NOVA - Intelligent Design (Harrisburg, York: credit, school district, restaurant)

[BevoInPA]

Tonight at 8:00 pm on PBS is a special on the Intelligent Design controversy in Dover, central York County.

[BackToTheCityMouse]

Finally got to see it yesterday, and it was worth watching.

I think anyone considering a move to south central PA should watch this program...and not because they need to be concerned about having their kids taught ID in biology class.

[lialleycat]

What is this about? I don't watch TV.

[eastcoasthustla]

I watched it last night. Good, but disturbing. Old world puritanism still holds an influence on thinking in that region. The Amish/Mennonite communities are the extreme examples of it, but at least they prefer to keep to themselves. It's scary in a way to think that the school board members felt that they were "trying to make their school district better" and be an example of "forward thinking" in proposing that creationism/intellingent design be a standard part of the curriculum; and that we should teach evolution (and therfore biology in general) as just one opinion (An OPINION!) and teach other "opinions" as well. Well, with that line of reasoning, maybe parochial schools should teach Satanism too, along with Christian beliefs. Maybe in public school science classes they should explicitly teach how silly the claims of Jesus' miracles are. Like, maybe they should require students to show how his walking on water goes beyond the laws of physics, or how his turning water in wine defies all chemistry, or how instantly healing the lepers is impossible due to human anatomy and physiology. Think the ultra-religious would like that? But those are just "opinions", right?

[BackToTheCityMouse]

Originally Posted by lialleycat

What is this about? I don't watch TV.

Here's a link NOVA | Intelligent Design on Trial | PBS

The Dover PA 'Panda Trial' was not just a teevee event/issue. It was a huge topic on the internet and in print media on the international level when the trial was going on in Harrisburg.

It's kinda funny comparing life in rural central PA with life in central NJ where I grew up. I remember having sushi dinner at a small Japanese restaurant in Princeton and being amused by the undergrads having loud excited conversations about quantum mechanics. Here you can have a meal in a 'family restaurant' and listen in on hand-wringing about how to get Darwinism out of the schools and prayers back in. Less than 3 hours apart by car, but centuries apart in mindset. Awesome.

[Mr Yuk]

But evolution is just a THEORY, there's no actual scientific proof of evolution. Why do secular humanists think that their belief in evolution should be taught as gospel to all school students? I'm tired of secular humanism, which is just another religion in my opinion, being rammed down everyone's throats in schools, while Judeo-Christian beliefs are blackballed.

[ki0eh]

To give the folks in Dover Area some credit, the old school board was thrown out in local elections around when the case was decided, hence the decision wasn't appealed.

Could it be possible for folks with some sort of narrow hidden agenda to take over the schools or the local government in your town? Something scary to think about.

[JoeP]

[quote]But evolution is just a THEORY, there's no actual scientific proof of evolution. Why do secular humanists think that their belief in evolution should be taught as gospel to all school students? QUOTE]

Evolution is SCIENTIFIC THEORY.

"Secular Humanists" is a contrived term that is irrelevant to the discussion of theories based on science and theories based on a belief system.

Calling people "secular humanists" demonstrates an inability to debate science, or really anything.

I'm tired of secular humanism, which is just another religion in my opinion,

"Secular Humanism" is another theory created by wingnuts instead.

being rammed down everyone's throats in schools,

Yeah un-huh.

while Judeo-Christian beliefs are blackballed.

Take that up with the United States Constitution which by the way let's you practice and believe whatever faith you choose.

However most adults are able to have a discussion about faith and also a discussion about science without confusing the two.

[eastcoasthustla]

Originally Posted by go phillies

But evolution is just a THEORY, there's no actual scientific proof of evolution. Why do secular humanists think that their belief in evolution should be taught as gospel to all school students? I'm tired of secular humanism, which is just another religion in my opinion, being rammed down everyone's throats in schools, while Judeo-Christian beliefs are blackballed.

If you don't like it, send your children to be brainwashed by the hocus-pocus taught at some born-again christian school.

As for Judeo-Christian beliefs being "blackballed", I guess you must not realize that the top Jewish and Catholic private schools in the nation all teach evolution as standard in their biology curricula.

[BackToTheCityMouse]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

To give the folks in Dover Area some credit, the old school board was thrown out in local elections around when the case was decided, hence the decision wasn't appealed.

Could it be possible for folks with some sort of narrow hidden agenda to take over the schools or the local government in your town? Something scary to think about.

I give the folks in Dover tons of credit for intelligence and courage!

Your post expresses well why people considering a move to south central PA should watch this NOVA program. Sometimes people get elected to small town public office (including the school board) and abuse the public trust by trying to force their own personal agendas on the taxpayers. Sometimes these abusers, who can be very vocal about not wanting 'outisders' to influence small town life, think nothing of working with well-monied outside groups to help push their agenda.

I think there was also some kind of silliness in E-town (during the 90s?) about the school board trying to establish a definition for "the family" as "a man, a woman, and their children" to be used in the classroom. They were voted out as well.

I went to religious schools for 12 years, and there was no problem with including evolution in high school biology class.