John Solum wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I sent this message to another mailing list I read and I think all of
> you may be interested.
>
> thanks,
>
> John
>
> This amendment is currently one of the discussion topics at a message
> board I read, and one of the posters provided some interesting
> comments by senators who spoke in favor of it, which I've posted at
> the end of this message. I think the comments by Senator Brownback of
> Kansas are particularly interesting.
> The text of the discussion is in the Congressional Record Vol. 147 No.
> 82, pp. S6147-S6153. You can download this from the Government
> Printing Office at this URL:
>
> http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aaces190.html
>
> Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I have been interested in the debate
> surrounding the teaching of
> evolution in our schools. I think that Senator SANTORUM's amendment
> will lead to a more
> thoughtful treatment of this topic in the classroom. It is important
> that students be exposed
> not only to the theory of evolution , but also to the context in which
> it is viewed by many in
> our society.
.......................................
If only the Santorum Amendment were to encourage discussion of
"the context in which [evolution] is viewed by many in our society" it
would be fine. Students should hear about not only the scientific data
& theories connected with evolution but also some of the important ways
in which religious traditions have dealt with evolution & its place in
American cultural & political history. Unfortunately most people will
interpret discussion of "controversies" connected with evolution not in
that way but as referring to supposed controversies about whether or not
evolution is the best scientific theory to describe life on earth. As I
noted earlier, this will provide an excuse to smuggle discredited things
like "creation science" into classroom discussions.
Shalom,
George
George L. Murphy
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
"The Science-Theology Dialogue"
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