Less than half of Americans accept evolution while in the rest of the civilized world about 85% do, which includes even Iran for Christsake…
What is at issue here is the state of Texas giving college accreditation for online Masters and PhD degrees in Life Sciences from the The Institute for Creation Research. In July 2007 the IRC moved its headquarters from California down here to Dumbutt, Texas where they know most people are longer on beer bottles and gunplay than common sense. The Institute for Creation Research
With 2008 being the year textbooks are reviewed and reissued here in Texas, Christian Creationists are on the warpath. Even with the harsh precedent of the Dover, Pennsylvania case stating Intelligent Design is creationism which has no business being presented in public school science classes, the IRC and the Texas Taliban are moving forward as they know a majority of Texas voters are on their side to make Texas children as dumb as they are. Which seems to be the point of all this hey?
Most American biology textbooks have the basis of biology – evolution – presented in the last chapter. Here in Dumbutt, Texas – as in most other states – half of our teachers do not accept evolution and end the course before they get to that last chapter, or they skim over it with some equality reference to intelligent design (creationism). Even most of the teachers who do accept evolution find it much easier skipping it as it keeps them out of trouble with school principles, local town folk and school boards which are stacked with Christian Fundamentalists. Who by the way, are most always elected in off year elections with a 10% turnout.
A few months ago the Texas Education Agency fired their Director of Science Curriculum. Chris Castillo Comer had forwarded an email announcement of a talk by an author criticizing intelligent design to other educators on her email list. Within hours she was found out and forced to resign. In defense of the firing senior adviser to the TEA and former George W. Bush
appointee to the U.S. Department of Education stated.
"This is something that the State Board, the governor’s office and
members of the Legislature would be extremely upset to see because it
assumes this is a subject the agency supports." Lizzette Reynolds. Official Leaves Post as Texas Prepares to Debate Science Education Standards NYT
The loudest voice of the Texas Taliban pushing Intelligent Design and accrediting the IRC is Don McLeroy, a Bryan, Texas dentist and Grace Church Sunday School teacher. McLeroy was elected a member of the Texas Education Agency in 1997 and was appointed chairman by Governor Rick Perry in July of 2007. The same month the IRC moved to Texas.
"It was only the four really conservative, orthodox Christians on the board who were willing to stand up to the textbooks and say they don’t present the weaknesses of evolution. Amazing." Don McLeroy making it clear that Intelligent Design is religion.
What is amazing is how anyone with a lick of sense could vote or appoint these kind of American Talibanies to any position in education at all.
At the moment the IRC college acredidation is being "fairly" discussed. If you follow this silliness you know what that means. To be "fair" evolution and creationism should be given equal time in science classes. Faith-based science – Houston Chronicle Editorial