Louisiana: Faith Healing Should Be Allowed in Science Class

[stromboli]

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_an ... html?rss=1

Lawmaker says faith healing should be allowed in science class.

The theory of evolution is not controversial to scientists. That's because all of the evidence backs it. But evolution is controversial to the Louisiana state legislature.
Last month, for the third year in a row, Louisiana's Senate Education Committee killed a bill to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act. LSEA is stealth legislation that creates a loophole for creationism to be snuck into public school science classes. LSEA allows classroom use of supplemental creationist materials that "critique" evolution.
To get a sense of the supplemental materials approved under this law, you need look no further than its proponents. Suzanne Passman, who runs CreationEvidence.info, testifies in support of LSEA every year. (You can see her testimony here and here.) She highlights LSEA on her website and suggests supplemental materials from the Institute for Creation Research, Answers in Genesis (source of the Creation Museum), and the Discovery Institute, a think tank for intelligent design creationism. She also offers to provide notes from creationist lectures she has attended; my favorite is "Jurassic Prank," which discusses "dragons as real creatures" and shows that "people saw dinosaurs and not so long ago."
You might think that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Brown University biology major and someone who recently called on the Republican Party to "stop being the stupid party," would not support nonsense such as critiquing evolution with dragons. You'd be wrong. Jindal recently re-emphasized his support for teaching creationism in public schools through LSEA. As he said in an interview with NBC News:
"We have what's called the Science Education Act that says if a teacher wants to supplement those materials, if the school board's OK with that, if the state school board's OK with that, they can supplement those materials.
"I've got no problem if a school board, a local school board, says we want to teach our kids about creationism, that some people have these beliefs as well. Let's teach them about intelligent design. I think teach them the best science."
Evolution is not the only scientific theory that is controversial to Louisiana politicians. Apparently, modern medicine is also subject to debate. Louisiana state Sen. Elbert Guillory had a novel argument in defense of LSEA: It should not be repealed because he doesn't want to "prematurely" declare that faith healing is "pseudo-science."

You can't make this shit up. The level of derp is immeasurable.

[Minimalist]

The only class they teach in the south is stupidity.  In that, they get an A.

[Hydra009]

I'm really getting sick of creationists defending attempts to push creationism with real manipulative talking points like "Don't you want kids to learn about different perspectives?" or "Don't you think we should present the strengths and weaknesses of evolution?"

That garbage won't work on me.  (Atheists get +1 to saves versus mind-affecting, heh)

We know what you're up to.  It's not to promote critical thinking, or teach kids about religious beliefs in any sort of scholarly way, or even honestly critique evolution (not that they'd know how).  It's to get the foot in the door for creationism in science classes, or failing that, water down teaching evolution.  And I'm sick to death of these constant attempts to undermine science education that one has objects to on religious or political grounds.

Grrr.

[Solitary]

8-)  Religious faith would not be such a negative force in society if it  were just about religion. However, the magical thinking that becomes deeply ingrained from childhood whenever faith rules over facts warps all areas of life. It produces a frame of mind that in which concepts are formulated with deep passion but without the slightest attention paid to the evidence that bears the concept. Nowhere is this more evident than in America today, where the large majority of the public hold onto a whole set of beliefs despite a total lack of evidence to support these beliefs and, indeed strong evidence that denies them.

From the very beginning, religion has been a tool used by those in power to retain that power and keep the masses in line. This continues today, with religious groups being manipulated to work against believers' own best interests in health and economic well-being in order to cast doubt on well-established scientific findings. Science is not going to  change its commitment to the truth. We can only hope religion will change its commitment to nonsense.   :(  Bill

[Fidel_Castronaut]

The only class they teach in the south is stupidity. In that, they get an A.

 

8-) Religious faith would not be such a negative force in society if it were just about religion. However, the magical thinking that becomes deeply ingrained from childhood whenever faith rules over facts warps all areas of life. It produces a frame of mind that in which concepts are formulated with deep passion but without the slightest attention paid to the evidence that bears the concept. Nowhere is this more evident than in America today, where the large majority of the public hold onto a whole set of beliefs despite a total lack of evidence to support these beliefs and, indeed strong evidence that denies them.

From the very beginning, religion has been a tool used by those in power to retain that power and keep the masses in line. This continues today, with religious groups being manipulated to work against believers' own best interests in health and economic well-being in order to cast doubt on well-established scientific findings. Science is not going to change its commitment to the truth. We can only hope religion will change its commitment to nonsense. :( Bill

Off topic but I havent seen you in a while solitary. Good to see you.

[Jason78]

Louisiana state Sen. Elbert Guillory had a novel argument in defense of LSEA: It should not be repealed because he doesn't want to "prematurely" declare that faith healing is "pseudo-science."

Yeah, and lets not be too hasty about leprechauns either.  You're going to feel really stupid if you miss out on all that rainbow gold!


(I would say that I'd like to see him take his kids to a faith healer to treat them, but too many american parents have already tortured their kids to death that way.)

[Aletheia]

So, when does the boat get here to take me away from all of this?

I am so tired of being in Texas, and very tired of being 30 miles from the Louisiana border.

[Plu]

Pretty sure you have to supply your own boat.

[SGOS]

Louisiana: Faith Healing Should Be Allowed in Science Class

And snake handling should be allowed in PE.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Fuck faith healing.. I want toothfairianizm taught.. All hail her dental deity.

[the_antithesis]

I'd say they should teach children all about faith healing in science class.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I'd say they should teach children all about faith healing in science class.

Chop a leg off one kid in class and they can have a faith healer grow it back on the spot.. That'll confirm their belief.  =D>

[widdershins]

Louisiana state Sen. Elbert Guillory had a novel argument in defense of LSEA: It should not be repealed because he doesn't want to "prematurely" declare that faith healing is "pseudo-science."

To my knowledge nobody anywhere is calling faith healing a "pseudo-science".  In fact I've never heard of faith healing being referred to as any kind of "science" at all.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Louisiana state Sen. Elbert Guillory had a novel argument in defense of LSEA: It should not be repealed because he doesn't want to "prematurely" declare that faith healing is "pseudo-science."

To my knowledge nobody anywhere is calling faith healing a "pseudo-science".  In fact I've never heard of faith healing being referred to as any kind of "science" at all.

Obviously you've never regrown an entire leg in science class..  :-k

[Solitary]

The only class they teach in the south is stupidity. In that, they get an A.

 

8-) Religious faith would not be such a negative force in society if it were just about religion. However, the magical thinking that becomes deeply ingrained from childhood whenever faith rules over facts warps all areas of life. It produces a frame of mind that in which concepts are formulated with deep passion but without the slightest attention paid to the evidence that bears the concept. Nowhere is this more evident than in America today, where the large majority of the public hold onto a whole set of beliefs despite a total lack of evidence to support these beliefs and, indeed strong evidence that denies them.

From the very beginning, religion has been a tool used by those in power to retain that power and keep the masses in line. This continues today, with religious groups being manipulated to work against believers' own best interests in health and economic well-being in order to cast doubt on well-established scientific findings. Science is not going to change its commitment to the truth. We can only hope religion will change its commitment to nonsense. :( Bill

Off topic but I havent seen you in a while solitary. Good to see you.

Thanks! I was trying to show how those that think? faith healing should be taught in science class think and are trying to undermine science with their nonscience and hurt themselves. How is that off topic?  :P  Bill