Creationism is back!

Every few months-- seemingly out of the blue-- the Oklahoman runs a series of letters discussing evolution and the faux-controversies of its being taught in schools. We have seen this before. Usually, the opening salvo comes from the creationists who throw out nonsensical numbers and pledge personal incredulity. This is followed by a reasoned letter from someone who rightly notes that it is important that our students know facts about reality and that teaching creationism in schools is not what we need to be doing. This is usually followed by yet more creationist drivel, and the debate dies for a few months.

Sometimes, though, the opposite happens, and this seems to be the case with today's letter from David Grow of Edmond, OK. Now, we have heard from Mr Grow before, and on the same topic of evolution. Today, he writes:

State Senate Bill 1765 is a poorly disguised political ploy designed to compromise the teaching of solid, vetted science, particularly evolutionary science. The bill was copied, almost verbatim, from a model bill floated annually in many states and written by the Discovery Institute, a creationist intelligent design propaganda organization. This bill would protect religiously motivated teachers from disciplinary action for presenting objectively false, unscientific claims in public school science classes. Supplementary materials addressing the 'controversial topics' in science addressed in this bill are produced by political propaganda organizations and aren’t the product of rigorous scientific inquiry.

Indeed! And anyone who looks at SB 1765 (a link to a download to a MS Word document) can see this in section C:

Neither the State Board of Education, nor any school district board of education, school district superintendent or school principal shall prohibit any teacher in a public school district in this state from helping students understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught.

Hmmm. Sounds pretty harmless-- unless you recognize that the whole "critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories" bit is code for "tell students that evolution is wrong and that creationism is right" and then you begin to understand.

This is clear in section B:

The State Board of Education, school district boards of education, school district superintendents and school principals shall endeavor to assist teachers to find effective ways to present the science curriculum as it addresses scientific controversies. (My emphasis)

The "scientific controversies" is just "evolution vs. intelligent design" which, as we all know, is just code for creationism.

 And what is this is this in section D:

This section only protects the teaching of scientific information and shall not be construed to promote any religious or non-religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs or non-beliefs or promote discrimination for or against religion or non-religion. (My emphasis)

Got that? So it's written that the law is not written to "promote the discrimination for or against . . . religious beliefs or non-beliefs" or for "religion or non-religion." This is awkward phrasing. Given that things are either religions or not religious, then it sounds like this law can't do anything. The phrase: I will not be for or against anything that eats Triscuits or doesn't eat Triscuits is nonsensical. So the whole thing is stupid.

In any case, Mr Grow rightly concludes that

This bill doesn't promote academic freedom or critical thinking. It's a dishonest attempt to permit a narrow sectarian religious agenda to be presented in public school science classes. Such bills aren't business friendly and have a perfect history of failing in federal court. Let’s not do this to our children.

 We can hope (though, don't have too much) that state legislators will heed Mr Grow's words. Unfortunately, we know one group who definitely won't: The countless theocrat goons who read the Oklahoman. We can therefore count on a new barrage of "evolution is false!" letters in the coming days and weeks as the paper engages in its classic point/counter-point strategy.