Here is an article that discusses religion and science in home-schooling, especially as it applies to Evolution and Creationism.
What is interesting about this article, the push for Creationism, and the push for Intelligent Design is that the advocates for these positions do not engage the scientists through argumentation but try to advance a "scientific" line of thought (without or with very little evidence). The main foci is to say (1) look there are two world views; if I disprove one then a prove the other; (2) and to engage in straw arguments ("evolution is a theory, not fact," which neglects the specific scientific connotations of the word theory and "I or my grand-daddy did not come from a monkey," which does not even make sense (or in Mr. Garrison's case-- "I am not a monkey, I'm a woman;" an argument by authority- evolution is not true because it conflicts with the Bible.
Usually these anti-evolution advocates do present enough evidence to discredit evolution and, by refusing to teach Evolution, they do not provide students with a means to critically examine evolution.
Unfortunately, scientists seem to lack the ability to speak to the public and address meaning in our lives.
If you are depressed by the article, then watch this clip. Even in its absurdity, it will brighten your mood. Except maybe at the end.
3 comments:
Hilarious. A must watch. Solon is truly on a roll.
How does a fossil record with trillions of fossils but not one proven 'missing link' between one species and another help to prove evolution?
The Fossil Record provides a generalizable pattern of the development of different species.
While certainly the fossil record is incomplete and finding fossils can be rare, what evidnece is available (such as "Lucy" and the recent-- Apil 2006-- finds in Africa or the evolution of the horse) provides enough proof to biologists of the development of species over time.
Furthermore, the focus on one "missing link" may not best represent the process of evolution. When parents have children, the children are not the same as the parents-- variation occurs. The human race as a whole has gone through many variations, such as in hieght, which can be documentated through the fossil record. There is no one "missing link" here but many examples of change.
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