Creationists can't fail Earth Science: Oklahoma
http://trinixy.blogspot.com/2009/03/creationists-cant-fail-earth-sc...
The Oklahoma House of Representatives has passed a bill that says that a student can receive a passing grade in an Earth Science class if they say that the Flying Spaghetti Monster created the Earth an hour ago, and then planted false memories into every single living creature on Earth to make it seem like they've been around longer.
Of course, that's not the intent of the bill. The intent is that a student can say the Earth is 6000 years old and still get a passing grade. The bill itself says that a student cannot be graded down if they say that what they are being taught interferes with their religious beliefs.
Specifically, the bill states:
A school district shall treat a student's voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint, if any, on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner the district treats a student's voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject and may not discriminate against the student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise permissible subject.
It's the "otherwise permissible subject" phrase that's sticky. That can easily be interpreted as meaning tests, besides just normal classroom discussion.
For a long time, I have been disquieted by the fact that many people want to give patently ridiculous ideas as much standing as reality. One problem with this is that once you open the door to fantasy, any and all flavors of it can walk on through, as in the example above. But it also elevates fantasy to the same level as reality, and that is simply wrong.
I taught a few classes back when I was a grad student. If someone had answered a question on a test saying the Earth was 6000 years old, I would have marked it as incorrect. That's because - and sit down for this breaking news - that answer is wrong. The student could complain, they could take it to the dean, the president, the Supreme Court for all I care - I wouldn't have backed down. Wrong is wrong.
I don't care what your religious belief is, there are some things that are simple facts. An object with mass has gravity. A lump of lithium dropped into water will create heat and hydrogen gas. An accelerating charged particle will emit radiation. These are facts. It doesn't matter what you believe: reality is that which, when you go to sleep, doesn't go away.
What I find most ironic about this legislation - and there is a rich, rich field of irony to choose from - is that it was passed by conservatives, people who no doubt would rail against political correctness and relativism (for example, the bill's primary author, Sally Kern, has spoken clearly about her being against "the gay lifestyle" - she even compares being gay to cancer), yet this is exactly what this legislation is all about. The problem here is that they are trying to legislate relativistic reality. And that's simply wrong.
And it's not like they have to go far to see what a disaster this bill will create: Texas is already in a peck o' trouble for passing a similar law.
This bill still has to pass Oklahoma's state Senate before it becomes a law. If that happens, Oklahoma will have taken a long stride back into the Dark Ages. I'll be honest: if I were an employer, or a University recruiter, and the bill becomes law, I would look very skeptically at any application that came to my desk from a student who graduated in Oklahoma. That makes me sad, but that is the reality Oklahoma is aiming toward.
For more about this horrid bill, check out Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education. Also, evidently this bill will also allow the straightforward teaching of religion in school. Mainstream Baptist has something to say about that.
The Oklahoma House of Representatives has passed a bill that says that a student can receive a passing grade in an Earth Science class if they say that the Flying Spaghetti Monster created the Earth an hour ago, and then planted false memories into every single living creature on Earth to make it seem like they've been around longer.
Of course, that's not the intent of the bill. The intent is that a student can say the Earth is 6000 years old and still get a passing grade. The bill itself says that a student cannot be graded down if they say that what they are being taught interferes with their religious beliefs.
Specifically, the bill states:
A school district shall treat a student's voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint, if any, on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner the district treats a student's voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject and may not discriminate against the student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise permissible subject.
It's the "otherwise permissible subject" phrase that's sticky. That can easily be interpreted as meaning tests, besides just normal classroom discussion.
For a long time, I have been disquieted by the fact that many people want to give patently ridiculous ideas as much standing as reality. One problem with this is that once you open the door to fantasy, any and all flavors of it can walk on through, as in the example above. But it also elevates fantasy to the same level as reality, and that is simply wrong.
I taught a few classes back when I was a grad student. If someone had answered a question on a test saying the Earth was 6000 years old, I would have marked it as incorrect. That's because - and sit down for this breaking news - that answer is wrong. The student could complain, they could take it to the dean, the president, the Supreme Court for all I care - I wouldn't have backed down. Wrong is wrong.
I don't care what your religious belief is, there are some things that are simple facts. An object with mass has gravity. A lump of lithium dropped into water will create heat and hydrogen gas. An accelerating charged particle will emit radiation. These are facts. It doesn't matter what you believe: reality is that which, when you go to sleep, doesn't go away.
What I find most ironic about this legislation - and there is a rich, rich field of irony to choose from - is that it was passed by conservatives, people who no doubt would rail against political correctness and relativism (for example, the bill's primary author, Sally Kern, has spoken clearly about her being against "the gay lifestyle" - she even compares being gay to cancer), yet this is exactly what this legislation is all about. The problem here is that they are trying to legislate relativistic reality. And that's simply wrong.
And it's not like they have to go far to see what a disaster this bill will create: Texas is already in a peck o' trouble for passing a similar law.
This bill still has to pass Oklahoma's state Senate before it becomes a law. If that happens, Oklahoma will have taken a long stride back into the Dark Ages. I'll be honest: if I were an employer, or a University recruiter, and the bill becomes law, I would look very skeptically at any application that came to my desk from a student who graduated in Oklahoma. That makes me sad, but that is the reality Oklahoma is aiming toward.
For more about this horrid bill, check out Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education. Also, evidently this bill will also allow the straightforward teaching of religion in school. Mainstream Baptist has something to say about that.
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Comment by Cara Coleen on March 27, 2009 at 11:29am -
OMG... I believe it because I know the nature of the beast, but... Jeez... I have to keep reminding myself this is the stuff I'm working against. Sometimes, I think maybe I should just leave it alone... but I can't let the world be ruled by people with zero grasp of reality. Thanks for this, Mike.
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Comment by Greg Lammers on March 27, 2009 at 12:11pm -
I haven't read the Oklahoma bill but we have a bill with a similar intent sitting in the Missouri House of Representatives. It is bill #656 (you can google it and read it, it's not very long) and it is hawked as promoting "academic freedom." It is a blatant assault upon education.
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Comment by Dave G on March 27, 2009 at 12:28pm -
Only the very thin (and growing thinner) Establishment Clause stands between these people and the creation of a Christian-mandatory state. Despite the veneer of civilized behavior, they are in solid opposition to civilization.
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Comment by Pam on March 27, 2009 at 12:38pm -
*SIGH*
It's one thing to bullshit your way through a philosophy class, but quite another to do it in a science class.
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Comment by SabreNation on March 27, 2009 at 12:39pm -
Unreal. There's got to be some way to fight this garbage. There is no debate about this. The earth is not 6000 years old, there is *ZERO* scentific grounds for the belief that the earth is 6000 years old. Absolutely zero. There is indisputable scientific evidence to the contrary. Religion has no place in schools. If these people want to pretend their religious beliefs qualify as science and something can be considered scientifically correct because it was written by some schmuck in a book 2000 years ago fine. Open your own fucking school, fund it yourself, and teach it there. This bullshit has no place in public schools.
This bill is a joke. Hearing garbage like this infuriates me in a way few things can.
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Comment by SabreNation on March 27, 2009 at 12:45pm
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One positive about this though - there's a very good chance we now get to hear Bill Maher rip into Oklahoma the same way he did with Kansas a couple seasons ago. I look forward to a good 5-10 minutes of hilarious mockery of the entire state tonight at 10PM. :)
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Comment by Cara Coleen on March 27, 2009 at 1:00pm
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Hmmm... ya know, honestly, who wants to send their kids to public schools anyway? It's not just science classes that are a joke anymore. Maybe atheists should start thinking of starting/funding their own private schools. There could be a disclaimer about the Science classes so no one could start pushing ID into it. It would be an Institution of Higher Education for real! I mean, kids are taught so much useless crap. Why should WE continue to put our kids' minds into the hands of the government? There are plenty of Christian schools out there... and these places are safe-zones against such evils as Evolution. I think this would be a very catchy idea...
Now I may have to redirect my goals...
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Comment by Nelson on March 27, 2009 at 1:05pm -
has anyone actually looked to see if there's a line on the registration form to run for OK state legislature asking if you are in fact an idiot? if not it seems like having one would weed out a lot of these people. :)
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Comment by Nulono on March 27, 2009 at 1:45pm -
I just threw up mentally.
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Comment by Mike on March 27, 2009 at 2:13pm -
Cara, i agree but i would just like to reform the system we have. AFterall, we're already shelling out the tax dollars for it.
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