[asa] Missouri Introduces "Academic Freedom" Bill

A new twist to an old tactic.

From Science and Religion Today:

"Out of Missouri comes news of another "academic freedom" bill, and regular
readers of this blog will notice something new.
Like others of its kind, the
<http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills091/biltxt/intro/HB0656I.htm>
bill, which was introduced into the House of Representatives, requires
school officials and administrators to create an environment that encourages
students to "respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of
opinion about controversial issues, including biological and chemical
evolution." (Keep in mind that evolution is not a point of controversy or
debate in the scientific community.) It also requires teachers to be
"permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an
objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of the
theory of biological and hypotheses of chemical evolution."
But unlike other "academic freedom" bills, which just generally claim not to
be promoting any religious doctrine, this bill claims that it does not
"promote philosophical naturalism or biblical theology, promote natural
cause or intelligent cause, promote undirected change or purposeful design,
promote atheistic or theistic belief, promote discrimination for or against
a particular set of religious beliefs or ideas, or promote discrimination
for or against religion or nonreligion."
An earlier
<http://scienceandreligiontoday.blogspot.com/2008/04/missouris-academic-free
dom-act.html> "academic freedom" act in Missouri died last May."

Keep in mind that "academic freedom" is a buzz word for a stance against
evolution by natural processes.

Dick Fischer, GPA president

Genesis Proclaimed Association

"Finding Harmony in Bible, Science and History"

www.genesisproclaimed.org

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Received on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:27:12 -0500