The Ledger reports that the majority of Polk County, Florida, School Board members support teaching Intelligent Design in addition to evolution in public schools.
It’s unclear if they’re prepared to change the definition of science. Some people are concerned that a supernatural theory will not mesh with the study of the natural world.
Board member Kay Fields said last week she wants intelligent design, which is promoted by some Christian groups, taught in science classes in addition to evolution.
“If it ever comes to the board for a vote, I will vote against the teaching of evolution as part of the science curriculum,” Lofton said. “If (evolution) is taught, I would want to balance it with the fact that we may live in a universe created by a supreme being as well.”
The board’s majority opinion is at odds with many in Florida’s scientific community who strongly support the new, more rigorous science standards, and say intelligent design lacks scientific credibility.
Perhaps Florida’s scientific community has not realized the type of genius arguments they’re up against:
“My tendency would be to have both sides shared with students since neither side can be proven,” [School Board Member] Tim Harris said.
“I don’t have a conflict with intelligent design versus evolution,” [School Board Member] Sellers said. “The two go together.”
“It crosses the line with people who are Christians,” [School Board Member] Lofton said. “Evolution is offensive to a lot of people.”
Pastafarians are concerned that the Polk County School Board is endorsing Intelligent Design, but ignoring our theory, even though it is widely endorsed by the scientific community.
I will wager that the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster can produce more academic endorsements for our theory than Intelligent Design proponents can for theirs.
My guess is that the Polk County School Board is just unaware of Pastafarianism. As a public service, I propose that we contact them, and let them know that there are other supernatural theories just as valid as Intelligent Design, primarily ours.
Contact info:
Those in favor of Intelligent Design:
Kay Fields (District 5)
Kay.Fields@polk-fl.net
863-802-5483
Tim Harris (District 7)
Tim.Harris@polk-fl.net
863-808-0005
Margaret Lofton (District 6, Chairman)
Margaret.Lofton@polk-fl.net
863-294-9076
Hazel Sellers (District 3)
Hazel.Sellers@polk-fl.net
863-533-7714
Lori Cunningham (District 2, Vice-Chairman) - undecided
Lori.Cunningham@polk-fl.net
863-512-1656
Those not in favor of Intelligent Design:
Frank O’Reilly (District 1)
Frank.Oreilly@polk-fl.net
863-647-1390
Brenda Reddout (District 4)
Brenda.Reddout@polk-fl.net
863-324-0127
You can use this link to email all 7 School board members.
Please be respectful - remember we are not criticizing their beliefs, merely pointing out that there is another, just as legitimate, theory that should be included into the curriculum. Please leave a comment and tell us about your conversations with the School Board. Thank you!
The Ledger article can be found here.
*update* 12/11/07 - Their local newspaper published a story about our campaign here.
Know what, I was eating potato chips the other day, and I realized that the markings on one of the chips was the image of The Flying Spaghetti Monster. Clearly, HE has given us a sign, he is real, how can anyone say he does not exist if he engraves his image into a potato chip. Fall down and worship him. It’s a miracle. Pastalulah! Ramen!
I was led to think that science class is about teaching our current understanding of the nature. We are supposed to learn our repeatable observations and retell it using mathematics.
I do not think anyone was teaching quantum mechanics in an 18th century science class because they believed in a wave-particle duality. It was not until the roots were well-established that this topic made it to classrooms.
If in the future it is scientifically proven that a god exists and it is accepted by the scientific community, it would be just logical for the theory of god to be taught.
It should not be expected, however, that some unproven hearsay argument to be taught as a part of science classes. Where is the evidence? Where is the proof? How did it happen? Does it contradict any of the theorems (or laws) that define our understanding of the nature? To be exact, intelligent design terribly fails this test.
Based on that, requesting Snow White and Seven Dwarfs to be taught in the science class would be just as logical.
Xenon
Better late than never. Here is my letter:
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“Hang in there! Fight the good fight!
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We at the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (CoFSM) support those of you wishing to include Intelligent Design in science curriculum. It is only through efforts like this that we will finally be able to teach the truth in schools. Since I am certain you would never presume that one religious view would be more valid for the ID model than another, I look forward to the day when all creation stories are taught equally in classrooms: Evolution, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, CoFSM, Buddhism, Norse, Greek, Roman … well, you get the idea. For too long we have catered to the agendas of godless scientists. No more I say!
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For too long we have let them run roughshod over us with their insistence on “evidence” and “peer review”. These are nothing more than the tools they use to keep out the truth. Sure, ID doesn’t have a single bit of scientific evidence to back it, but that’s the whole point! If we let these scientists continue to have their way, they will just go right on insisting that scientific theories be “testable”. Well, they can wrap their “scientific method” in a box and ship it to China! Faith is the future of science. Evidence? We don’t need no stinking evidence!
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Today evolution, tomorrow gravity and that whole heliocentric nonsense.
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Stay strong. You are not alone.”
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-OEJ
It is stuff like what the Polk County school board is doing that leads me to believe Xtainity is dying.
Think about it, between the explanation of the modern cosmologists about the universe being 14.5 billion years old, they explanations from the evolutionary biologist about how homo sapiens was just the last of many intelligent hominid species and he emerged a scant 100,000 years ago. They explanations of the historical scholars that no evidence exists that the jews were ever captive in Egypt, and the freak shows of the child molesting Catholic church clergy, the cruising for gays hookers and/or gsy hookers of the fundamentalist, religion is looking like it explains little and improves our behaviors not at all.
This stuff is the dying gasp of the non-rationalists, already in Europe church attendance is at an all time low, and what is happenin there will spread here. It just smells like a superstition. It feels like a con job perpetated by the “great and powerful OZ” and more and more people are wising up. A site like this would have been impossible 20 years ago, and not jusst because the internet infrastructure was not in place. Not enough people would have had their thinking in a place that would allow them to openly laugh at the preposterous claims of the religionists. We’re there now, and this snowball will only get bigger as it continues to roll downhill.
Hazel Sellers: “Polk County teaches the state standards for all our subjects and I believe will continue to do so.”
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How fucking vague is that? Old robotron here replies to me with just that sentence. That could mean a lot of things, like, “Intelligent Design is already the state standard, and we will teach that.” or “I don’t think Intelligent Design will be taught in science class, but it would be nice.” Keep in mind, this is one of the people who supported it. Politicians sure know how to say something without meaning anything, don’t they?
@Kendrick–you’re right; it’s a political answer. But I have no doubt that she believes ID should be part of the state standards, but is just covering her ass.
Here’s a thought (unworkable perhaps but fun to consider):
What if all the parents who don’t like ID (hopefully the majority) insisted on taking their kids out of the science class and home-schooling them in this particular subject, just like the nutjobs do. Only this time, the science teachers would go with them. The negative publcity for the school would, or should, be a huge embarrassment and earn the board much Kansas-like laughing stock points.
Then, of course, his Noodly Appendage would step in to touch all and save the day. Boy, would I have paid attention if science class had been about pirates, beer and strippers!
RAmen
I still don’t understand how this hasn’t become a national debate. I mean, it is very simple; what sounds the most plausible:
1. Life as we know it changes to adapt itself to the all encompasing enviromental factors it is exposed to.
2. Life as we know it was made in all its current forms by an un-identifiable, all encompasing supreme force.
3. A flying bowl of Spaghetti created all of existence after a night of keg stands on the beer volcano and partying with Chef Boyardee (who died to save our dinner.)
Simple choice for me.
@Boarg – I think it would be possible if the parents asked for the funding for their children to be refunded, as the school gets its funding based on the number of pupils, and then hired the science teachers as private tutors. As less of the funding would be spent on admin costs (one of the parents can arrange that) they could pay for guest speakers from versus fields to talk to the children.
The school would eventually collapse and then they could build a new one.
Every ones a winner apart from the god boxes who lose out entirely!
Greetings all. I am a newbie to the site but had to express my concern to Polk county. I just emailed them this:
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I am writing today to both congratulate and express concern over the recent decision to include Intelligent Design in the science curriculum of Polk County. I agree that children should be exposed to all sides of a scientific debate, but it is my fear you may leave out a theory that is equally as valid as traditional Intelligent Design. I am of course referring to the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I’m sure you all know that the theory of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has much greater support in the scientific community than traditional Intelligent Design. You would therefor be doing a grave disservice to the students of Polk County, and science in general, if you were to leave this ever so important theory out of your curriculum.
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If you wish to include an alternative to evolution in your classrooms, you must include all alternatives. It is unfair to the students if they are preferentially taught only one, they deserve to know all the theories out there and make their own conclusions at the end.
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I trust you will make the right decision concerning what is best for the children, and not yourselves. May His Noddley appendage touch you all.
The more I immerse myself in this the more I am convinced we are in a period much like the “Great Awakening” which happened in 1740 pre-collonial America. During that period, believers lashed back at those who pursued their secular purposes and tried to build a life independent of the prevailing religious authority. For a time it was effective, church membership in Massachusetts rose and everyone became fearful of God;s punishments. The period witnessed one of the most appalling documents every committed to paper in the history of Amnerican literature–”"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. But after a time the movement lost steam. The trend toward secularization continued and that is why America was given a constitution as its ruling document instead of a church covenant.
In short we becam a republic instead of a theocracy because the zealots lost out in the marketplace of ideas.
This stuff will die as well, everytime religious wackos raise the issue, it becomes a freak show, church attendance is declining annually. It’s at single digit levels in western Europe and at 20 percent and dropping in the USA. In short the overall trend favors secularism, and the religious wackos know it.
It explains why they are so shrill. People tend to become shrill when they are in the process of being marginalized.
Ramen Neal….Ramen. I think I’ll send the entire Polk School Board a link to the Judgement Day Nova program on PBS’s website? Maybe that would keep them from pursuing this at all, knowing that they are doomed to fail AND not be re-elected when it is all over.
Knowing several of the residents of Polk County personally, I am not surprised that they embrace the school board’s bias. Intelligence and independent thinking are not the ways of the people, so teaching ID will fit in well there.
I just sent out an email to all the board members, and all who have not should do the same. Just remember: we are not disagreeing with there beliefs, we are just pointing out that other, more tasty theorys also need to be included.
Everyone should E-Mail them if you have not already. ALL theorys need to be included, and ours is as valid as any.
Ramen
Polk county is seriously one county next door to me. People in Florida are retarded.
I don’t even have to email them… I could WALK my happy behind over there in full Pirate regalia and demand that Pastafarianism be taught as well… (Sounds like a pretty good idea, actually…)
Here is the text of the e-mail I sent to Polk Co. school board (bored?).
Dear Y’all,
It is wonderful that you have figured out how to sneak creation beliefs into Polk County schools. Intelligent design, indeed.
Hopefully, the students will learn why humans have an arm that does not work quite as well as the other, why Roger Clemens, for example, can’t pitch equally well with either arm? Humans were obviously on the short end of funding during the design process. Compared to other animals, such as dogs, humans cannot hear as well, and by comparison our sense of smell is rather numb. Humans are among the slowest and weakest creatures on Earth.. How can humans have dominion over all the animals when quite a lot of them can catch, overpower, and eat even the fastest and strongest human? Perhaps the students will also learn why most birds have better vision than any human.
If we are the product of a design process, it is more likely that the designer was an idiot, or else it was a government project..
Otherwise, keep up the good work.
Lots of good comments here, and snarky one’s. I now think I’ll write to them, and their local newspaper, saying things more along the lines of — having carefully read the article and having spoken to religious people I know about the subject, that I fully understand the preceived need to insert fundamentalist-inspired doctrine, poorly disguised as science, into science classes. On matters of how the physical world actually works Christianity has been in retreat for over 500 years and is at a point now where it is clear that every single statement the Bible makes about how the world works, from the sun revolving around the Earth to how babies are made, are wrong. All religions get a good measure of their legitimacy from their ability to explain natural phenomenon, …. and so on, ending with some of the best comments made here, and a link to this discussion.
God bless you all! I was playing basketball and drinking some brews with FSM just the other day and he agrees with all of you. I, on the other hand, do not. How can you deny the TRUTH? It is written, in the good book that God created the world in 7 days, about 3.5 million days ago. Everything that is written in a book is the God’s truth, no prophet would be dishonest about something as serious as a book written by godly men (the holy spirit took over these primitive men - read your bible to support this). The bible is the word of God, not man, so you can trust it with your life (or go to hell - its your choice).
My brother, Mohammad, also agrees with me. Buhhda still doesn’t care either way but we are working on him.
Not all of us lesser gods were around 3.5 million days ago, we had a nice fishing trip and dad created the Earth. We were all pissed off cause it was going to be a joint-venture. I remember that day and regret having to get the universe’s biggest bass (it was a space bass that weighed 3442 gibbots - a heavenly unit of measurement). OH, i am still pissed about that cause I had some good names to hand out. I came back early cause I remembered that I left the iron on and didn’t want to burn down my hut (when your a deity you have to make sure your robe has no wrinkles or people won’t belief you). I found dad on that 7th day enjoying his creation and we got into a big fight. That is when we decided to kill me on this new planet in order to please this newly created man. What an jerk my dad can be if you question him.
So I urge you to disband your belief that evolution is real, it is not! I was there and saw it all. Now you can try to prove me wrong but remember that you will go to hell if you do (i am a god -haaha). So just delete all these files and cancel your domain names because its not working, nor ever work.
Go with God, not man
amen (not ramen you blasphemers)