[Osx-nutters] The separation of church and state.

[Chris Gehlker]

On Dec 3, 2007, at 8:26 AM, David Cake wrote:

> 	The problem with Creationists isn't that they teach
> Christianity. The problem is that they teach Christianity when they
> should be, and claim to be, teaching science. I don't have a problem
> with protestants, catholics, or muslims teaching their religion in
> time set aside for religious instruction (and clearly claimed as
> such), though obviously the atheists and satanists should be able to
> do the same.

Awhile ago there  was a discussion between a Darwinian and an advocate  
of Intelligent Design on NPR. I was surprised at how poorly the  
Darwinist did. He came across as humorless, dogmatic, and ignorant of  
the  philosophy of science. I was waiting for him to proclaim: 'Darwin  
said it, I believe it, that settles it.' He came pretty close. I had  
heard the phrase 'naive scientism' before but didn't really have a  
referent.

My own science teachers were pretty good but I remember on in 5th  
grade who didn't seem to understand that 'sea lions have ears and  
seals do not' is a taxonomic convention, not an empirical fact. I  
wonder about the  quality of scientific instruction these days. Are  
students  being fed a battery of rote facts certified by some  
authority? Are the  schools dominated by scientific fundamentalism?

--
In America, anybody can be president. That's one of the risks you take.
-Adlai Stevenson, statesman (1900-1965)