Kansas Repeals Evolution Ruling

Education Board Repeals Science Guidelines Questioning Evolution, A Blow To "Intelligent Design" Advocates

(CBS/AP)  The Kansas state Board of Education on Tuesday repealed science guidelines questioning evolution that had made the state an object of ridicule.

The new guidelines reflect mainstream scientific views of evolution and represent a political defeat for advocates of "intelligent design," who had helped write the standards that are being jettisoned. The intelligent design concept holds that life is so complex that it must have been created by a higher authority.

The board removed language suggesting that key evolutionary concepts are controversial and being challenged by new research, and approved a new definition of science that limits it to the search for natural explanations of what's observed in the universe, reports CBS Radio affiliate WIBW in Topeka. The new guidelines are the fifth set of science standards for Kansas public schools in eight years.

Also approved was a new definition of science, specifically limiting it to the search for natural explanations of what is observed in the universe.

"Those standards represent mainstream scientific consensus about both what science is and what evolution is," said Jack Krebs, a math and technology teacher who helped write the new guidelines. He is also president of Kansas Citizens for Science.

The state uses its standards to develop tests that measure how well students are learning science. Although decisions about what is taught in classrooms remain with 296 local school boards, both sides in the evolution dispute say the standards will influence teachers as they try to ensure that their students test well.

John Calvert, a retired attorney who helped found the Intelligent Design Network, said under the new standards, "students will be fed an answer which may be right or wrong" about questions like the origin of life.

"Who does that model put first?" he said. "The student, or those supplying the preordained 'natural explanation'?"

There have been debates or legal battles in several other states over evolution and the intelligent design argument, but none has inspired comedians' jokes or parodies like Kansas' ongoing battle has.

Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" had a four-part "Evolution Schmevolution" series in 2005, and hearings that year drew journalists from Canada, France, Britain and Japan.

[Syndicate]

Good for them.

[scott4261]

Finally! Reason is starting to prevail - even in Kansas!

[recallgwbush]

This (and the Legislation telling the Supreme Court of Kansas it would legislate it out of decisions against the legislation) was the last straw for me, I moved out of Kansas after the State BOE embarrased the entire state saying that evidence based laws were non-factual. Its good to see they have changed course, but Im not moving back. Kansas needs help but is to rectal-cranial inverted to realize and accept it needs help. Too bad Menninger's left Kansas also, Kansas needs Menninger's advise!

[johnshaft4]

Hey, if the enlightened Kansas folks want to believe in Jewish mythology (and the Easter Bunny) more power to them. Kansas has proven that they are comprised of a bunch of morons as long as they have Sens. Sam Brownback and former intel chairman 'cover up boy' traitor Pat Roberts representing them. It is apparent that there exists an evolutionary lag in Kansas. (Too much Deliverance in breeding...)

[scott4261]

singinrick,

Not all people of faith dismiss evolution. Some of us actually believe that the theory of evolution is the best scientific explanation and want that to be taught in the science classrooms. We also believe that creationism or -as we would call it now- intellegent design is best taught in church or - if it is taught in school - an elective philosophy course.

But then, not all people of Christian faith are fundamentalist Chrisitans. Some of are even *gasp!* Episcopalians!

[formrusmcsgt]

Congrats atheists....ya happy now?
Posted by singinrick at 07:56 PM : Feb 13, 2007

Where does the athiest slam come from? These are people who are subscribing to science, not atheism, preacherman.

[jimbo554]

It's so silly to hear people say "God has been thrown out." It's the religious extremists who put God in the science class. This merely puts the study of God back to where the study of God belongs -- in churches, seminaries, and religion classes.

Who knows, maybe one day science will discover God acutally exists. Now wouldn't that be better, to think that science discovered God, rather than to force science to cower before the religious extremists who require them to adopt something they cannot physically prove?

[nothappyatall]

VICtory for the normal people who believe in provable repeatable, see-with-your-own-EYES peer reviewed SCIENCES and chemistry, a BLOW for those halucinating bibull thumpers who want to shove THEIR murderous blood thirsty god and jezus down everyone's throats under the guise and hidden branding of "intelligent design"

"intelligent design" is bibull thumper doublespeak.

Idiots may fall for "intelligent design" as a new wrapping paper for the package, but the rest of us know a snow job when we see it.

[formrusmcsgt]

Congrats atheists....ya happy now?
Posted by singinrick at 07:56 PM : Feb 13, 2007

Science will always win over fairy tales among the non-brainwashed.

[rokchok88]

As a humanist and a Kansan, I have to say this is GREAT news... now if only Governor Sebelius would get involved and take this issue out of the hands of the State BOE.

If you want to believe in god or buddha or allah, more power to you.
But science is science.
If you TRULY believe in god, then you have to believe that god created the world and all in it-- as well as science.

Evidence of evolution has been seen time and time and time and time again.
Evidence of a non-corporeal being has NEVER been seen let alone proved.

Please, right wing morons, keep your stupidity away from me or my kids school.

[susanhelit]

Happy, happy, happy! But it's got nothing to do with religion - science is SECULAR not atheist nor theist.

As it happens, most evolution scientists, most scientists period, believe in God. By a substantial margin. Science and god are not incompatible.

Some might well believe that if you want to know God, studying his works, with a completely open mind about how and why they came about, is a good thing. That's what a scientist does. Without regard to who, they just try to understand how things work. If you believe in God, you see a marvelous architect who set up a system of rules (physics), and set things in motion, creating a wonderful complexity, and many self-guiding rules.

Evolution is solid, it's the scientific, unbiased either way, theory of how everything evolves. It's been tested, challenged, and found true over and over. Religious leaders, such as the Pope, say it is good. It doesn't say God exists, and it doesn't say he doesn't. It doesn't even say that the Bible is wrong, just that maybe it's an anaology for more primitive times for how God really did it.

I'm always glad to see the forces of anti-science, anti-truth beaten down. Religious stories belong in church.

[speedyclick]

I'm a Christian and a scientist, and I have to say that this decision is a great relief to me, as I've always thought that people who believe God needs us to defend faith AGAINST science seem to have a poor grasp of both. Mary Ostrem, DrPH

[partyguy51]

was tom cruise involved???

[fizzal-2009]

When are you gona pay back your Easter and Christmass holiday pay with interest and a customary late fine on tax fileings since you think your from a monkey,and you might as well throw in memorial day holiday pay cause in a visit to the cemitary not all the veterans graves had a decoration there!

[nynative1340]

"God has been thrown out of this country's morals and beliefs, and principles, ... Our founding fathers would be devastated if they were to jump in a time machine to the future and see this...
Oh well....still doesn't change the truth. Congrats atheists....ya happy now? Posted by singinrick

With singinrick the world is either white or black; no shades of gray, no color. Either you are a (fundamentalist) Christian, or you are nothing. singinrick suffers from the "Christian nation myth" that pervades the Christian religion.

Many of our founding fathers espoused Deism, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Ethan Allen, James Madison, and James Monroe.

So, singinrick, our founding fathers would be quite 'pleased' to see that our Great Nation has resisted the "Christian right" pressure to infuse their beliefs into our government.

Have you never heard of the "Jefferson Bible," singinrick? Obviously not, otherwise you would not have said "Our founding fathers would be devastated..."

Stay in your 'mythos' world and don't try to understand the secular world; you'll be a lot better off.

[nynative1340]

"Thomas Jefferson believed that the ethical system of Jesus was the finest the world has ever seen. In compiling what has come to be called "The Jefferson Bible," he sought to separate those ethical teachings from the religious dogma and other supernatural elements that are intermixed in the account provided by the four Gospels. He presented these teachings, along with the essential events of the life of Jesus, in one continuous narrative."

http://www.angelfire.com/co/JeffersonBible/

[kensonjb]

I suggest "intelligent design" and Theory of Evolution be taught as philosophy of science rather than matters of scientific facts. If no one was around to actually know what happened, who is to say what was. Atheists think there is no Intelligent Designer but science does not disprove it. G.K. Chesterton said he once thought there were no atheists (Where All Roads Lead, 1922).

[scott4261]

singinrick,

Why are you trying to shove your fundamentalist Christian dogma down Dr. Ostrem's throat? She said that she is a Christian and a scientist and that she's "always thought that people who believe God needs us to defend faith AGAINST science seem to have a poor grasp of both."

I also let you know that not all people of faith dismiss evolution. I include myself in that group that has faith but also accepts the theory of evolution and its place in the science classroom. And yes, Rick, some of us recognize that intelligent design is NOT science.

Truth is not all of believe the exact same things...and yes, that includes Christians.

[scott4261]

Jefferson may have admired Jesus as a prophet, but Jefferson was a deist. And he would be the first to tell you that the separation of church and state is the intention of the First Amendment.

[scott4261]

Actually, Darwin did believe in God. But your narrow-minded ilk will never acknowledge that. And before you question the faith of others on this board, maybe you should re-read Matthew 7, starting with verse 1 (Judge not, lest ye be judged...)

Goodnight, rick....

[kensonjb]

Excuse me, who would go to the ends of the earth to preach about and even die for "fairy tales?"

[nynative1340]

I thought Jesus was all about love and forgiveness... Posted by macusweil

Anyone who has studied religious history, as opposed to just 'being religious,' knows that Jesus was all about love and forgiveness, caring for the sick and poor, teaching the Torah, etc. A student of religious history would know that Jesus was a Jew his entire life and would have not wanted a religion named after himself. He was a humble man and did not see himself as the "Son of God."

Jesus would be devastated if he were to jump in a time machine to the future and see what these religious nut cases have done to the religion named after him. In fact, he would be arrested for being a homeless vagrant.

[formrusmcsgt]

Once again I'm being accused of "shoving my beliefs" down someone's face.

Posted by singinrick at 10:08 PM : Feb 13, 2007

Hey preacherman, I never try to convert you to atheism, but you're always trying to convert me to your way of thinking.

What would you call that?

[scott4261]

singinrick,

People of faith do not all have stagnant beliefs....that is why it is called a SPIRITUAL JOURNEY!

I'm done with you.

[wakeup34]

Oh PLEASE!!! If you believe in god, go ahead; if you don't, go ahead. Why can't you all respect each other's points of view and live more happily. There are other much more important things to worry about than this issue over Evolution or God's creation! Our kids don't know how to read or write, even less how to think for themselves and use common sense. Some believe the US is the world and don't know that Mexico is part of North America, think Costa Rica is a state of the union, and that The Little Mermaid is a movie for girls. We are scary! We are going down fast! If we don't focus on relevant issues, we are doomed. Let schools teach evolution, and parents teach what they want at home. No long ago people believed the Earth was flat, then we found out it wasn't: it was round! Nobody died you know, and we just adapted to the new information. This discussion cannot go on, and any State that forces teachers to dismiss evolution is idiotic! Whenever we are 100% sure, teachers can pass on the new input and voila! Religion and state should not walk hand in hand! Let Sunday school do its job, and weekdays' school do aswell. That controversy -or dilemma- IS what creates CRITICAL-THINKING SKILLS IN CHILDREN.

[nynative1340]

"Charles Darwin: From the age of forty he was, to use his own words, a complete dis-believer in Christianity." Posted by singinrick

I didn't know that Darwin was one of the founding fathers!!!

[formrusmcsgt]

I've told you several times on here "exusmcsgt" that you are free to believe what you want to believe.....that you were created with the ability to choose.

So I'll say it again...you are FREE to believe in whatever you want!
Posted by singinrick at 10:21 PM : Feb 13, 2007

You also say that you'll pray for me, hoping I will see the truth of the one true God, yada, yada, yada.

Don't you Christians believe that you go to hell for lying, rick?

[scott4261]

Please don't tell me that God supports this illegal war.

Goodnight, rick

May the peace of God be with you.

[formrusmcsgt]

We use God%u2019s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning....

Posted by singinrick at 10:27 PM : Feb 13, 2007

Now that's a noble task indeed. There is entirely too much reasoning in the world.

[nynative1340]

"nynative1340, Don't even get me started with that subject. I could show you tons of things said by our founding fathers who supported Christianity. This is a known fact..." Posted by singinrick

George Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Swaggert, Jimmy Baker, Pat Roberston, the pedophile Catholic priests, ad infinitum, support Christianity; however, some of their actions suggest they are not true believers. In fact, Bush used religion to gain power.

Your quotations prove nothing. In fact, they prove the opposite. If the founding fathers believed so strongly in religion, as you suggest, then we certainly would be living in a theocracy.

[petesis]

Even in Kansas they are tired of this ***. Good to hear it. For a bunch of people who do not want to push their faith on anyone, it seems to be their main activity, whether it is the ten commandments or anti abortion, or prayer in schools, or god in the pledge, their one nation under god stickers, or their attempts to censor free speech and information, or their witholding of basic human rights from ***, or women, or other undesirables. Or it could be because of their hypocritical leaders who are having meth fueled gay *** while preaching, or writing books on morality between stints in the casino, or molesting altarboys, choir boys, camp counselors and boy scouts. I guess everyone is out to get them because they are so innocently misunderstood.

[kensonjb]

BTW, are you detractors from the "Intelligent Designer" consideration because you don't like Christians, or because you really know the Bible well enough to disbelieve it? I sense God's Word is getting some bad press here much more than the school curriculum. Ain't fair to God, and how can we say "God bless America" and still use the almighty dollar.

[formrusmcsgt]

There's nothing wrong with praying for you.

Posted by singinrick at 10:31 PM : Feb 13, 2007

And do you pray that I will be happy with in atheism rick, or that I'll come and drink the Kool-Aid as you do?

[formrusmcsgt]

BTW, are you detractors from the "Intelligent Designer" consideration because you don't like Christians, or because you really know the Bible well enough to disbelieve it?
Posted by jackfly3 at 10:37 PM : Feb 13, 2007

I can't speak for anyone else, but I have read both testaments and prefer to subscribe to science.

I must admit, when I read in Genesis that only Noah and his offspring survived the flood, I had to ask myself "who in their right mind is going to believe that three races all sprang from Noah's loins?"

It went downhill from there.

[nynative1340]

"...one verse in the Bible Jesus says "I and the Father are One." Posted by singinrick

Since Christianity was founded nearly 100 years after Christ died, and the Bible came much later, it's not likely that anyone who heard Jesus say that was still alive.

Considering the humility of Jesus, it's not likely that he thought that, let alone said it.

Jesus didn't write the bible, men did.

[formrusmcsgt]

Our country was allot better off before the secular humanist movement came into play in the early 20th century, taking the Bible and prayer out of schools, adding evolution in public schools, the forming of the atheistic ACLU, the legalization of abortion(murder), the social acceptance of homosexuality, etc, etc, etc..

Posted by singinrick at 10:40 PM : Feb 13, 2007

Better for who, rick? Jehovas Witness' like yourself?

You love to mention the founding father's intention that this be a Christian nation. If true rick, why is there not one single mention of God or Christianity in our Constitution?

[formrusmcsgt]

What I pray about for you is between me and God. I do hope that one day you will realize God loves you though. I can sincerely say that on here.
Posted by singinrick at 10:43 PM : Feb 13, 2007

I rest my case. I could care less if you drink the Kool-Aid forever, but you want me to change my beliefs.

Thanks for proving my contention.

[petesis]

Christians would have you believe (as they must) that it was some sort of typographic error and that surely they meant to say Jesus in the Constitution but it got left out through an oversight. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

[nynative1340]

"I posted the quotations because you tried to say our founding fathers wanted nothing to do with Christianity." Posted by singinrick

I didn't say the 'wanted nothing to do with CHristianity.' I said they were deists.

If they wanted to be in power then they wanted everything to do with Christianity. But that doesn't mean they were devout Christians.

Yesterday a Christian; today a deist; tomorrow a born-again...

Your quotations prove nothing.

The Jefferson Bible exists--explain that.

[formrusmcsgt]

The Jefferson Bible exists--explain that.
Posted by nynative1340 at 10:49 PM : Feb 13, 2007

Jefferson also owned a Quran.

[nynative1340]

"Fact is people don't want anything to do with God anymore. They want to set their own rules, and they refuse to understand how much God has blessed our nation." Posted by singinrick

Not true. We're all not atheists, or agnostics, or fundamentalists, or Catholics, or Baptists, or Amish, or Mennonites.

Mennonites let their young men drink alcohol before the age of baptism. Does that go against your grain?

[formrusmcsgt]

singingrick-

The Declaration of Independence says we are all created equally, not that we are endowed by a creator.

It does not speak of divine creation. We are created by our parents.

[formrusmcsgt]

I believe in the Bible, the Bible has never been disproven...
Posted by singinrick at 10:56 PM : Feb 13, 2007

So you believe that Caucasians, Negroids, and Mongoloids all sprang from Noah's loins, rick?

Look, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you. Let's talk.

[scott4261]

Scott4261,

This thread isn't about the war, it's about creation vs evolution.

Good night, and God Bless you.

Posted by singinrick

I realize that, rick. Funny how you will turn every thread into religion and, in your opinion, it should be no big deal. Why is that?

[formrusmcsgt]

singinrick-

People are created by their parents. There is no mention of a divine creator. Period. No mention of God in the Constitution. Period.

[formrusmcsgt]

I realize that, rick. Funny how you will turn every thread into religion and, in your opinion, it should be no big deal. Why is that?
Posted by Scott4261 at 11:04 PM : Feb 13, 2007

Because rick has no thoughts of his own. He is told what to think.

[formrusmcsgt]

So you believe that Caucasians, Negroids, and Mongoloids all sprang from Noah's loins, rick?

Look, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you. Let's talk.

[formrusmcsgt]

Evolution vs Creation IS about my Biblical beliefs because I am a firm believer in what God tells us in the Bible.
Posted by singinrick at 11:11 PM : Feb 13, 2007

Fortunately, for the rest of us, science textbooks will be used, not the Bible.

[nynative1340]

"Here are the books nynative: http://www.amazon.com/23-Mi
nutes-Hell-Bill-Wiese/dp/1591858828" Posted by singinrick

After reading the description, it doesn't seem to be something that would interest me, especially if it doesn't have any historical value. Although I did read the first book in the 'Left Behind' series. Interesting, but I considered it sci-fi.

I spent 15 years in hell, married to a nut-case Catholic hypocrite.

[scott4261]

but it's EVERY thread you're on, rick. Not just this one.

Anyway, it is obvious you will never expand beyond your narrow worldview, because you choose not to. And THAT, rick, is the true shame, because growth comes from new experiences.

Peace.