Ban the term climate change, and the problem goes away? Creationists have been flailing away at Darwin for over a century and a half and have yet to land a punch. Attacking Darwin does nothing to prove their point. If the Bible is true, then everything we think we know about the life sciences, cosmology and geology are wrong, while some Bronze age goat herders, who didn't know where the sun went at night, got things just exactly right.
They think that disproving evolution makes creationism true by default. They are doubly wrong. Disproving evolution is impossible now with the mountain ranges of evidence available. After surmounting this Sisyphean task, they would then have to prove creationism. In other words, they would need to come up with a testable, falsifiable model that explains all the data we have that points to a god poofing all of life on earth into existence out of nothing.
I cynically suspect that no Florida legislator thinks banning the term makes it go away; what they believe is that banning the term will keep beach front property values high for another decade or two, so that their voters don't get angry, they get to stay in office next term, and so they can continue to rent/sell their real estate investments for a big profit.
As the saying goes, 'it is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.'
(And yep, that applies to fundie evangelical pastors and evolution just as much as it applies to coastal politicians and climate change)
It's also about constant performative theatrics and red meat for their base. They need to constantly show they can win at the culture war while the tides wash away their homes.
That statement should be tattooed on the foreheads of every person who wants to back this misbegotten alteration in the science curriculum for Florida. I feel particularly bad for any student wishing to pursue a career in the medical sciences. This proposal would hamper if not utterly hamstring those educational institutions which would support such an effort.
I would hope this proposal would be rejected outright, but we are talking about Florida here.
I note that about Republicans almost every day. They say something true but they mean it the wrong way. One of the most blatant examples was "Stop The Steal". Good idea, but they were actually involved in and supporting an attempt to steal the election. Then there's the "weaponizing the Justice Department". They complained that normal law enforcement by Democrats was weaponization and then turn the DoJ into a weapon against anyone who opposes DJT. It goes on and on.
I will note that not a single objection of the teaching of evolution mentioned in this article was based on or presented with peer reviewed evidence. It was all feelings, assertions, and appeals to emotion and authority.
In other words, not science.
Climate change is happening and will continue to happen whether it offends your precious theological errors and political malfeasance or not.
The fact that evolution happens is indisputable. The fact that the universe is ~14.5 billion years old is indisputable on the evidence.
Bullshit. They're not being taught critical thinking. They are being taught enough of the scientific concepts without being able to name them that they will easily fall prey to pseudoscience culture war propaganda mills like Answers in Genesis. They are being expected to lift themselves by their bootstraps while being denied boots.
It's the Scopes case, Trumpstein style. The fuckwits who believe that garbage come from a long line of gullible, uncritical-thinking mouth-breathers who have been easy (and eager) prey for grifting religionists since the Bronze Age.
Creationists dismiss hard, credible evidence for the scientific fact of evolution.
Meanwhile, we challenge them to explain how Genesis I and Genesis II conflict with each other on their "Creation" and the order of that creation. After all, they claim their book is inerrant.
Nature is intelligible, but in an inductive way, not a deductive way. You cannot, despite Decartes' attempt, sit in a chair and simply logic your way to how physics, biology, and chemistry actually work. You have to do experiments and be willing to *throw out* ideas that seem logical and intelligent to you, when nature doesn't agree with them.
And yeah I fully agree, the direction sounds very much creationist influenced. One particular thing creationists seem to like to do is treat every problem as a blank slate, ignoring past science as if it never existed or shouldn't count, and Commissioner Mack's statements seem to emphasize exactly that. In reality, science education needs to comprise both method (how you do science) and understanding (what science already knows). Method is indeed critical and in the past it has sometimes been given short shrift, but without the understanding of what science knows, you don't progress. It's not an open question about whether evolution happened/happens or whether the climate is changing. It's not an open question about whether faith healing works or the age of the earth. The big science questions are about how students can use the knowledge that evolution happens, that the earth is old, that the climate is changing, that human bodies are wholly material, to learn even more.
I'd rather hear and accept things that favor real, evidence-based science and evolution in a very real way than hearing oft-repeated, very stupid, pathetic, creationist jargon I used to hear on an old children's Christian radio program 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝐷𝑎𝑦 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 many years ago, "You think that they evolved do you? No, they're not. They all created.."
We were just talking last night about what an anomaly New Mexico is. They consistently rank with the red states on things like education, poverty and crime statistics. Yet they are consistently a blue state.
The christain goal is to create generations of ignorant peasants. Ten thousand years of human understanding was erased and a thousand years of exploration strangled in its cradle because of them. They will do the same again. It is their preferred method of domination.
Some are not denying it. In the beach communities around here the construction is going great guns. Whole houses are being lifted 14 feet up and placed on pilings. Others are being bulldozed and rebuilt on pilings.
Of course, even that is only temporary. Eventually the sea level rise will overwhelm the roads and other infrastructure. But that is 80 or 100 years away and if you want a beach house now, you don't care if it washes away a generation or two in the future.
Ban the term climate change, and the problem goes away? Creationists have been flailing away at Darwin for over a century and a half and have yet to land a punch. Attacking Darwin does nothing to prove their point. If the Bible is true, then everything we think we know about the life sciences, cosmology and geology are wrong, while some Bronze age goat herders, who didn't know where the sun went at night, got things just exactly right.
They think that disproving evolution makes creationism true by default. They are doubly wrong. Disproving evolution is impossible now with the mountain ranges of evidence available. After surmounting this Sisyphean task, they would then have to prove creationism. In other words, they would need to come up with a testable, falsifiable model that explains all the data we have that points to a god poofing all of life on earth into existence out of nothing.
As Christopher Hitchens would say, "You still have all your work ahead of you."
As has been pointed out countless times by genuine scientists, nothing in the life sciences makes any sense outside the context of evolution.
I cynically suspect that no Florida legislator thinks banning the term makes it go away; what they believe is that banning the term will keep beach front property values high for another decade or two, so that their voters don't get angry, they get to stay in office next term, and so they can continue to rent/sell their real estate investments for a big profit.
As the saying goes, 'it is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.'
(And yep, that applies to fundie evangelical pastors and evolution just as much as it applies to coastal politicians and climate change)
Hurricane season this year has been light. 2027 may be an entirely different matter.
Republicans run on anecdotes. They will use one light season to deny the trend.
It's also about constant performative theatrics and red meat for their base. They need to constantly show they can win at the culture war while the tides wash away their homes.
"Science begins in wonder, not in ideology."
That statement should be tattooed on the foreheads of every person who wants to back this misbegotten alteration in the science curriculum for Florida. I feel particularly bad for any student wishing to pursue a career in the medical sciences. This proposal would hamper if not utterly hamstring those educational institutions which would support such an effort.
I would hope this proposal would be rejected outright, but we are talking about Florida here.
"Science begins in wonder, not in ideology."
Says the asshole whose ideology is driving his deliberate misunderstanding of science. IMAX is jealous of this level of projection.
He got ONE THING RIGHT. Then utterly failed to recognize or respect it.
I note that about Republicans almost every day. They say something true but they mean it the wrong way. One of the most blatant examples was "Stop The Steal". Good idea, but they were actually involved in and supporting an attempt to steal the election. Then there's the "weaponizing the Justice Department". They complained that normal law enforcement by Democrats was weaponization and then turn the DoJ into a weapon against anyone who opposes DJT. It goes on and on.
Nat-Cs are good at that.
Then again, "I wonder what my conservative creationist teacher is neglecting to tell me" is a pretty good place to begin.
And that is where students having the Internet at hand will bite them on the ass!
I will note that not a single objection of the teaching of evolution mentioned in this article was based on or presented with peer reviewed evidence. It was all feelings, assertions, and appeals to emotion and authority.
In other words, not science.
Climate change is happening and will continue to happen whether it offends your precious theological errors and political malfeasance or not.
The fact that evolution happens is indisputable. The fact that the universe is ~14.5 billion years old is indisputable on the evidence.
Adapt your theology or piss off to a compound.
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑖𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐼 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑣𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑.
The basic tools needed to understand the science being taught are being denied these students.
“𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑎’𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑜𝑏𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦, 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑛, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑.”
Bullshit. They're not being taught critical thinking. They are being taught enough of the scientific concepts without being able to name them that they will easily fall prey to pseudoscience culture war propaganda mills like Answers in Genesis. They are being expected to lift themselves by their bootstraps while being denied boots.
It's the Scopes case, Trumpstein style. The fuckwits who believe that garbage come from a long line of gullible, uncritical-thinking mouth-breathers who have been easy (and eager) prey for grifting religionists since the Bronze Age.
Creationists dismiss hard, credible evidence for the scientific fact of evolution.
Meanwhile, we challenge them to explain how Genesis I and Genesis II conflict with each other on their "Creation" and the order of that creation. After all, they claim their book is inerrant.
Nature is intelligible, but in an inductive way, not a deductive way. You cannot, despite Decartes' attempt, sit in a chair and simply logic your way to how physics, biology, and chemistry actually work. You have to do experiments and be willing to *throw out* ideas that seem logical and intelligent to you, when nature doesn't agree with them.
And yeah I fully agree, the direction sounds very much creationist influenced. One particular thing creationists seem to like to do is treat every problem as a blank slate, ignoring past science as if it never existed or shouldn't count, and Commissioner Mack's statements seem to emphasize exactly that. In reality, science education needs to comprise both method (how you do science) and understanding (what science already knows). Method is indeed critical and in the past it has sometimes been given short shrift, but without the understanding of what science knows, you don't progress. It's not an open question about whether evolution happened/happens or whether the climate is changing. It's not an open question about whether faith healing works or the age of the earth. The big science questions are about how students can use the knowledge that evolution happens, that the earth is old, that the climate is changing, that human bodies are wholly material, to learn even more.
They wouldn't like it much, but it might be time to mention a little matter known as Kitzmiller v Dover.
The book of creation can be read by reason, eh? Maybe if you're Thomas Jefferson and cut out all the supernatural claptrap found in the 4 gospels.
You would have next to nothing left!
Keeping the duh in Floriduh.
"the book of creation can be read by reason"
Florida Man says what?
Sure it can be read by reason ... and summarily rejected!
I'd rather hear and accept things that favor real, evidence-based science and evolution in a very real way than hearing oft-repeated, very stupid, pathetic, creationist jargon I used to hear on an old children's Christian radio program 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝐷𝑎𝑦 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 many years ago, "You think that they evolved do you? No, they're not. They all created.."
Florida won't be happy until it's Kansas
youtu.be/qMJYw0sxZ0k
Or worse, Oklahoma!
Believe it or not, New Mexico is bottom-ranked in education while Oklahoma sits at 47th.
We were just talking last night about what an anomaly New Mexico is. They consistently rank with the red states on things like education, poverty and crime statistics. Yet they are consistently a blue state.
The christain goal is to create generations of ignorant peasants. Ten thousand years of human understanding was erased and a thousand years of exploration strangled in its cradle because of them. They will do the same again. It is their preferred method of domination.
Speaking of:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeRj9lsBTA1/?cplk=dDBxZzVtZTVmbjg=
I also wonder if this is why our “instincts” are often lacking as a species 😂
BREAKING NEWS: Florida Man hacks all school sites in Florida to redirect to Friendly Atheist's Website.
Much as I enjoy Hemant and his work, I have a better idea:
https://ncse.ngo
Climate change denial? Coming to Florida:
youtu.be/rY-HOYTz-rs
Some are not denying it. In the beach communities around here the construction is going great guns. Whole houses are being lifted 14 feet up and placed on pilings. Others are being bulldozed and rebuilt on pilings.
Of course, even that is only temporary. Eventually the sea level rise will overwhelm the roads and other infrastructure. But that is 80 or 100 years away and if you want a beach house now, you don't care if it washes away a generation or two in the future.