HB 207

§ 22.1-207.6. Instruction in science.

A. The Board and each local school board, division superintendent, and school board employee shall create an environment in public elementary and secondary schools that encourages students to explore scientific questions, learn about scientific evidence, develop critical thinking skills, and respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about scientific controversies in science classes.

B. The Board and each local school board, division superintendent, and school board employee shall assist teachers to find effective ways to present scientific controversies in science classes.

C. Neither the Board nor any local school board, division superintendent, or school board employee shall prohibit any public elementary or secondary school teacher from helping students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in science classes.

D. Nothing in this section shall be construed to promote or discriminate against any religious or nonreligious doctrine, promote or discriminate against a particular set of religious beliefs or nonbeliefs, or promote or discriminate against religion or nonreligion.

I just wonder what all this blather means.  Since when do teachers need protection to cover the SOL objectives in science?  I am not sure that most students have the background to argue their point of view on a particular science theory.  Could it be?????  About…RELIGION?  [best Church Lady voice]

Please.  Religion is not science.  Religion is religion and a matter of faith.  Science has a process.  Faith isn’t part of it.  This bill sounds like the back door entry  for creationism to sneak into science class.

Hopefully, this bill will go down in a blaze of …sputtering out.  Teach creationism in Sunday School.  Teach science in science class.

More reading:

The Sensuous Curmudgeon

 

18 Thoughts to “Virginia Creationism: Dickie Bell’s Bill”

  1. Pat.Herve

    and which religious beliefs do they want taught??

    There is another bill to allow religious expression. I am fine with that – although what is going to happen when a student wants to talk about Jihad or some other topic – I bet those that want religious expression at school events will have another viewpoint.

    1. Do you have the bill number for the religious expression bill? I am not ok with it. More camel’s nose under the tent. Why are we bringing religious expression into schools?

  2. George S. Harris

    In 1777, Thomas Jefferson drafted, “An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom.” This act was presented to the Virginia General Assembly in 1779 but did not pass. James Madison, took up the cause and made some modifications to Jefferson’s original work and it was passed in 1786. This act is considered one of Virginia’s greatest documents and was the basis for the religious clause in our First Amendment. It is very difficult to read but the last part is most important still today:

    “Be it enacted by General Assembly that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in
    matters of Religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities. And though we well know that this Assembly elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of Legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding Assemblies constituted with powers equal to our own, and that therefore to declare this act irrevocable would be of no effect in law; yet we are free to declare, and do declare that the rights hereby asserted, are of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the
    present or to narrow its operation, such act will be an infringement of natural right.”

    Not only does this establish freedom of religion; i.e., the right of a person to practice their religion, it establishes freedom FROM religion. Delegate Bell is attempting to use the laws of Virginia to put religion (the idea creationism) into the public schools.

    If you think this is wrong, I encourage you to write to your representative in the Virginia General Assembly asking them to deny this bill. I have written to my delegate, Rich Anderson who has informed me there are over 2,000 bills pending the the GA. He and not heard of this one but said he would look into it. I don’t know exactly what, “look into it means” but it is a start.

  3. George S. Harris

    If you read Mr. Bell’s bill very carefully, you will find it is filled with the obfuscating language used by creationists to create doubt about evolution. Such language as:

    “respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about scientific controversies in science classes.”

    Or, “shall assist teachers to find effective ways to present scientific controversies in science classes.”

    And finally:”helping students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in science classes.”

    These types of phrases are the stock in trade of creationists.

    1. Yes they are. What bothers me the most is blurring the lines between faith and science.

  4. Pat.Herve

    http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?141+sum+HB493

    HB 493 Student religious viewpoint expression; limited public forums, school division policy.
    L. Scott Lingamfelter

    1. More camel’s nose under the tent. Is it too much to ask that kids just go to school and learn their lessons? Debate religion in Sunday School.

      It causes a problem in public schools. (on many different levels)

  5. @George S. Harris
    Let them use those phrases.

    If its not spelled out specifically to cover creationism…..the teachers can declare that they are covering any number of scientific controversies.

    My church covered evolution and history and kept creation stories in the comparative religion class.

    One way to CYA….state at the beginning of the course….. Some people do not believe in the theories of evolution and natural selection. This course does not disparage them.
    And then proceed to teach science. The “controversy” can be covered in about 10 minutes. And the teachers should cover MANY creation myths. I like the one that has God getting drunk and making man as a practical joke. I just can’t remember which religion had that one.

    In fact, the more I think about it…leading into the subject by discussing creation myths and showing how people tried to explain it long ago is a good lead in. That is exactly how my Big History text book started. If the teacher isn’t proselytizing, then its history. Teaching more history is always good.

    And it flips this idiotic law on its head.

    I had a guy in my history class “BIG History” that is a creationist. He dropped the class….and ended up getting History of Genetics. HAHAHAHAHA! More power to him, but I don’t see how a creationist becomes a history major. More power to him. It s a free country.

    Big History is the new history discipline that covers history from the Big Bang and includes Deep History which covers pre-history…..ie, all history prior to 6000 years ago. VERY dense reading.

    1. I don’t understand why teachers need protection to discuss scientific thought and to weigh one theory against another. Big Bang vs steady state. No problem.

      This is camel’s nose under the tent for sure.

      The best way to cut it off at the pass is to say that some people are taught different things in their churches. This class is not designed to make you believe. It is designed to make you familiar with current scientific thought. You are free to believe what you want to believe. However, you will need to know what the Big Bang theory is (or What Darwin thought) for the test.

      You went to parochial school? They have a little easier time with this.
      The bill is unacceptable and should not pass.

  6. @Moon-howler
    9 years of Catholic school, including 4 years at a Catholic boarding school. Kindergarten, 1st, 1/2 of fourth (taken out and put in public. My mom couldn’t stand the nuns.), 6-9 boarding school, and 10-11. So, 8.5 years. My mother was a teacher. She wasn’t about to put me into a Louisiana public school if she could help it.

    1. Bad? How so? Compare them to Virginia.

  7. I was too little to compare them myself.

    But, from what I understood from my mother, Jefferson Parish and New Orleans schools were poorly run, racial tensions were prevalent, and the curriculum could be week. My mother did not have a high opinion of most of the school teachers she encountered at that time. She worked for the superintendent for years in a position known as a consultant. They were the trouble shooters for the superintendent. And she was lucky to be working for the only one hired from outside the state…..no nepotism. He didn’t mind “pissing off” the local power structure and exposing problems.

    She enjoyed that job. Then she ended up teaching at the only magnet school in New Orleans, Ben Franklin. Ended up Dept head.

    1. I believe you said foreign language teacher?
      Yes, it is hard to evaluate when you are little…at least honestly.

  8. “and the curriculum could be week.”

    Must be that publik skoolin….

    edit THEN submit….weak.

  9. Scout

    As a Christian, I am always perplexed by these pols who want civil servants teaching something as important and complex as religion. Most of the people trying to insinuate government into religion are exactly the people who will tell you that government is incompetent, inefficient, oppressive, stupid, etc. Yet they would want government employees influencing the religious education of their kids? (!).

    If you have strong feelings about religious issues, teach them in your home or in your church. Leave the government out of it.

    1. What an excellent point, Scout.

      I certainly wouldn’t want to have to teach someone else’s kid religion.

      I would like to add to your statement…if you want to pray, then do it around the breakfast table. The family thing.

  10. Scout

    We can pray anywhere. There has never been a ban on prayer in school. The problem is government-imposed, government-led prayer. I prayed my way through probably more that half the exams I ever took (with varying results).

    1. Some of us have probably caused people to pray also. Listening around a classroom, one can often hear, “Oh GOD.” when one receives a test.

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