Evolution and Other Controversial Theories Expelled from Georgia
Public Schools
Many Scientists in Uproar; Various Advocacy Groups Applaud "Fair Play"
Thursday, 29 January 2004
Georgia Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox has proposed removing much of
the discussion about evolution from science classrooms across the state,
even replacing the word "evolution" with the more politically palatable
"biological changes over time," according to today's Atlanta
Journal-Constitution. A spokesman for Cox said Wednesday, "The
discussion of evolution is an age-old debate and it is clear that there
are those in Georgia who are passionate on both sides of the issue--we
want to hear from all of them."
Are more changes to the Georgia curriculum in the offing? Sources
close to the state's department of education, speaking to Progressive
Theology reporter Tod O. L. Mundo off the record, said that many more
changes were in the works. "For years liberal pundits have pushed the
theory of evolution and other controversial theories on unsuspecting
students as though they were facts, not theories, and it's going to stop,"
said the source. "We want our students to know that there are people who
hold other theories that are equally legitimate. It's not our job as
educators to force the opinions of one group of scientists on our children
while the views of other scientists are ignored."
What other theories will soon be challenged in Georgia classrooms?
Our source indicated that many will be jettisoned from their position of
privilege within the curriculum over the next two years. The following is
an incomplete and, as of press time, unconfirmed list of theories that
Georgia students may soon learn are just one theory among many.
- The theory of gravity. Since the days of Isaac Newton, the
theory of gravity has been a staple of classroom science, but alternate
theories do exist. The neo-Aristotelian theory draws on the works of
critics of Galileo Galilei, the Italian scientist who claimed that all
objects fall at the same rate of acceleration, regardless of weight.
New, more accurate measurements, the buoyancy of air, and other factors
unavailable to Galileo are causing the neo-Aristotelians to revive
Aristotle's theory that heavier objects actually fall faster. In another
alternative to Newton, scientists from the Chicago Institute of Biblical
Truth claim that the laws of gravity are not universal. They point to
such documented examples as an iron axe-head floating on water (2 Kings
6:1-7) and Jesus' bodily ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9), though they
dispute a similar incident ascribed to the Virgin Mary by Catholic
scholars.
- The spherical earth theory. This theory is based on Newton's
theory of gravity, but proponents of a movement known as Common Sense
Science say that it's obvious that objects fall off the bottom of any
sphere (unless attached by glue, magnets, Velcro, chewing gum, etc.), so
the earth can't be a sphere. Common Sense Science is a movement closely
related to the Flat Earth Society, and in fact the two groups often
present their cases for a flat earth to school boards across the country.
- The grand unification theory. Mainstream scientists are
searching for a theory that will unite the forces of electricity,
magnetism, the weak nuclear force, the strong nuclear force, and gravity.
String theory is one possible path to the grand unification theory, though
scientists have suggested other alternatives as well. Recently, however,
some scientists have proposed that the theory of atomic structure that
drives these theories is completely wrong. "Protons, neutrons, electrons,
quarks, neutrinos--no one has ever seen these particles, and no one ever
will, because they don't exist!" claims Dr. Paul Schroeder of the Science
and Metaphysics Policy Forum of Washington, DC. Schroeder and others say
that the ancient Greeks were right in their proposal that the atom was the
smallest indivisible particle in the universe, a century of scientific
experiments notwithstanding. "I've reviewed the papers describing the
major experiments, and all of them are based on flawed presuppositions
that skewed the results," Schroeder claims.
- The theory of relativity. Einstein may have a reputation for
brilliance, but can anyone really trust the work of a scientist who
flunked algebra? So asks Dr. Lucius Malfoy of the Cambridge College of
Sunnyvale, California. Malfoy believes that the speed of light, which
Einstein believed to be constant relative to an inertial frame of
reference, actually varies depending on one's proximity to the center of
the universe. If the speed of light isn't constant, Einstein's formula
E=mc2 no longer holds.
These are just a sample of some of the theories that school children of
Georgia will soon be exposed to in their classes. But it's not just the
science classroom that faces a shakeup. Proponents of various racial
theories, political theories, and economic theories are also vying for
equal access to young minds, and rumor has it that even high school sports
teams will face broader perspectives that those currently offered by their
coaches. Don't be surprised to see Georgia football teams trotting out
old favorites like the wishbone offense and the flying wedge next season.
What is the reason for all these changes? Another source close to the
state schools superintendent notes that Georgia currently ranks 50th out of
50 states in standardized test scoring, so something clearly needs to
change. "Our idea is that if we let every yahoo with a theory expose his
or her thoughts to our students, maybe test scores will improve." One can
only hope.
[Editor's note: On 5 February 2004, Kathie Cox,
the State Schools Superintendent, reversed her earlier decision and decided
to include the word "evolution" in the Georgia high school science
curriculum guidelines. However, she made no mention of adding those sections
of the national science curriculum guidelines concerning evolution which she
and her committee had omitted.]
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