RE: the Kansas state science standards (was Darkness spreads over Kansas)

Pim van Meurs (entheta@eskimo.com)
Tue, 17 Aug 1999 20:25:32 -0700

Stephen: The fact is that Glenn is just as opposed to old-Earth creationists (he spends
as much time attacking OEC Hugh Ross as he does the ICR). He also
attacks IDer like Phil Johnson and even Mike Behe who believes in
common descent.

YEs Glen appears to be a supporter of science and will expose any bad science.

Stephen: The common denominator in all these Christian apologists who Glenn
attacks is not that they are "against science" but that they are against
*evolution*.

I would say that the common denominator is that they are using bad science.

Stephen: The problem is that evolution (ie. macrevolution) does not fit the testability
criteria of the standards:

But it is testable.

"A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural
world that can incorporate observations, inferences, and tested hypotheses.
Scientific explanations must meet certain criteria.

* They must be logical.

Evolution

* They must be consistent with experimental and/or observational data.

Evolution

* They must be testable by scientists through additional experimentation
and/or observation.

Evolution

* They must follow strict rules that govern the repeatability of observations
and experiments."

Evolution

Stephen: This problem of how to control the teacher who is an evolutionary zealot
seems insoluble, unless either: 1) evolution is not taught; or 2) the
curiculum guarantees that the philosophical assumptions and weaknesses of
evolution are also taught.

And how does one control a YEC zealot teacher?