GWB endorses teaching "intelligent design" to schoolchildren!

[laserboy]

LINK TO ARTICLE

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In a wide-ranging question-and-answer session with a small group of reporters, Bush essentially endorsed efforts by Christian conservatives to give intelligent design equal standing with the theory of evolution in the nation's schools.


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[Chris Alger]

From the article: "President Bush waded into the debate over evolution and "intelligent design" Monday, saying schools should teach both theories on the creation and complexity of life.

"Both theories"? The other one beginning with "once upon a time, there was an invisible king . . . ?"

"Intelligent design" is merely a backdoor for compulsory indoctrination about an intellgent designer. It's proponents still can't offer a satisfactory reply to Lord Spencer (1852): "Those who cavalierly reject the Theory of Evolution, as not adequately supported by facts, seem quite to forget that their own theory is supported by no facts at all." Or even Monty Python ("all things scabbed and ulcerous, all pox both great and small . . . ").

[ACPlayer]

I am not surprised. I believed, from the start of the second term, that this term the Christian theological agenda was likely to be Bush's top domestic concern.

See Today on Dr Dobson's radio broadcast. Coincidence?


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On other topics, Bush said he has no idea how Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts would vote in a case challenging the legality of abortion because he never asked him about it.

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I find this hard to believe. I would be willing to wager that someone asked him the question, directly or indirectly. If the quote is accurate, then it is only so because HE did not ask the question, not that the question was not asked.

[tylerdurden]

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In a wide-ranging question-and-answer session with a small group of reporters, [insert polititian du jour] essentially endorsed efforts by [insert special interest group] to give [insert controversial theory] equal standing with the theory of [insert other theory] in the nation's schools.


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Why would anyone let the government "educate" their kids?

[etgryphon]

As an American...

How can anyone argue with teaching various theories about the origins of life and leave it up to people to decide?

Boy, doesn't seem like you have a whole lot of confidence in people ability to choose for themselves.

If a theory is erronous, it will become clear at some point, but until that point comes. Anyone who says that this theory or that theory is correct at the expense of another theory is just hiding behind ignorance and prejudice.

-Gryph

[superleeds]

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How can anyone argue with teaching various theories about the origins of life and leave it up to people to decide

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What about the theory that the earth sits on a turtles back? Should that be given equal weight?

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Boy, doesn't seem like you have a whole lot of confidence in people ability to choose for themselves.



If a theory is erronous, it will become clear at some point, but until that point comes.

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Firstly, they are children. And secondly from a personal point of view, no, I do not have a whole lot of confidence in peoples abilities judge different theories on their merits.

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Anyone who says that this theory or that theory is correct at the expense of another theory is just hiding behind ignorance and prejudice.

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This is just so wrong. Do you realise this argument has been used throughout history to perpetuate some of the worst crimes in all humanity. Try getting the word evidence into this sentence and you may have something.

[etgryphon]

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What about the theory that the earth sits on a turtles back? Should that be given equal weight?


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Some Native American religions which are on par with this theory are taught in History and Socialogy classes for information sake.

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Firstly, they are children. And secondly from a personal point of view, no, I do not have a whole lot of confidence in peoples abilities judge different theories on their merits.


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So you think it is your job or the governments to protect people from their own ignorance? When has that been anybodies business. That is a scary place to live in. You want to live under thought police?

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This is just so wrong. Do you realise this argument has been used throughout history to perpetuate some of the worst crimes in all humanity. Try getting the word evidence into this sentence and you may have something.

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I agree. I mispoke. I think there needs to be evidence and some evidence is more compelling than others. I just think that it is ignorant to not hear varying theories. Crime was never perpetuated by the free airing of ideas\theories. It has always been at behest of a few who believed it was their gift to humanity to police thoughts and pervade ignorance at the expense of information. Tell me who is doing that in this instance?

And to steal from MIB:
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1500 years ago, everybody "knew" that the earth was the center of the universe. 500 years ago, everybody "knew" that the earth was flat...Imagine what you'll "know" tomorrow.

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Theories are just that theories. We are a smart species. Let people decide what to believe no matter how old or if your are worried so much trust their parents ability/right to raise their children.


-Gryph

[superleeds]

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Some Native American religions which are on par with this theory are taught in History and Socialogy classes for information sake

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Not to schoolchildren and not with an authority of 'this is a reasonable explanation of the way things are'. This is the difference with the Intelligence design/religious crowd.

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So you think it is your job or the governments to protect people from their own ignorance? When has that been anybodies business. That is a scary place to live in. You want to live under thought police?

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I have no problem with anyone saying anything they want. I have a problem with with baseless theories being taught to impressonable minds. Lets be clear about this, Intelligent design has no basis in fact, has no physical evidense to build on and cannot be tested at even the most rudimentary level. It is not a theory it is a philosophy. This to me is a scary place where opinion is taught as fact, where evidence that doesn't hold up to scrutiny is routinely ignored.

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I agree. I mispoke. I think there needs to be evidence and some evidence is more compelling than others. I just think that it is ignorant to not hear varying theories. Crime was never perpetuated by the free airing of ideas\theories. It has always been at behest of a few who believed it was their gift to humanity to police thoughts and pervade ignorance at the expense of information. Tell me who is doing that in this instance?

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I agree no one should be muzzled at all. Freedom of speech is probably the most important freedom there is but that doesn't mean unscientific opinions should be taught as science, this really would be thought police tactic.

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Theories are just that theories. We are a smart species. Let people decide what to believe no matter how old or if your are worried so much trust their parents ability/right to raise their children.

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You have a lot more faith in humankind that I do, maybe its an age thing [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[BCPVP]

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I have a problem with with baseless theories being taught to impressonable minds.

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Lefties in here seem to be up in arms that "impressionable" (and persumeably young) minds could be taught intelligent design.

So I propose a compromise. Don't teach any creation theories (evolution included) until high school. That way, these people can think for themselves and decide what to believe.

[elwoodblues]

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Some Native American religions which are on par with this theory are taught in History and Socialogy classes for information sake.


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There is a HUGE difference between teaching it in History and Sociology versus teaching it in Science classh