A minor controversy is stirring here on Long Island in the community of Northport on Suffolk County's north shore.
As reported by Newsday, Northport resident Robert Harrison wants to teach an adult education course entitled "What is Creation Science?". Someone brought the contents of the course to the attention of Seth Muraskin, Executive Director of the Suffolk County chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Muraskin is concerned that the course, which purports to present scientific evidence for creationism, would violate the separation of church and state.
The Newsday article also notes that while thirteen people enrolled in the course last year, so far only one person has signed up for the current session.
While NYCLU might be correct from a legal standpoint, I am not so sure that complaining to the school district is the best way to handle the situation. Personally, I would prefer that local residents with the background to intelligently and persuasively argue against creationism hijack the class by demolishing Harrison's arguments. His enthusiasm for teaching the course would certainly be dampened if he knew that his arguments would be vigorously contested in front of his other students. I think this would be much more effective than trying to suppress the course and playing into the "they want to silence us because we are speaking the truth" mindset.
4 comments:
tommy,
thanks for visiting my blog and adding me in your blogroll. i am glad that rational people such as yourself are asserting their presence on the web.
on the other hand, regarding this post, i do agree that intelligent debate would be more effective. "creation science" can hardly be called as science. people must not be misled into thinking that there is really such a science. however, it is the right of people, religious or otherwise, to be heard. but hopefully, reason would prevail.
i hope we could keep in touch.
your brother in disbelief,
homar
ps: i would like to invite you in this forum: http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/popular-science/discuss
"It would be a complete violation of the establishment clause that a school district given public money would be endorsing one religion over another," Muraskin said.
I would not be happy about my tax dollars being used to perpetuate ignorance and made-up facts described as "scientific evidence". Nor would I want to waste my time debating this topic with a creationist because most are so entrenched in their beliefs that the discussion would go nowhere but in circles since religious folks make up any answer that suits them as they go along.
Yeah, but my thinking Star is that he would not want to keep teaching the course if he knew that every class he was going have to spend his time debating knowledgeable people rather than catering to the gullible.
First of all, I don't think that people taking adult education classes at a public school are very bright to begin with ... at least not the ones down here in Oklahoma. So he is catering to a perfect audience for himself.
Now he would never dare try a class like that at a college (unless it was one of those Fundy Universities.)
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