Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utastro.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!qantel!dual!mordor!ut-sally!utastro!bill From: bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion Subject: Re: "Secular Humanism" banned in the US Schools. Message-ID: <703@utastro.UUCP> Date: Thu, 12-Sep-85 10:54:45 EDT Article-I.D.: utastro.703 Posted: Thu Sep 12 10:54:45 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 15-Sep-85 09:37:36 EDT References: <11384@rochester.UUCP>, <615@hou2g.UUCP> <5867@cbscc.UUCP> Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX Lines: 63 Xref: watmath net.politics:10989 net.religion:7638 First let me say that in my opinion there should be provision for parents who are "conscientious objectors" to their children being taught some subject, such as evolution, to have their religious sensibilities respected by the public school system. I am not sure that it would be *wise* for them to take advantage of such a provision, but it should exist. However, I completely disagree with Paul Dubuc when he says: > Who decides what is the minimum necessary content of an education? Is > the teaching of evolutionary theory absolutely necessary? I think not. > One can teach biology, chemistry, and physics (the understanding of > how things work) quite apart from any speculations about their ultimate > origins. These can be reserved for future studies in the school of > the students own choosing. Society has the responsibility of ensuring that children educated in the public schools are prepared to act responsibly when they become adults. There are important questions of public policy that require a basic understanding of evolutionary theory if they are to be handled intelligently. Last night, for example, I watched a NOVA repeat on parasitic diseases. It was pointed out that in the case of malaria, both the insect vector (Anopheles mosquito) and the parasite have developed resistance to the agents used to combat them. Medicine in general faces a serious problem when overuse of antibiotics, for example, causes them rapidly to lose efficacy. Legislators (usually laymen in scientific matters) are required to legislate wisely on the question of whether, for example, animal feed ought to be treated with antibiotics, producing cheaper meat at the possible cost of increasing bacterial resistance to these antibiotics. Whether you believe in evolution or not, these organisms seem to behave *as if* natural selection is operative, and until a better theory comes along, the people who have to make such important decisions had better understand the basic ideas of evolution. Nearly all scientists would agree that evolution is one of the great scientific ideas of all time. We ought to protect the religious sensibilities of all, but it would be wrong to let the objections of some parents deprive all children of a good education. To be blunt, it is *flat out wrong* to claim that a person is adequately educated in biology if that person does not understand the basic issues of evolution. Merely teaching the phenomenology of biology, as Paul proposes, would be to teach a severely emasculated subject, since evolution pervades all aspects of the field. Indeed, *even while stressing the importance of allowing conscientious objection to the teaching of evolution*, I believe that the children of Creationist parents would be better served by taking courses that include evolution. They can learn about their Creationist heritage as part of their religious upbringing, and they will, I hope, grow up understanding all the issues and being stronger in their faith. To my way of thinking, this is vastly preferable to being brought up sheltered from unpleasant ideas. -- Glend. I can call spirits from the vasty deep. Hot. Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call them? -- Henry IV Pt. I, III, i, 53 Bill Jefferys 8-% Astronomy Dept, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712 (USnail) {allegra,ihnp4}!{ut-sally,noao}!utastro!bill (UUCP) bill@astro.UTEXAS.EDU. (Internet) Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com