# Presentation: 125081

## Creationism, Evolution, and Science Education

- <date/time>

- June 22, 2005
- Fermilab
**Eugenie C. Scott, Ph.D.**
- Executive Director
- National Center for Science Education, Inc.
- WWW.NCSEWeb.org

## Jeffrey Selman

**Jeffrey Selman**

- This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.

## Slide 3

## Slide 4

## Students will be made aware of gaps/problems in Darwin’s Theory and of other theories of evolution including, but not limited to, intelligent design. 

**Kitzmiller et al. vs Dover**

- Students will be made aware of gaps/problems in Darwin’s Theory and of other theories of evolution including, but not limited to, intelligent design.

## Slide 6

## Alabama HB 352/SB 240 
Arkansas HB 2607
Georgia HB 179
Missouri HB 35
Mississippi HB 2886
Montana HB 1199
Oklahoma SB 719
South Carolina SB 114
Texas HB 220 (textbooks)
Pennsylvania HB 
New York A 3036
Utah (planned – 2006)

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- Alabama HB 352/SB 240
- Arkansas HB 2607
- Georgia HB 179
- Missouri HB 35
- Mississippi HB 2886
- Montana HB 1199
- Oklahoma SB 719
- South Carolina SB 114
- Texas HB 220 (textbooks)
- Pennsylvania HB
- New York A 3036
- Utah (planned – 2006)

- Antievolution legislation in 2005

## <footer>

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## 1.  Ban Evolution

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- Antievolution laws 1919-1927

## Bryan’s Antievolution Arguments

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- Evolution is unsupported science
- Evolution incompatible with religion
- Citizens -- not experts -- should determine the curriculum

**Notes:**
(read)

In Darwin’s time, there were Christians who interpreted the Bible literally, and they were very distressed at Darwinism because it contradicted the Bible

There were also Christian traditions that did not interpret the Bible literally  (Aquinas --)  but they had difficulties with Darwinism because it removed God as direct creator of all living kinds -- Catholics and mainstream Prots. = OK

But the same two themes of Biblical literalism and concern about design are the major themes of  20th century  antievolutionism, (and likely 21st...)

## “Pillars of Creationism”

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- “Pillars of Creationism”

**Evolution is a “theory in crisis”**
**Evolution and religion are incompatible**
**It’s only “fair” to teach creationism with evolution**

## Epperson vs Arkansas, 1987

## Epperson v. Arkansas, 1968

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**[law unconstitutional because it] ...selects from the body of knowledge a particular segment which it proscribes for the sole reason that it is deemed to conflict with a particular religious doctrine.**

## 2.  Creation “Science”

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## Henry M. Morris

**Henry M. Morris**

**John C. Whitcomb**

## Graphic

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**Graphic**

## Slide 17

## “The Act impermissibly endorses religion by advancing the religious belief that a supernatural being created humankind. “

**“****The Act impermissibly endorses religion by advancing the religious belief that a supernatural being created humankind. “**

## Edwards v. Aguillard, 1987

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***(teachers are free to teach...)***
**...****any and all scientific theories [about the origin of humankind.**
***Justice Brennan***

## The people of Louisiana, including those who are Christian fundamentalists, are quite entitled, as a secular matter, to have whatever scientific evidence there may be against evolution presented in their schools, just as Mr. Scopes was entitled to present whatever scientific evidence there was for it.

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**The people of Louisiana, including those who are Christian fundamentalists, are quite entitled, as a secular matter, to have whatever scientific evidence there may be against evolution presented in their schools, just as Mr. Scopes was entitled to present whatever scientific evidence there was for it.**

- Scalia, dissent to *Edwards*, 1987

## Consequences of Brennen decision and Scalia dissent:

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**Consequences of Brennen decision and Scalia dissent:**

- “Scientific alternatives to evolution”
- 	- “abrupt appearance theory”
- 	- “intelligent design theory”
- “Evidence against evolution”

## 3.  Neocreationism

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## “New” Creationism: Intelligent Design

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- “New” Creationism: Intelligent Design

*Behe, Johnson, Dembski*
*Wells, Meyer*

## “It is fundamentally implausible that unassisted matter and energy organized themselves into living systems.” Dean Kenyon

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- “It is fundamentally implausible that unassisted matter and energy organized themselves into living systems.” *Dean Kenyon*

## Bullet text goes here 40 pt

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## Elements of Intelligent Design

- Scientific/Philosophical

- “Cultural Renewal”

- Design can be detected
*Irreducible complexity*
*The design inference*

## William Dembski

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***William Dembski***

## Demb.filter

**Demb.filter**

## Dembski’s Explanatory Filter

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**Dembski’s Explanatory Filter**

**Event**

**HP:  Natural Cause**

**IP or Unspec. LP: Chance**

**LP, Spec.: Design**

## Event

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**Event**

**High Probability? No**

**Low prob., Unsp? No**

**LP, Specified? Design! **

** ****UNKNOWN natural cause**

## It gets interesting when you apply these methods to the natural sciences where there is no human or extraterrestrial intelligence that could have been involved, but where, in fact, you’re dealing with a design that is most likely transcendent.
Wm. Dembski, Truths That Transcend (D.J. Kennedy) 2/25/02

*Wm. Dembski, Truths That Transcend (D.J. Kennedy) 2/25/02*

## Design =Progressive Creationism

**Design =****Progressive Creationism**

## <footer>

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## “It is true that proponents of intelligent design are quite sophisticated, yet they defend intermittent, supernatural intervention in a way I find both theologically problematic and scientifically untestable.” 

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**“****It is true that proponents of intelligent design are quite sophisticated, yet they defend intermittent, supernatural intervention in a way I find both theologically problematic and scientifically untestable.”**** **
***Ian Barbour, Research News, August, 2002:p. 19***

## <footer>

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## .... whatever scientific evidence there may be against evolution presented in their schools....

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**...****. whatever scientific evidence there may be against evolution presented in their schools....**

- Scalia, dissent to *Edwards*, 1987

## Santorum Amendment, 2001

**It is the sense of the Senate that **
**(1) good science education should prepare students to distinguish the data or testable theories of science from philosophical or religious claims that are made in the name of science; and ...**

## Santorum Amendment, 2001

**(2) where biological evolution is taught, the curriculum should help students to understand why the subject generates so much continuing controversy, and should prepare the students to be informed participants in public discussions regarding the subject.**

## 2002 Education Bill Conference Report, 2002

**The conferees recognize that a quality science education should prepare students to distinguish the data and testable theories of science from religious or philosophical claims that are made in the name of science. Where topics are taught that may generate controversy (such as biological evolution) the curriculum should help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist, why such topics may generate controversy, and how scientific discoveries can profoundly affect society.**

## 2002 Education Bill Conference Report, 2002

**The conferees recognize that a quality science education should prepare *****students to distinguish the data and testable theories of science from religious or philosophical claims that are made in the name of science******. *****Where topics are taught that may generate controversy (such as biological evolution) the curriculum should help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist, why such topics may generate controversy, and how scientific discoveries can profoundly affect society.**

## “After a bitter fight, Santorum’s amendment to the education bill survived virtually unchanged.” Chuck Colson, BreakPoint Online, Oct. 2, 2002

## Santorum “Language”

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**Ohio HB 481 (2002)**
**Georgia HB 1653 (2002)**
**Kansas SB 168 (2003)**
**Louisiana HR 50 (2003)**
**Minnesota HF 2003 (2004)**
**Alabama HB 352/SB 240 (2005)**
**Georgia HB 179 (2005)**

## Georgia Legislature, 2002

- <date/time>

- (HB 1563):
- In recognition of the fact that a quality science education should *prepare students to distinguish the data and testable theories of science from philosophical claims that are made in the name of science*, the State Board of Education is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations and develop a curriculum for *topics that may generate controversy, such as biological evolution,* *to help students understand the full range of scientific views that exist, why such topics may generate controversy, and how scientific discoveries can profoundly affect society."*

## Students will be made aware of gaps/problems in Darwin’s Theory and of other theories of evolution including, but not limited to, intelligent design. 

- Students will be made aware of gaps/problems in Darwin’s Theory and of other theories of evolution including, but not limited to, intelligent design.

- Kitzmiller vs Dover

## EAE Euphemisms

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- “both evidence for and evidence against evolution”
- “both strengths and weaknesses of evolution
- “evolution as theory not fact”
- “teach the full range of views about origins
- “teach the controversy”

## Evolution is a “theory in crisis”
Evolution and religion are incompatible
It is only “fair” to teach creationism with evolution

**Evolution and religion are incompatible**
**It is only “fair” to teach creationism with evolution**

- “Pillars of Creationism”

## “Morphing” of individuals

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- CREAT.
- SCI.

- ID

- “Evidence against...”
- “Weaknesses of...”
- “Teach the controversy”

*“**Morphing” of individuals*

## Crisis center

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**Crisis center**

**www.NCSEWeb.org**