Did you see the news about 38 respected Nobel laureates (most of them in physics, medicine and chemistry) writing an open letter to the Kansas State Board of Education?
In the Sept. 9 missive, the Nobel laureates urged the board to “reject efforts by the proponents of so-called ‘intelligent design’ to politicize scientific inquiry” and asked them to “maintain Darwinian evolution as the sole curriculum and science standard in the State of Kansas.” They went on to state that ID is “fundamentally unscientific; it cannot be tested as scientific theory because its central conclusion is based on belief in the intervention of a supernatural agent.”
But then, as board member Connie Morris might say, what do they know?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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30 Comments
Oh boy, “Betty Burnout” gets to make us look foolish some more. Does the pain never end?
Connie Morris is an embarassment to Kansas and to thinking adults everywhere. Her secular beliefs have no place in government. Or, if she is going to promote one religious theory, she must promote them all–including Shintoism, Buddahism, and of course, Flying Spaghetti Monsterism.Just because she believes in one particular brand of religion does not make it right, nor does that give her the right to impose her beliefs on students.Has she never heard of separation of church and state? Probably not, but she does know how to stay in $300 a night hotel rooms for a “conference”….with her family.Like I said, she is an embarassment.
Since Connie can’t understand a word of physics or chemistry, that proves they’re wrong, doesn’t it? It’s her imaginary playmate in the sky that runs everything, not natural law, because natural law just confuses her.
Remember Connie was into sex, drugs and rock & roll before she found “religion”. I think drugs is the key…after all it only takes one switch of letters to turn LSD into LDS.
Brian,No, she didn’t actually pose for porn shots; she just didn’t know she had no clothes!
If there is a God, I’m praying that everone should:BOYCOTT COMMENTING ON THIS ISSUE!
I’M SICK OF THIS CRAP.Let it die!
The editors love to start a slugfest.
There just can’t be much more to say that hasn’t already.
Tracy,I’m sick of hearing about her too, but if it dies, so do our chances of getting someone better than Connie. If, by some chance she gets reelected, I’ll have to stop putting a return address on all my out-of-state mail.
Recall Connie Morris. She’s an embarrassment to the whole state, though especially to the part she claims to represent.
If having a sex, drugs and rock&roll past is now acceptable, even for the so-tight-they-squeak conservatives, maybe the public will be presented with a whole new slate of candidates next election. I may even run. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
I guess science is a popularity contest now?
Gee look how many people support my idea, it must be right!
Yeah, look how many people who understand and ascribe to scientific method support my idea.
‘Nathan’ shows his intellectual dishonesty and lack of understanding of scientific method when he attempts to bastardize scientific consensus into bandwagon jumping.
When scientists agree, it’s because they’ve followed a method. When ‘Nathan’ agrees with someone, it’s because that person uncritically accepts what ‘Nathan’ already believes.
One minor quibble of form:
A link to the article (even the Eagle’s own article) would have been helpful.
This blog is off to a good start, though. It’s nice to see journalists taking advantage of new technology rather than bashing it. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.
Hehehehe Jed,
Sorry for the delay in responding to you. I guess we have a modern version of the “BOE member is Wearing No Clothes” fairy tale going on here. I wonder if it comes out the same as the original story with the Emperor? ROFL
Scholfield won’t give it a rest because he knows he has lost this battle and that’s tough to swallow. But the broader battle will continue. The same points have been argued over and over. You will not convince me, and I probably won’t convince you. Then we will vote. Until then, there has been more than enough said.
Brian,I have no idea how it’ll come out, but Connie is certainly the woman I’d least like to see naked!
What’s interesting about the whole debate about ID vs. evolution is how it correlates to other science beliefs (or disbeliefs).Consider: The silicone implant lawsuit. There has never been ANY scientific evidence that silicone causes any of the maladies claimed by the women who brought suit, yet it is believed by the general public that because the lawyers for the women won, that these same women’s’ suffering WAS caused by the silicone. Science as practiced by lawyers is rarely science fact.Organic foods? No more or less healthy for you than store bought foods (proven fact).My point is science in this country seems to be in the eye of the beholder, or how much advertising dollars are spent on it, or how many columns are given it in the newspaper.True science is based on facts, gathered via experiment, cultural history; geological records et al. Intelligent design is not and never will be science. It is based purely on faith. It might belong in a secular school, but not in a public one. If you want your kids to learn ID, teach them at home or send them to a religious school. Let’s stop this nonsense. It’s the twenty-first century for drying out loud.ud.
Drying out loud? Tear ducts must still be dry.
The world is flat!
JM,Yeah, I agree. there has been an awful lot of hype sold as science to people who have no understanding of science, but simply take it on faith.The same could be said of religion. There’s a sucker born every minute who’d rather take everything on faith than actually think about it. I’d say the only cure is education, but I’ve known some highly educated people who were still idiots.Are you sure it’s the 21st century? There’re still a lot of people living in the dark ages!
Is that really Joe? Sounds more like our little troll!
Nathan says most people agree with him and Connie Morris.
Which Nathan are they agreeing with Nathan? Which Connie Morris.
Let’s leave quetions of science out of the hands of Morris (who seems to have a Mary Magdalen complex) and Nathan (maybe the mutitudes he says agree with him are just more of his own multiple personalties)
Hey JR,At least his multple personalities are in agreement. Think how much worse it would be if he were continually fighting with himself. And even worse, he’d probably lose!
Jed,You missed my point completely. If people want to believe in ID, that is their right to do so. That doesn’t make them stupid, or uneducated; just believers in their faith.”I’ve known some highly educated people who were still idiots.” Why? Because they don’t believe as you do? Because they believe in their faith? Because they refuse to be called out by you so you can denounce them? I think you might want to look in the mirror and reread your above sentence.If you have a problem with religious beliefs, condemning other people for theirs sounds a little tacky, doesn’t it?
No JM,I’m not against religion, I’m against the religious hype thats being marketed in place of religion.I go to church regularly, myself, but I simply don’t take everything that I’m told at face value. I think about it, and put it in context with all the other things that have come to make up my conception of the universe and humanity. If there’s no way to make it fit, and I’m sure of my other facts, I discard it.The educated idiots I mentioned are people who refuse to evaluate their religion, but simply compartmentalize it, and take it on faith, whether it fits the rest of what they know about the world or not.If I question someone else’s beliefs, it’s to get them to think about them, and relate them to some whole, cogent argument. Just quoting bible verses won’t do. If they can truly justify ID, then they’re worth listening to; if not, they need to do some more thinking.I’m sorry if I offended you, but I think it was for a greater good.
Jed,You hardly offended me. You simply stated in your last post exaclty what I was telling you: People have a right to believe whatever they want. But your making general statements like “but I’ve known some highly educated people who were still idiots.” offers nothing and says much about the writer.”The educated idiots I mentioned are people who refuse to evaluate their religion, but simply compartmentalize it, and take it on faith” I really don’t care what they believe in, faith wise, nor am I going to put them down fot it. Their faith is THEIR business, not mine. ergo, don’t teach faith based science in public schools. Teach all the faith based science anybody believes in, or wants, in private schools. There should be NO argument there. Unfortunalely, there always will be.
My biggest problem with Connie Morris is not her religious beliefs…it is her Zeal to impose them on everyone else that bugs me.
This country, although founded ona spirtual basis (just look at our money) has endorsed freedom of religion, to prevent a state church like in England. Connie Morris seems to think that because she believes in something, everyone else should believe as she does.That is fine for the average person to be proud of their position, but when it is a person in government, that is where I get bent out of shape. She is dangerous, an embarassment, and is running contrary to the US Constitution.
She doesn’t stand a chance!
An email I just sent Connie:Connie,For some reason, I find trying to get intelligent design into the curriculum of public schols foreign to what science stands for. There is enough phony science out there without subjecting students to something for which the only answer is faith. Intelligent design may have a valid place in society, but that place should be in private schools or the home, not public school.Having a strong faith background is something this country was founded on, but the framers of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights knew that mixing religion and politics was like mixing gasoline with water. Most emigrants to this country in its early years were fleeing religious persocution. Don’t you view attempting to foist your beliefs on the tax paying public as the same thing?
Respectfully,J M Walker
The response from Connie:
Thank you for emailing! Please know that I make a sincere effort to read every correspondence that comes my way, however it has become impossible to personally respond to every contact. I deeply appreciate your support and the valuable information that you may provide. Input from each and every individual is important. PS: The KSBE is NOT seeking to implement Religion in public schools. My hope is to simply encourage criticisms of Evolution-as the evidence to do so abounds. Be well! -Connie Morris
JM, Doesn’t it feel good to know that your support of her is appreciated?