In the USA more people disbelieve in evolution than in 1950. What is the solution to this march backwards?

Question

What do you see as a real solution to this? The USA is unique among developed countries and we are quickly falling behind scientifically and technologically (to say nothing of plain old "enlightenment").

What do you see as a real, practical solution to our march back into the Dark Ages? Education? A change in laws about "home schooling"? Will it take a crisis to turn things around?

Answer 1

Education is my answer.

But the real problem is politics.

Since 9/11, Bush and the right-wing Republicans have been trying to separate the US from Islamic countries, to justify a lot of what he and his staff has done. Since one of the largest groups within this political demo. is the fundamentalists, they have been gaining more ground pollitically. As they do, they start to encroach on things outside of politics--in this case science. And it's evident not only in biology. Look how much evidence they have tried to suppress in regards to global warming.

More right-wing propoganda=more reinforcement for fundies
More fundy reinforcement=greater spread of their ideas
Greater spread of fundamentalist ideas=less scientific, rational debate

And all this from what was once a right-wing republican.

Edit: For all those wanting sources:

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5788/765

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/bigphotos/21329204.html

http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p17022_index.html

Edit: guraqt2me--"The theory of Evolution has NOT withstood the test of TIME !!! Ample proof of this is found at the following web-site, ( Composed by Scientists for the public's information) Center for Science and Culture (CSC)"

The Center for Science and Culture is a creationist organization. They have only recently (I don't remember when, but sometime within the past 10 or so years) changed their name to make people believe they are an actual independent research organization.

Edit: BobbyCow--you are right, and this is being forced by the No Child Left Behind act, another "brilliant" product of the Bush administration. The aim is not to educate all students, as the name of the act may indicate, but to raise student test scores so that they are on par with other countries. In theory, the act is not so bad, but in practice, it is coming at the cost of teaching critical thinking skills.

Edit: guraqt2me--"You are absolutely incredulous in your twisted views on your paradoxical statement "Christian -Taliban" !!! "

Do you realize that Muslim fundamentalists in the Middle East are using almost the same arguments as Christian fundamenalists in defending their views against the theory of evolution? It's being pushed by this Harun Yahya (that another answerer so helpfully cites--thank you Spiderman). Read his stuff...it may sound very familiar. The Christian Taliban statement is not that far off.

Edit: guraqt2me--"watcherofmankind" be informed, that Catholic priests, who are also scientists, are the ones, who presented the "Big Bang" theory of our universe.
I pity the day people like yourself are "in charge" - Hitler had similar ideologies concerning all non-Germans."

And now you presume that backers of the Big Bang theory are going to start some genocidal final solution toward non-"believers"? Are you truly that naive?

Edit: musicequalslife--There isn't one shred of truth or fact in anything that you stated. If you'd like to know why, e-mail me.

Answer 2

As a society, we no longer encourage people to get a good education, work hard, and better themselves. Instead, we cater to the lowest-common denominator; allowing parents to sue schools when their kids fail, have school boards debating the 'validity' of ID in classrooms, and lower the standards at every turn.

Little Johnny's self esteem is not my problem. If the kid is a dumbas$, he's a dumbas$; and the rest of the class shouldn't have to lower and limit their ability in order to help him feel better about it.

Maybe if we quit accepting poor performance (on all levels) we might be able to drag ourselves back into a more advanced position.

As for the home-schooling aspect: the only way that this should be allowed, is if the parent doing the 'teaching' can pass the same same certifications that their public school counterparts have to. If little Johnny's dad/mom can't provide a similar or more advanced education than what the public school's in their community do, get the kid back into a classroom.

Home schooled kids should be held to the same educational standards, as well. School districts and states have fairly specific curriculums that the schools must adhere to, as well as standardized tests to gauge where the problems are. Many states treat home-schooling as different than public (or private schools), and that needs to stop.

Answer 3

When it becomes an everyday thing that cannot be ignored that people in other countries are living happier, longer lives.

When all the technology used in the U.S. is invented, designed and made in other countries.

When you go to your doctor and you get handed a perscription for a prayer and realize that he got his medical degree from a nationally acredited bible college.

When tourist come to visit the "quaint" Americans, perhaps then the folks who have been pushing for a Theocracy will realize they did it to themselves.






Naw! They'll just blame it on Satan

Answer 4

I think you have hit on it. The home schooling increase is troubling. Parents do this just to indoctrinate their children with their personal ideology. The other part of the problem is the lack of scientific education among even those that have attended college. Just visit some of the humanities and social science sites on YA to see the confusion between education and schooling shown in sharp relief.

Answer 5

Whoa, wait. Why is disbelieving in evolution a
'march backwards'?? If anything, I'm glad that people are finally realizing that evolution isn't real! Evolution was never a scientific law, it's always been a theory (an incorrect one) and yet it's being taught in our country as fact!!

As to homeschooling---PLEASE. It's the public school system that's been dumbed down. Homeschool kids can work at their own pace and work ahead if they want to. Not so in public school!!

Do your research on evolution so you can see that the USA isn't 'marching backward'.

Answer 6

It shows how backward american education system is. What will happen is that the americans will get further and further behind. It is the fault of the american christian talibans. They want to suppress science and the knowledge and explanations that it can offer for natural phenomena. This is not the first time in the history of mankind that people are denied the tools that will open up their minds. This is the reason why americans must reject religions and embrace science.

Answer 7

On the lines of education I think we should have more thinking exercises in schools.It seems that lately everyone is trying to compare test scores and focusing children on test taking.I hate when schools compare students every child is not the same.So if your child has trouble learning a particular way they say he or she has A.D.D.

Answer 8

The scripture we both carry shows proof of things to come and proof of things in past if we go to many of things Yahya As. = John we can see alot of truth in what he said today.

If we start looking towards scientific and astrological settings we can start to point at our own text and say, oh that is what that ment and I see microscopic material that far back when was the microscope made and it was 800 years after Quran so we go looking for more of this in the other scriptures once we see it in our book cause the book is architecturally sound and has prove itself to be the undisputed word of Allah SWT and it says we have to believe in all faiths before that he sent so that makes all faith believers brothers and sisters that is all I can say at this time but I know Allah SWT was talking to all of us his creations and he is magnanamous in his speach its SubhanAllah - By the Grace of The Lord. We love Jesus we only have small differences and if we overcome those we can work together and show Allah SWT cause he left us so much proof we just need to use logic cause humans want proof and we been begging for it and that is why the Quran came. There are some questions in the Quran surely they are explained in the explainations called Tefseer the Quran is very complex book you really have to have good solid proof to even try to think something don't seem right its usually us that not looking at it right well you see the muslims today I don't see anything like what they are doing in the book, well very few and that is always how we are until someone comes with verification and claification and that is Prophets and we have to look at them not each other.

Answer 9

Ask the Egyptians our Read the scrolls of Alexandria.

Answer 10

It's raining here.
rain is beautiful.
the solution is in God's hands, and yes, I have a little smile on my lips as I type this. it all belongs to Him. Should He wish to enlighten them, then so be it. Their stubborness has caused them to fall into a pit that even the non-believers can see.

I wish there was a parable in the bible about ostriches that I could cite.

ps the rain just turned to ice pellets.