Schools, if not conservative Christians, can learn from experience 27 Aug 2009 The Des Moines Register reports that local schools are dropping elective Bible classes and critiques of evolutionary theory to avoid being sued (like in Dover PS). Spencer school officials will throw out a Bible class and discard a critique of evolutionary theory to avoid being sued over the district’s proposed “religious liberties” policy. Creationism and Intelligent Design Education Religion
Book Book review: Evidence and Evolution 26 Aug 2009 For those of you who have access to Systematic Biology, my review is here. It is online only so far. Elliot Sober’s book is by far the hardest book I have ever had to review, being one of the most complex and technical of its kind. It took me six… Read More
Ethics and Moral Philosophy You cannot harm a religion 16 Jan 2010 Chris, at u n d e r v e r s e, has an interesting series of posts on whether or not blasphemy laws are still appropriate in a secular society [Part I, Part II, Part III]. He asks whether or not Muslims had the right to take umbrage against… Read More
Evolution Evolution quotes: Darwin on randomness 25 Jun 2010 Some authors have declared that natural selection explains nothing, unless the precise cause of each slight individual difference be made clear. Now, if it were explained to a savage utterly ignorant of the art of building, how the edifice had been raised stone upon stone, and why wedge-formed fragments were… Read More
Heh. “Religious liberties” policies are almost never that, unless by “liberty” one means the right to jam one’s own religion down everybody’s throat. However, I would think a Bible studies class would be ok, if they’re actually studying the Bible. Sadly, I think the class was probably more like an hour of church than studying the Bible.
Hey, that’s right in Tara Smith’s back yard, right? Too bad her blog has gone silent. I bet she probably has something interesting things to say about this. In fact: Instead, it drew complaints from interfaith and nonreligious advocates, a university professor and an attorney from Americans United for Separation of Church and State in Washington, D.C., among others. I wouldn’t be shocked if that “university professor” is Dr. Smith (or possibly Hector Avalos).
…a Bible studies class would be ok, if they’re actually studying the Bible. hmm. And maybe a critique of evolutionary theory would be valuable, too, if done “critically”, but it’s unlikely at a high school level.