, looking at many different theories and pieces of information regarding a subject is wonderfully stimulating for a student's mind."

There's just something inherently disturbing to me about teaching children to sort things out for themselves by force-feeding them the lies of Intelligent Design. Next we'll teach them about personal safety by saying it's not important to look both ways before crossing the street.

Also nice to see that Rep. Stafford is as clueless as most when it comes to what constitutes a theory in science and what constitutes "patent nonsense."

C'mon, admit it, there's a talking points memo that is getting handed out to creationists, isn't there? The appearance of the "theory" line is almost as reliable as many of the religious folks who visit this site and trot out Pascal's Wager as if they've just revolutionized apologetics.

On a brighter note, there's some sanity left at the state capitol:

"When you try to cloak an attempt to impose some sort of religious orthodoxy in the language of science, it becomes misleading and it becomes problematic," said Rep. Terrance Carroll (D-Denver), who is also an ordained minister. "This is an effort to undermine science as we know it."

Yes, it is. And it must be stopped.

My e-mail finger is itchin'. Time to write some representatives on the matter. I do realize, however, that convincing the pro-ID crowd that they are wrong will be as challenging as convincing U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo that not all Mexicans are drug dealers (they all do have recipes for positively delicious sopapillas, though - just ask!).