Culture

Spain’s parliament has taken the dubious first step in support of “our evolutionary comrades” in adopting special rights for apes akin to human rights, the first time any nation has done so.

The decision of the Spanish parliament is manifestly the triumph of sentimentality over reason. Although the leftist politicos who supported the ruling no doubt view themselves as enlightened citizens of a scientifically progressive Europe, their emoting and posturing has blinded them to the contradictions entailed by their position.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has signed into law the Louisiana Science Education Act, ensuring the state’s teachers their right to teach the scientific evidence both for and against Darwinian evolution. The bill enjoyed surprisingly overwhelming support from lawmakers. It was passed unanimously by the Louisiana state senate, and pased the state House by a vote of 93-4.Here are some key facts about the new law.

[Note: For an extensive defense of Ben Stein’s documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, please see: NCSE Exposed at NCSEExposed.org] Ben Stein was just recognized by the Entertainment Merchants Association for his courageous work in Expelled.From here: EMA’s Freedom of Expression Award, which previously has been presented to George Carlin and the Smothers Brothers, recognizes individuals associated with the home entertainment industry who have spoken out on important political, social, and cultural issues, often at considerable professional risk. EMA champions the First Amendment rights of DVD and video game retailers and their customers by actively opposing legislative proposals that would curtail those rights and filing legal challenges to laws that violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression, no matter how Read More ›

After all of the harrumphing by Darwinists that the Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA) promotes “creationism” and is therefore unconstitutional, the director of the Louisiana ACLU has now conceded that the bill is actually fine as written according to a Louisiana TV station: ACLU Executive Director Marjorie Esman said that if the Act is utilized as written, it should be fine…. Of course, Ms. Esman goes on to fret that some people might misuse the bill, and in that case the ACLU might sue. Well, I have news for Ms. Esman: Any law can be disregarded, and so yes, if a teacher wants to willfully ignore what the Louisiana Science Education Act says and try to endorse religion, the teacher Read More ›

Self-described atheist writer Jason Streitfeld is calling on his fellow atheists to endorse the Louisiana Science Education Act, which would support teachers who want to promote critical thinking on evolution and other science issues. “The bill is good. The bill is right. The bill should be embraced by atheists and scientists throughout the world,” writes Streitfeld in The American Chronicle. He says that the current approach to science education in America isn’t working, and we need to try something new: The way public schools in America teach science simply isn’t working. Students don’t learn how exciting and dynamic scientific discovery can be. Instead, they memorize (or, at least, they try to memorize) dry facts and formulas. Rarely do they engage Read More ›

P.Z. Myers recently posted at Pharyngula a plea for more funding for cancer research. His sister-in-law (mother of three kids) died tragically from melanoma several years ago, and Myers asked Pharyngula readers to support cancer research more vigorously. It’s a sentiment with which we all agree.

Yet Myers used this tragedy to denigrate religious faith. Noting his subsequent conversation with a pediatric oncologist in which he learned about the progress that has been made in the treatment of childhood cancer, Myers claimed:

How does she [the oncologist] do that [successfully treat some children’s cancers]? With science. She sent me a whole stack of references on the amazing progress that has been made over the last several decades, thanks to clinical trials and evidence based medicine… If we want to cure … cancers…, don’t look to magic, or wishful thinking, or ancient shamanistic wisdom, or prayer — we’ve had those for millennia [sic], and they do nothing…What we need is more research, more doctors, more clinical trials, and more money.[Emphasis in original]

As everyone waits for Governor Jindal to sign the first law to protect the academic freedom rights of teachers who present evidence both for and against Darwinian evolution, it is worth noting that the sponsoring senator has again clearly spoken about the intent of the Louisisiana Science Education Act. Darwinists keep falsely claiming this bill would open the science classroom door to creationism or religion. Louisiana Senator Ben Nevers (D) says that is not the case. “This is strictly about teaching science in the classroom,” he said. “It has nothing to do with religion. Most textbooks are seven years old or older. Science can be very changeable in some areas. It is important to bring current science into the classroom.” Read More ›

Get ready for the year of evolution. The New York Times has an article today (“Philadelphia Set to Honor Darwin and Evolution“) describing an entire “Year of Evolution,” featuring “a series of exhibitions, seminars and lectures to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin next February, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work, ‘The Origin of Species.'”

And what local celebrity would better grace a celebration of Darwin than the man who forbade schoolteachers and children from “disparaging” Darwin and his theory?

Events will include a talk by John E. Jones III, a federal judge who ruled in 2005 that teaching intelligent design — the belief that some aspects of nature are so complex that they must be the work of a higher power rather than of evolution — in public school science classes was unconstitutional.

Q: Who wrote this?

The new bill doesn’t mention either creationism or its close cousin, intelligent design. It explicitly disavows any intent to promote a religious doctrine. It doesn’t try to ban Darwin from the classroom or order schools to do anything. It simply requires the state board of education, if asked by local school districts, to help create an environment that promotes “critical thinking” and “objective discussion” about not only evolution and the origins of life but also about global warming and human cloning, two other bêtes noires of the right. Teachers would be required to teach the standard textbook but could use supplementary materials to critique it.

NRO‘s John Derbyshire has another bombastic blog post (“Governor Jindal, Veto This Bill!“), this time decrying the Louisiana Science Education Act. According to Derb, “The act opens the door to the teaching of creationism in Louisiana public schools.” Of course, this is patently absurd. The bill says that students should be able to critically analyze scientific evidence regarding evolution, global warming, and human cloning; and secondly the bill says it should not be construed to promote religion (bear in mind that SCOTUS deemed creationism “religious” in 1987). This bill is about scientific evidence, whatever there may be, pro and con. No more no less. Attempting to scare the promoters of this bill (which, BTW, just passed the LA House 94-3, Read More ›