Please, not another Scopes Monkey Trial

We don't know where the majority of Florida legislators stand on the proposed new science standards, but just in case recent comments from Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, (see Gradebook post here) left either a misleading impression or a desire for more, here's what two other key lawmakers told The Gradebook last week.

State Rep. Dan Gelber (left), D-Miami Beach and the House minority leader, said the last thing a person of faith should want is for science teachers to teach matters of faith. But that's what would happen, in his view, if the proposed standards included intelligent design or some other faith-based theory. "Evolution is properly in our (proposed) science standards, and intelligent design is properly excluded,” Gelber said. “I'm surprised there is going to be a debate on this." (To see an op-ed Gelber wrote on this a couple years ago, click here.)

Meanwhile, Sen. Don Gaetz (right), R-Niceville, says a science classroom is a good place for vigorous discussion about any and all theories, but there's no place for intelligent design in the proposed new science standards. "It would be wrong to legislate against inquiry," said Gaetz, a former Okaloosa County superintendent who chairs the Senate education committee. "But the standards themselves should be scientifically based." (The proposed standards embrace Darwin's theory of evolution and don’t mention faith-based theories.)

"If we’re going to have debate about religious doctrine, that ought to be in a class of religion," Gaetz continued. But "I'm not for turning every science in Florida into the Scopes Monkey Trial."

Does it matter what lawmakers think on this issue? It's the seven-member Board of Education that'll be voting. But does anybody doubt that behind the scenes, 160 lawmakers - or even a smattering of them – can be mighty persuasive?

The Legislature "finds almost irresistible the impulse to engage in mischief," Gelber said. "A lot of folks have very strongly held beliefs (on evolution). When there's very strong beliefs on a subject, it's hard for many of my colleagues to demur and show restraint."

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Comments

[Lee]

Gelber makes sense and Gaetz brings up an excellent historical lesson. Now, if we could get the women of the School Board to take some history lessons, maybe they'd see that we seperated church and state many, many years ago. I can't believe one of the four pro-ID school board members couldn't reach down deep and pull out an old lesson plan on the US Constitution.

Keep your religion to yourselves. It's not helping you any and I'm sure it won't help me!

Wasn't one of those board members a science teacher? Geesh! Thank goodness she's not in a science classroom with kids! We're safer if they stay out of the classrooms!

[Terrence Gourdine]

To those who believe that science, taught in our schools, should include the teaching of alternative “Theories” to the theory of evolution, I can only say one thing: No other alternative theories exist!

Creationism (or intelligent design, if you will) IS NOT A THEORY, only a belief!

In the scientific method, the status of theory is just a short distance away from the formulation of a natural law. Before a belief can even become elevated to the status of theory, it must first undergo scrutinizing scientific analysis, derived from a range of empirical sources. This then leads to the formulation of a rational hypothesis, that becomes subjected to rigorous scientific testing. Upon the passage of all these tests, the original belief can then be considered a scientific theory.

Of course creationism can never even become a hypothesis because the basis of its rational analysis comes, not from many sources, but from only one source.

Creationism, intelligent design (or what ever you want to call it) simply is not empirically viable and has no place being taught in our schools as science -- I have no problem with teaching it along with other philosophies.

Terrence Gourdine