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Saturday, Jul 11, 2009
Defenders of evolutionary theory in Texas say creation scientists are getting sneakier -- and more successful -- in getting their views into public school educational materials.
Aug 20, 2003 | Charles Darwin, Satan, Joseph Stalin, aliens, Raelians and fire-breathing dragons hibernating at the bottom of the sea all put in cameos last month at a Texas board of education public hearing on textbooks.
One member of the board invoked Darwin's name with reverence, even as she defended the principle of giving more attention to alleged weaknesses in the theory of evolution in biology textbooks.
"Darwin himself would not have supported censorship of scientific weaknesses," said Republican board member Terri Leo.
But a former United Methodist minister chided members of the board that such "ignorance and misinformation are the works of Satan." In other words, in this minister's view, God is firmly on the side of teaching scientific fact to students.
The president of Texas Citizens for Science appealed to no less an authority than the eyes of Texas as he cautioned the board: "If you plan to modify biology textbooks by requiring the authors and publishers to remove or change scientifically accurate material about evolution, please remember that the eyes of Texas are upon you, and you cannot get away with it."
And one teacher went so far as to warn the members of the board that they could have blood on their hands -- her blood -- if they watered down the teaching of evolution in the state: "I would like you to think, am I furthering medical research? Or am I contributing to Kelly Wagner's death?" testified Kelly Wagner, who said she suffers from heart disease.
The half-day hearing, on July 9, was the first of two occasions for public comment on the biology textbooks currently under consideration by the state's board. Texas is the second-largest market for textbooks in the country, with an annual budget of $570 million, which gives it considerable influence in what gets taught in the rest of the United States.
By law, the Texas board of education cannot ban a textbook simply because it objects to its content. But it can ding a book for factual inaccuracy or for inadequately representing the strengths and weaknesses of a theory. So, this year, critics of evolution are charging the state with censorship and accusing biology teachers and scientists of being dogmatic in their adherence to Darwin.
"The true censors are the Darwinian activists who want to keep textbooks from including any discussion of the scientific weaknesses of evolutionary theory," said John West, the associate director of the Center for Science and Culture at a Seattle think tank called the Discovery Institute, in a press release.
But advocates of teaching evolution in school say that the accusation that they are hiding "weaknesses" is just clever hogwash. They aren't trying to block criticisms of evolution, they say, as long as those are based in the scientific method. But they are alarmed at the increasing subtlety with which religiously based views are masquerading as real science.
"The creationists are getting more and more sophisticated in their message and their tactics," says Samantha Smoot, executive director of the Texas Freedom Network. "They've stopped demanding that evolution not be taught, or that creationism be taught on an even par with evolution. Now they're demanding something that sounds more subtle and more reasonable but that is equally dangerous, which is that the so-called strengths and weaknesses of the theory of evolution be taught. It's 2003, and we're defending the theory of evolution?"
Too savvy to let themselves be labeled creationists in 2003, these critics of Darwin attempt to seize the scientific high ground by presenting themselves as the proponents of open debate in the face of scientific dogmatism. As one advocacy site, Texans for Better Science Education, puts it: "Open minds teach both sides."
