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Opinion
Wednesday, February 28, 2001
for comments, contact Chris Borniger or Nathan Willis at 864-4924 or opinion@kansan.com
Point/Counterpoint
Reinstating evolution in Kansas schools
Our view: Evolution should be the dominant theory of human development taught in Kansas classrooms
Dissenting view: Creationism and evolution theory deserve equal consideration by science teachers
Kansas is still a laughingstock; people around the country enjoy mocking Midwestern culture, or lack thereof. As of
Kansas is still a laughingstock, people on board the country enjoy mocking Midwestern culture, or lack thereof. As of Feb. 14, however, there is one fewer reason to laugh. A year and a half after its decision to de-emphasize the teaching of evolution in Kansas public schools, the Kansas Board of Education voted 7-3 to restore it. In addition to countering criticism, the decision to bring evolution back into the curriculum shows that Kansas values science, education and separation of church and state.
Evolution is a theory, but not in the same sense that creationism is a theory. In science, a theory is not a guess or unproven fact. It is an idea supported by observations, replicable experiments and well-documented facts. The fossil record is only one example of evidence that exists to support evolution.
"This is one of the overarching themes of science," said Harry McDonald, a board member of Kansas Citizens for Science and president of the Kansas Association of Biology Teachers. "It is impossible to teach good science and leave it out."
Evolution also is the backbone of many other scientific theories.
Creationism has no place in a science classroom. It is an idea based upon religious beliefs. In the United States Supreme Court's 1987 decision in Edwards v. Aguillard, the court ruled the balancing of creationism and evolution in the classroom was a violation of the First Amendment.
vacdonald said that some opponents of teaching evolution fear it would cause students to abandon their religious beliefs. He said that this attitude set the tone that we didn't want to hear anything different from what we already knew and believed. If a student's beliefs are strong enough, then the teaching of evolution will not sway them. It should not be the purpose of science to present only information that does not challenge existing beliefs.
McDonald said that states dominated by a religious perspective tended to downplay the importance of intellectual thought. "If we value science, we need to teach it," he said. "And we need to value intellectual development."
Science is necessarily silent on the subject of religion even though religion is not silent on science. The teaching of evolution in science classrooms in Kansas does not refute or support belief in a god. It does, however, provide students with knowledge of a subject that is widely accepted and taught in the scientific community. There is no scientific basis behind creation theory, so it is fair to exclude it from science classes.
If Kansas is to ensure that public school students receive the best, unbiased education possible, the validity of evolution theory must be recognized and taught.
Kate Williams for the editorial board
The Kansas Board of Education's decision to reinstate eviolation law decision from its objective decision.
Lution is a devotion from its more objective decision less than two years ago. Although praised in the name of scientific progress, the decision is merely emphasizing one religious ideology over another.
Wes Benson/KANSAN
When the board voted in August 1999 to de-emphasize evolution, concepts of microevolution — including mutation, adaptation and variation — remained in the curriculum. The recent decision will revert to emphasizing macroevolution. That approach is flawed because there is not a single, undisputed transitional fossil from one species to another.
Strict biological evolution is commonly touted as good science, but it is nothing more than atheism dressed up as naturalism and humanism. Instead of teaching only atheistic evolution, instructors should also teach creationism objectively. Both theories have scientific merit and deserve time in the classroom.
Because this weak model is being taught, shouldn't creation also be taught, especially because there also is strong evidence of a divine intelligent designer?
Many scientific findings do not correspond to evolution, yet there is no mention of them in classes. Information contrary to evolution should no longer be censored in the science classroom, but with the board's new ruling, it probably will.
Creation science is legitimate because it can be observed and tested. For example, creationists claim that all animals reproduce of their own kind. This phenomenon has always supported their theory, yet because creation science implies that God created the first animal of each species, it cannot be taught.
What also will be missing is the philosophy inherent in evolutionary biology. The claim is that small changes have, during the course of time, changed fish into people. That claim is naturalism: that we as humans are a product of time and chance, and that there is no meaning to life. Evolution must account for the human soul; purely biological evolution offers no answers. Therefore, proper education should include both viewpoints.
Michael Ruse, a scientific philosopher and ardent Darwinian, even said "evolution is promoted by its practitioners as more than mere science. Evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religion."
Evolution, according to Sir Julian Huxley, a prominent 20th-century supporter of biological evolution, is "religion without revelation." It takes just as much faith to believe in the illogical, unproveable evolution model as it does to believe in the intelligent desimer model.
By teaching creation science as a theory, teachers would not have to worry about the wall between church and state. As long as there are arguments for and against each theory, creationism should get equal time in Kansas classrooms.
Perspective
Tim Lang, dissenting
Black History Month celebrates a rich past
I told myself that if I wrote a column for Black History Month, I would mention the great contributions of African Americans past and present. I would ignore the negative comments around campus about the month and write about history in the making in higher education by Johnetta Cole, or in writing by Alice Walker, or politics by Colin Powell. But as Black History Month draws to a close, I cannot deny that many Free for All comments this month frustrated me and made it apparent that we have not come as far as many would like to believe.
How united is the United States of America when people ask what the point of Black History Month is? The real question is, what would we lose by not having a time that allows us to honor our past? Is it then safe to say that we should cancel other celebrations that honor the past, such as the Fourth of July? After all, we have our independence now. There is no need to continue a celebration of something that happened a little more than two centuries ago. Are we really willing to
live only looking forward, unaware of how we came to where we are or who helped us get there?
There are people who believe historically black colleges and fraternities or Black Entertainment Television are looking backward. Things are different now, so why bother?
Historically African-American colleges allowed some of our grandparents to attend college, and some African-American students want to continue the legacy of their ancestors. Without historically African-American sororities and fraternities, some African Americans would not attend college. BET is a source of news and entertainment otherwise absent from CNN or MTV. All of these things, including Black History Month, are testaments to
African-American pride and accomplishment just as Fourth of July is to all Americans.
To say it is not necessary to celebrate months designated to recognize specific cultures is like landing on Plymouth Rock and forgetting about the Native American, or to set sail from the Gold Coast and forget the Africans cramped in the bow below, or to erect the Statue of Liberty without mention of the immigrants who came to America by her beacon. America was built on the hopes and efforts of different cultures.
Since the end of slavery and the 1963 march on Washington, many would like to believe everything is equal. The Florida elections and the murders of James Byrd and Matthew Shephard are proof that we have a way to go before equality is a universal reality.
Call the U.S. what you will: a melting pot, a garden salad or a pita with a side of chips. Whatever we call it, we must realize that America could not be what it is today without the contributions of various cultures.
Hawthorne is a Lenexa senior in business communications.
The truth is, a celebration such as Black History Month should be just that: a celebration, commemorating how far we have come from the efforts of those who helped and continue to help build this country. Black History Month, Women's History Month, Hispanic History Month and others should serve as a source of pride. Black History Month is not about making things equal as much as saying thank you, saying America appreciates the contributions and continuous efforts of African Americans.
A Congo proverb says, "A single bracelet does not jingle." When the opportunity comes along to give homage to a group whose ancestors aided in the building and development of our country, we should welcome it with open arms. But alas, there are people who would rather cry reverse racism than appreciate culture, those who would rather keep score than flight to even the score.
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. The Kansan reserves the right to edit submissions, and not all of them will be published. Slanderous statements will not be printed. For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
The Big 12 conference included several beneficial programs and workshops for the UDK articles. To focus on a fight that occurred at a social function is a complete injustice and not at all respective of the conference.
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I just want to say that Nick Collison is one of the nicest, most polite and humble basketball players we have here at Kansas.
What does the comment about panties and Quin Snuder mean?
Hi. Is a rhetorical question a rhetoric in the form of question or a question in the form of a rhetoric?
and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
There's a girl in my Econ 104 class that has the worst B.O., and she always sits next to me.
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My calculus teacher my know a lot more about math than I do, but I can guarantee I'm pound by pound a better cigarette smoker than he is.
I wonder what cavemen's breath smelled like because you know they didn't have toothpaste.
Maybe you should have read the Bible.
It's a memo for all of us from our boss. — God
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Saferide drivers only get paid $6.35 an hour? They save lives. Come on.
Hey, in response to the "Locals vie for commission" headline, I sure hope nonlocals aren't vying for the commission.
When the government gives employers tax breaks for hiring a woman or a Black or an Indian, it's called Affirmative Action. Why does it sound like discrimination to White guys?
Hey Kansas basketball fans, let's go out Thursday evening at 7:45 to Lawrence High School and support our Incoming recruit Wayne Simien. He will be playing Free State at 7:45 Thursday. Let's go out and support him. Later.
Does the Free for All serve as anything besides a repository for the most racist and sexist comments on campus?
and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
The student newspaper is supposed to be for students, but we can hardly afford to advertise in the classifieds because they don't charge student prices, which kind of sucks.
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Isn't it kind of weird that the Kansan put the child pornography story and the childcare story on the front page? It kind of bothered me a little bit.
I think people should bring signs that say "Quin Snyder wears panties" to the Missouri basketball game and bring panties to wave at Quin Snyder.
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Note to Jamie Lee Curtis: Nobody likes your cellular commercials. Isn't there a home for washed-up actors you can go to?
--and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
I understand the entire cast of Friends is White, but can somebody tell me why the entire cast of Martin is Black. I don't understand.
Why doesn't the UDK sports section have statistics for NBA, NHL and major league baseball, whatever, just like every other sports section in the country?
and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
To all the fraternity women who put down women just because they aren't in a sorority: Guess what? We have feelings, too.
I'm going through a 1.2-step program.
Let me tell you, seven's a toughie.
I wish the Kansan would have taken a few minutes to cover greek recognition night when the whole community comes together to recognize award winners. Wish the Kansan was there to cover it. Thank you.
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