October 07, 2007
Recent Creationist Activity in Indiana
There have been a couple of recent creationist events in the state. These folks are very tenacious, which is admirable, but they don't seem to understand that you cannot disprove almost 150 years of good science that has vast amounts of supporting evidence by holding conventions.
From September 21st through the 27th The Creation Evidence Expo was held in Indianapolis. According to the billing this event:
Is an incredible experience of exploration into the mysteries of our universe and the Truth of how we were all created! The Darwinian evolution theory will be exposed!
These kind of events never seem to contribute anything to science, but hey, people hold science fiction conventions where they spend a week talking about Klingons. Not everything has to contribute to science.
What worries me is the section of their website that says:
Parents! There are school field trips being planned - contact and encourage your child's school principal to RSVP a tour date NOW before they are all booked up!
More discussion of that in a moment.
The other recent event that caught my eye was a presentation to public school children in Wabash County (Wabash Plain Dealer, 2007-09-28) given by Dr. G. Thomas Sharp, president of the Creation Truth Foundation, Inc. For those who don't pay attention to creationist politics, the Creation Truth Foundation maintains the tiny (about 3000 square feet) and dubiously named Museum of Earth History in in Eureka Springs, AK.
Now the article in the Wabash Plain Dealer assures us that:
[Dr. Sharp's] presentation to the school children did not delve into religious interpretation.
So what is the concern? Both of these incidents illustrate the deceitful way that creationists are trying to bend the rules to get themselves into public schools. Parents are urged to pressure school officials to take children on field trips to creationist events. Creationists go into public schools and instead of really teaching about the past they present a narrative about dinosaurs and the scientific method so confusing and wrong that children are bound to be puzzled when they are exposed to the real science.
These people have tricked a lot of well meaning teachers, who may be very religious themselves, into believing that religion and evolution are completely incompatible. They then make the teachers complicit in their plans to smuggle religion and bad science into the classroom. The amount of deceit involved is staggering. What is so defective about their world view that they can't just explain it to people in the marketplace of ideas like everyone else?
Posted by nolandda at 06:37 PM
March 01, 2006
Another Fake IU Grad
Yet another fake IU grad is exposed. This gentleman works for a company called GNG Pharmaceutical and they recently produced flawed study about the herbal remedy airborne.
Posted by nolandda at 06:07 PM
February 19, 2006
Victory for Rationality or Intelligent Design News Roundup (Part 4)
Indianapolis Archbishop Rev. Daniel M. Buechlein opines about evolution and other concerns to the Indianapolis Star (2005-12-17).
Guest columnist Professor D. Eric Schansberg proposes that schools should compete on the free market with some offering creationism courses and others offering evolution courses. Fort Wayne News Sentinel (2005-12-19).
The Indianapolis Star (2005-12-21) offers a history of the Intelligent Design movement. The article is largely informed by an interview with The Discovery Institute's Stephen Meyer.
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (2005-12-23) urges us not to turn our back on science.
The editorial board of the Indianapolis Star (2005-12-26) finally come out against intelligent design.
Governor Mitch Daniels once again publicly stated his opposition to intelligent design at a town hall meeting. Indianapolis Star (2005-12-29)
Muncie Schools are also dealing with the evolution debate. This article makes it clear that many of the students and educators in that town have a strong grasp of the facts. Muncie Star Press (2006-01-02)
Letters to the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel (2006-01-04) make it clear that understanding of the evidence is not limited to Muncie.
On (2006-01-11) the Indianapolis Star published an article entitled "Intelligent design bill fails to materialize" which discussed the fact that although Rep. Bruce Borders, R-Jasonville claimed that he would introduce legislation mandating the teaching of intelligent design he instead introduced House Bill 1388 which mandates “accuracy in textbooks” but makes no mention of intelligent design. The Star has since pulled that article offline, but it should be available at your local library. Here Doug over at Masson's Blog discusses the issue further. There are some that are concerned that HB 1388 will help the ID proponents, but all things considered I think this is a great victory for rational thought in the great state of Indiana.
Brandy Emily a journalism major at ISU argues that intelligent design based science courses taught at christian schools should be admissible as science credit when determining admission to public universities. Indiana Statesman (2006-01-18)
Professor Martha McCarthy discusses educational and legal aspects of the intelligent design vs. evolution debate. Newswire
This letter to the Palladium-Item (2006-02-14) shows that there is a lot of work to be done explaining the facts of evolution to those who do not understand.
Posted by nolandda at 08:48 PM
December 12, 2005
Return of the Son of Intelligent Design News Roundup (Part 3)
George Will's opinion piece in the Indianapolis Star (2005-11-17) concerning the divide within the republican party on this issue.
A letter to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (2005-11-17) insisting that evolution is "unproven" and "improvable".
An editorial in the Chronicle-Tribune (2005-11-20) that opposes the bill based on the principle of limited government.
An opinion piece in the Elkhart Truth (2005-11-21) points out that the state legislature has better things to do than micromanage local schools.
A piece in the Fort Wayne News Sentinel (2005-12-03) discusses how Intelligent design is both bad Science and bad theology.
An editorial by Gordon Walter in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel (2005-12-07) which hits all the right notes emphasizing the importance of science and skeptical thinking.
More letters to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (2005-12-08) on the subject of evolution.
Posted by nolandda at 01:09 PM
November 16, 2005
Intelligent Design News Roundup Take 2
The Lafayette Journal and Courier (Nov 10, 2005) asks residents about their opinions about the "intelligent design" debate.
The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel (Nov 10, 2005) offers an editorial brief in support of science.
An Indianapolis Star article by Mary Beth Schneider (Nov 13, 2005) offers the political angle on this issue. Unfortunately there is not a lot of good news in this article:
"Lawmakers are just beginning to get the results of their constituent surveys. Initially, they show strong support for including intelligent design in science lessons. State Rep. Woody Burton, R-Greenwood, said that of about 180 responses he received, 63 percent favored intelligent design being taught alongside evolution. Rep. Phil Hinkle, R-Indianapolis, said an early tally showed 53 percent of his constituents who responded to his survey favor intelligent design being added to the curriculum."
The Richmond Palladium-Item (Nov 15, 2005) has an editorial which comes out against Intelligent Design for limited government reasons rather than scientific reasons.
Posted by nolandda at 05:23 PM
November 05, 2005
Intelligent Design at the Statehouse
It seems that Dr. Baugh managed to convince legislators that his completely erroneous ideas about biology should be taken seriously when he visited in September. See this post about his visit. Now there is legislation being drafted that would force Indiana educators to teach his misunderstanding of the evidence to students.
Indiana public schools would teach "intelligent design" along with evolution under legislation that some Republican lawmakers are developing for the 2006 legislative session.
Fortunately Governor Mitch Daniels and many of our science educators remain skeptical of this nonsense. The same cannot be said for Russ Pulliam who wrote a very ill informed editorial piece on the topic.
Posted by nolandda at 09:32 PM