Senators in Utah and South Carolina state senates favor public opinion in their constituencies over science
Some believe that South Carolina, one of the devoutly Republican states in the heart of the Bible Belt, will be an easy sell when it comes to passing a bill requiring schools to teach alternatives to evolution. Senator Mike Fair FAIR has not had much success so far in passing a bill that he believes will simply expand the study of theories about the origin of species and man. In the proposal he submitted on June 1, he called on the State Board of Education to set scientific standards so that it would include the teaching of "the full range of scientific opinions" on controversial issues. including evolution.
"If they talk about natural selection in schools, it's a fact." says Pierre. "If we're talking about molecules becoming human over a kazillion years, the chances of that happening are so remote that they're practically impossible from a scientific point of view. It is the scientists who should say this, not the priests."
Despite South Carolina being a religiously oriented state, lawmakers have been slow to try to open up the debate about evolution in schools.
The state may be reluctant to pass laws encouraging creationism in order not to quarrel with other states, says Dave Woodard, a political science expert at Clemson University. In agricultural Pennsylvania, the school board ordered that students hear in biology classes about an alternative theory known as "intelligent design" and this caused a legal battle. Officials in one Georgia district put anti-evolution warning stickers on textbooks before a judge overturned the decision. In Kansas, legislators may demand the expansion of scientific standards to include criticism of evolution.
There is great controversy over the question of evolution versus creation, Woodard said. While the religious right is pushing for changes in the way evolution is taught and demanding that creationism be included in schools, it's not a movement that has swept the country, said political science expert Neil Thigpen of Francis Marion University.
"It is common to think that South Carolina is tailor-made for such a concept, but it turns out that even zealous Republicans prefer not to engage in it. Pierre's proposal will have very little support when the state Senate reconvenes in January, but most would prefer to stay away from talking about the issue, Thigpen said.
And a local senator in Utah is also trying to change the laws of nature
Utah school curriculum officials said they will not change the way human evolution is taught in schools, despite an attempt by a local senator to say otherwise.
Senator Chris Buttars, said that he intends to introduce a bill that would require the study of alternative concepts of human existence. Now he says discussions he had with those in charge of the schools raised his confidence that the teachers who teach human evolution will discuss the subject.
However, the director of curricula in the country, Bret Molding, said that the standard for studying biological diversity does not prevent the study of human evolution, this is because humans are biological creatures like all other animals and plants and therefore they should not be skipped in the studies of evolution.
"If teachers choose to teach human evolution, this is in the curriculum," he said.
Curriculum supervisor Patty Harrington said in an interview with the Associated Press news agency that "there is not enough evidence to know how the earth was formed and there is no evidence of a connection between the ape and human families." Molding said that he is not sure that Harrington's thoughts are indeed reflected in these words, which received an immediate response from the biologist from the University of Utah, Prof. Dennis Bramble Bramble.
"Most scientists would not consider this opinion an accepted and legitimate position," said the biologist, whose research on evolutionary adaptations of humans was the cover story in the November 18, 2004 issue of the journal Nature. "The genetic similarity between modern apes and modern humans is extremely high," he said. "This fits into the increasingly complete fossil record." Bramble bemoaned the idea of hiding science information from school students.
"I think the role of public schools is to present modern science as we know it and to let students know how science works." said.
But Botars claims that the schools should respect the values and beliefs of the students and their parents. "In my constituency", he said. "The absolute majority of residents believe that God created man and that we are his spiritual sons, not his spiritual monkeys." He is ready to give the state's schools a postponement of one seat of the Senate, to bring those who do not follow the rut into the rut." If this does not happen, he said, he will renew his demand to compel public schools to teach the theory of "intelligent design" alongside evolution.
This alternative theory claims that human existence is best explained by creation by an intelligent designer, and that there is ample evidence of a designer in large parts of nature. Critics say that this theory is simple creationism, or the literal belief of the biblical creation story.
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