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.
@ted buckland : contrary to the christians we pastafarians do not say that the universe was not created by an omnipotent being. What we say is we do not believe that the universe was created by an omnipotent being.
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There is a huge difference : the difference between being arrogant and not being arrogant
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Ramen
@Ted,
There is a difference. There is solid scientific evidence for Evolution. Intelligent design, on the other hand, has no scientific evidence supporting it. The only “evidence” for ID comes from a religious text. Church and state need to remain as separate as possible.
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If Evolution is offensive to people, tough shit. The truly offensive thing is the ID proponents trying to put church stuff in schools. If they’re offended by science, they should go live in a cave, wait for the end of the world, and leave the educational system alone.
@ted buckland: a couple small issues: everyone is entitled to a position that involves faith. The arrogance comes when you try to force your faith on others, and, worse, usurp the power of government to do it. It may or may not be a side issue that Pastafarians DO SO believe that the Universe WAS created by an omnipotent being: it just wasn’t Yahweh, it was the FSM.
@neal: both your implicit suggestions sound good to me. We might even be telling the truth by saying we were moderate, concerned parents who wanted good order, qualified teachers, and adequate facilities. And want to be treated by MD’s who have studied biochemistry rather than Bible Biology, LOFLMAO.
some great/superpowers in history
ancient egypt: varying in strength from 4000bc to the point it was captured by the romans(alexander hardly counts)
persian empire:
history taught us they were very mean against the greek, broke apart after Alexanders conquests
macedonian
empire:
greek states at their cultural peak basicaly, lead by Alexander the great, broke apart after his death
china:
powerful through almost all of history though very small area of influence (perhaps a winning concept?)
roman empire(dictator lead):
lead by a strong leader waging war across the world and a senate that complianed about it (I believe that United states founding fathers had this in mind when they wrote the constitusion)
declined in strength in about 400ac due to a number of reasons, still open for discussion
Charles the great’s empire (early france):
almost the same as alexanders empire only in france and in the 500Ac(after the romans anyway), broke apart of the same reasons
ghengis khans emipre:
again, a great leader capturing a large chunk of land and then dies and everything goes back to normal
English empire:
often said to have gained the greatpower status with the destructon of the spanish armada of 1588, considered to have lost its leading role with the end of ww2 due to the growing might of USA
nazi germany:
gained power in 1933 due to dissent in the german population lost it in 1945 because they failed to fight of most of the world while destroying its own population
soviet union:
gained superpower status in 1945 because of the the destruction of their main enemy. It was lost at 1991 (I think) mainly because the russian president found out that he would have more power if it didn’t exist
USA:
the only superpower most consider these days, gained superpower status with the invetion of the atomic bomb.
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and now to the purpose with this brief history lesson:
what will cause the US to sieze being a superpower? history has shown us that it will inevitably happen(well, with china as an exception)
it is not likely to sieze with the death of a leader, plenty has died already and no change.
then there is the possibility the world gets mad at US and decides to conquer it.
then there is the most likely possibilites that the power will diminish over several years due to slower economical and sientific progress and fade away into the shades of history.
Now, before I appear as terrible anti american I’d like ask this:
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will it diminish faster or slower if the US is turned into a christian Iran? where religion is used as an measure to control large uneducated masses
my personal guess is that if these things decribed in OP happen on a grand scale, the illegal mexican immigrant problem would stop or possibly reverse in the matter of decades, do the future mexican taxpayers a favor: don’t let these things happen
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(I am now appearing as anti Iran but I guess there are not that whole lot Iranians that would read this, none that would take any offence anyway)
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any corrections on the historic data (or any at all) is appreciated, noone is perfect
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Ande
@neal Dec 1st, 2007 at 2:22 am
“What is dangerous about ID is that by insisting it be taught in a science classroom , it equates what is metaphysical (speculative) thought with what is empirically verifiable scientific thought, and presents it as such to young impressionable minds. It is in effect co-opting state sponsored science education for purposes of evangelism.”
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RAmen neal
@perna de pau Are you saying you don’t believe the FSM created everything? Blasphemy!
It seems obvious that trying to use *logic* against someone who has *faith* that God did everything AIN’T GONNA WORK. Instead, educate them about His Noodliness. They will be much more open to this line of reason, as it is their own, at which point they may begin to doubt their own beliefs.
Do what’s right and fight to get FSMism taught in public schools, don’t fight to take away ID.
I’m more likely to convince my cat with logic.. his mind is a product of pure natrual observation.
Just dropped the school board a line.
Lacking Bobby Henderson’s fine analyical mind, and his first hand experience with divine revelation, I copied his letter to the Kansas school board, with a couple of minor changes.
Hope that helps them out.
@ted buckland
Hello, first off i’d like to say i agree the Easter Bunny shouldn’t be taught in school. But aren’t all of you Chickenists (soory Eggatarians) being equally arrogant as Bunnites. Saying that the Easter Bunny does not exist is equally arrogant as saying it definatly does.
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*cough*cough*BULLSH&T*cough*cough*