Teach the controversy

Insidious legislation
Teach the controversy

In your congress

* Santorum Amendment
* Indiana Senate Bill 89
* Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
* Academic Freedom Act
* Louisiana Academic Freedom Act
* Edwards v. Aguillard
* Eugenie Scott
* Truth in Science

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“”…when two opposite points of view are expressed with equal intensity, the truth does not necessarily lie exactly halfway between them. It is possible for one side to be simply wrong.

—Richard Dawkins, quoted in Scientific American[1]

"Teach the controversy" is a political astroturf campaign started by the Discovery Institute that aims to convince public schools and local Boards of Education in the United States to discuss the "non-scientific problems" religionists have found with the theory of evolution. Of course, when it comes to evolution, there isn't actually a "controversy" at all: it is a manufactroversy that exists only in the minds of intelligent design proponents and other creationists. The dumbest example of its use so far is recorded in Richard Dawkins' interview of Wendy Wright.

## Contents

* 1 The argument
* 2 The Wealth of Educations
* 3 Discovery Institute stance
* 4 Yes! Teach the controversy!
* 5 Spin-offs
* 6 See also
* 7 External links
* 8 References

## The argument[edit]

The argument is structured (using pseudoscience) in such a way that if one follows it through, it appears as though "Teaching the Controversy" is a reasonable and "right" thing to do for school-age children.

Correct premises are established:

1. Scientists have disagreements about evolution; specific disagreements about the way evolution works, what factors influence it, if it proceeds at a constant or variable rate, etc.
2. Scientists do not know everything about evolution.
3. There are rare instances where the data (possibly incomplete data) does not fit into the current evolutionary model.
4. Scientists have made historical and factual mistakes about evolution. They have dared to change their minds and their theories about aspects of evolution when faced with contrary data. (In other words, scientists are guilty of being not as cock-sure of their ideas as fundamentalists are of theirs.)
5. The best education is one that encourages students to look at legitimate arguments and talk about them, forming their own conclusion. (Although even this has the potential for abuse.) Examples:

* Who won a political debate?
* Should the world spend more money today for a green earth tomorrow?
* Did Native Americans cross in 1, 2, 3 or more waves?

From those correct premises, leaps of logic are then made:

1. If scientists disagree about evolution, it must be entirely wrong, in full.
2. If scientists do not know everything about evolution, it must be entirely wrong, in full.
3. When any single event or fact cannot be explained, today, the theory that explains most things must be entirely wrong, in full.
4. If a mistake is made, or a theory is changed, it proves there is a controversy in the scientific community. It also generally proves someone wants to hide that controversy.
5. Since science is ignorant of all these things, the god of the gaps is the only answer.

These leaps of logic are then used to "rationally" reach a conclusion:

1. Since evolution is wrong, and even the scientists agree it is wrong, then the best thing for students, and the best way to challenge students even according to liberals' own views of education is to "teach the controversy" and let students decide.

The culture of the U.S. is replete with aphorisms like "there are two sides to every story", "let the reader decide", and so on. This predisposes people who are not experts in science to agree that it is important to teach both sides. Of course, creationists don't care that creationism is not an accepted part of the game by any reasonable definition of science, and any real extant controversy would be over the exact details of how life changes (and not whether it does).

Most educational resources reinforce that the straw man controversy of "evolution" vs. "God" is not real, is not represented in any scientific literature, and should most certainly not be taught in a public school biology course.

## The Wealth of Educations[edit]

“”[Adam] Smith observed in his day the unfortunate proclivity of some authorities to interject their views into the educational system, and unfortunately many of those views may not have been educated views – but founded in political or religious zealotry which, unchecked, were destructive to the educational processes. Unfortunately, in modern times, we seem to have no shortage of examples where such religious constraints are imposed on education. For example, “Creationism” is a religious idea that politicians have substituted into the science curriculum in a few states where religious fundamentalism is also a powerful political force. State legislatures or school boards substituting their own personal faith or political understanding, for the knowledge of the scientist is precisely the type of extraneous jurisdiction Smith warned about 230 years ago.

—Samavati 2015 et al[2]

## Discovery Institute stance[edit]

The Discovery Institute has been very careful with its wording on the recent anti-evolutionary campaigns. It tries not to directly promote creationism and attack evolution, hence the "teach the evidence" and "let the people decide." However, the campaign does some strong hinting towards Intelligent Design, labelling it as a valid alternative to evolution.

Naturally, if the evidence was properly taught, ID and creationism would be laughed off the stage. This leads to the most valid criticism toward rejecting "teach the controversy", namely that if you did properly teach it, creationism would be undermined.

## Yes! Teach the controversy![edit]

With all the brouhaha about evolution vs. creationism, it is clear there is a controversy — at least in some circles. However, said controversy relates not to the scientific community, but within the social science fields of politics and religion, and it is in those fields that it should be addressed. Curriculum in political science or comparative religion class, dealing with creationism and evolution, is acceptable by just about any standards, and would certainly teach the "controversy" as it exists. Teachers just need to make time in classes at all levels to teach important controversies — such as those between Young-Earth and Old-Earth creationists — alongside the significant (and sometimes many-sided) theological controversies between (for example) the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox churches and the Waldensians.

And if we're making room for Creationism in the classrooms, we should go for Islamic or Hindu creationism. Oh, wait — was that a controversial suggestion? If so, let's teach the controversy! And if that wasn't a controversial suggestion, then per definition that means that we're in agreement (read: there is an absence of controversy) on teaching Qur'anic lore in American science classes. Great!

And what about sex education? It's a controversial topic that so many school districts exclusively teach abstinence in their sex ed classes, so why not "teach the controversy" there?

## Spin-offs[edit]

The phrase has since been reclaimed somewhat (if the Google search for the term is anything to go by) as the reductio ad absurdum that it denotes. If the "controversy" around evolution should be taught, then the "controversy" surrounding topics like where babies come from, whether or not climate change is caused by human activities, whether or not passive smoking is harmful, the shape of the Earth, and whether or not the Holocaust happened should also be taught — including the views of other religions on the matter.[3] The strengths and weaknesses movement is the next logical progression in that it attempts to undermine evolution without explicitly discussing creationism.

## See also[edit]

* Wedge Document
* Wishful thinking
* Biblically knowing pi -- teach the other controversy

## External links[edit]

* An evolutionary analysis of anti-evolution legislation, ArsTechnica
* Wearscience.com \- for a range of spiffing t-shirts declaring the multiple controversies facing the modern classroom.

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Michael Shermer. "Wronger than Wrong". Scientific American.
2. ↑ Samavati, Hedayeh, and David A. Dilts. "Classical Views of the Academy: Education in Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations."
3. ↑ http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA040.html

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Articles about creationism

Types of creationism: |  Gap creationism • Day-age creationism • Old Earth creationism • Progressive creation • Hare Krishna creationism • Young Earth creationism • Intelligent design •
Evidence against a recent creation: |  Creationism and social history • Geomagnetism • Petrified forest • Radiometric dating • Carbon dating • Dendrochronology • Y-chromosomal Adam • Mitochondrial Eve • Starlight problem • Plate tectonics • Rotation of the Earth • Atmosphere of the Moon • Biogeography • K-Pg extinction event • Geologic timeline • Fossil • Transitional fossil • Fossil record • Lake Agassiz • List of transitional forms • Punctuated equilibrium • Bird evolution • Geology • Grand Canyon • Fossil fuel • Paleontology • History of the Earth • Evidence against a recent creation • Yellowstone • Diamond • Iron • Age of the Earth • Evolution •
| Creationist claims: |  Geomagnetism • Do you want to be descended from a monkey? • Evolution and religion • Evolution and morality • C-decay • Peanut butter argument • Intelligent design and academic freedom • Science was wrong before • Science doesn't know everything • Catastrophic plate tectonics • Hydroplate theory • Lunar bukkake hypothesis • Creationist mathematics • Biblical literalism • Bumblebee argument • Orchidaceae • Irreducible complexity • Leap second • Wedge Strategy • Noah's Ark • 101 evidences for a young age of the Earth and the universe • Noah's Ark sightings • Evolution conspiracy • Recession of the Moon • Rotation of the Earth • Atmosphere of the Moon • Lunar dust • Lunar radioactivity • White hole cosmology • Firmament • Evolutionism • Haji Yearam • Galactocentricity • Hanzi of Genesis • Historical and operational science • Proof of the inconsistency of arithmetic • List of creationist claims • Global flood • De-evolution • Microevolution and macroevolution • In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood • Borel's Law • Dinosaur denialism • Baraminology •
| Global flood: |  Flood geology • Noah's Ark • Noah • Lunar bukkake hypothesis • Fossil sorting by the global flood • Hydroplate theory • Global flood • Grand Canyon • Noah (film) • Epic of Gilgamesh • Didit fallacy • God's Love • Noah's Ark sightings • Haji Yearam • Lake Agassiz • Parasites during the global flood • Life and the global flood • Global flood chronology • Yellowstone • Petrified forest • Baraminology •
Intelligent design creationism: |  Falsifiability of creationism • Irreducible complexity • Cdesign proponentsists • Intelligent design and academic freedom • Argument from design • The Wonders of Creation Reveal God's Glory • Biological Information: New Perspectives • Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design • John A. Davison • Evolution Under the Microscope: A Scientific Critique of the Theory of Evolution • Rethinking Darwin: A Vedic Study of Darwinism and Intelligent Design • Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False • Providence Lost: A Critique of Darwinism • The Darwin Myth: The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin • The Mystery of Life's Origin: Reassessing Current Theories • The Origin of Human Nature: A Zen Buddhist Looks at Evolution • Thomas Nagel • Darwinism Under The Microscope: How Recent Scientific Evidence Points To Divine Design • The End of Darwinism • Ask Darwinists • Polonium halos • Explanatory Filter • Flowers of asexually-reproducing plants • Eye • Argument from fine tuning • Argument from beauty • Argument from first cause • Flagellum • Moody Institute of Science • Intelligent design • Laryngeal nerve • Suboptimal design • Adam and Evolution: A Scientific Critique of Neo-Darwinism • Expelled: Leader's Guide • Banana argument • Vault-Co •
| "Intelligent" alternatives: |  Intelligent falling • Scientific storkism • Pastafarianism • Scientific Geoterrapinism • Wedgie strategy •
| Teach the controversy: |  Santorum Amendment • Missouri House Bill 1227 • Indiana Senate Bill 89 • Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District • Academic Freedom Act • Louisiana Academic Freedom Act • Tennessee monkey bill • Edwards v. Aguillard • Thomas More Law Center • School vouchers • Eugenie Scott • Truth in Science • McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education •
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| Fundie schools: |  Brigham Young University • Cedarville University • Patrick Henry College • Regent University • Patriot Bible University • Fundie school • The Master's University • San Diego Christian College • Columbia Pacific University • Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools • Pensacola Christian College • Bob Jones University • Hyles-Anderson College • University of South Los Angeles • Cambridge Theological Seminary • Haven University • Liberty University • Louisiana Baptist University and Seminary • New Eden School of Natural Health • Andersonville Theological Seminary • Ambassador Baptist College • Hillsdale College • Illegal schools in the United Kingdom •
| Discovery Institute: |  Of Pandas and People • Wedge Strategy • Text of The Wedge Strategy • Explore Evolution • David Berlinski • Biologic Institute • Jonathan Wells • Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed • Michael Egnor • Douglas Axe • Academic Freedom Day • Casey Luskin • What is intelligent design? • Behe: The Edge of Evolution, Interview • Science and Human Origins • Wedgie strategy • Project Steve • BIO-Complexity • Texas Board of Education • Richard Weikart • Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District • Human exceptionalism • Darwin's Predictions • Stephen Meyer • Howard Ahmanson • Melvin Mulder • Lists of creationist scientists • Discovery Institute • Complex Specified Information • Michael Behe • Phillip Johnson • Joel Brind • Non-materialist neuroscience • Academic Freedom Act •
| Answers in Genesis: |  Answers in Genesis Dawkins interview controversy • Bodie Hodge • Andrew Snelling • Affirmations and Denials Essential to a Consistent Christian (Biblical) Worldview • Answers in Genesis/Creation Ministries International's Statement of Faith • Hanzi of Genesis • Atheists Outline Their Global Religious Agenda • 12 Arguments Evolutionists Should Avoid • Creation Ministries International • Lists of creationist scientists • Answers Research Journal • Ark Encounter • Jason Lisle • Answers in Genesis • Ken Ham • Creation Museum • Buddy Davis • Bill Nye debates Ken Ham • Ham Hightail • Cedarville University •
|  | Answers Research Journal: |  Answers Research Journal volume 2 • Answers Research Journal volume 3 • Answers Research Journal volume 5 • Answers Research Journal volume 1 • Answers Research Journal volume 6 • Answers Research Journal volume 4 • Answers Research Journal • Answers Research Journal volume 7 • Answers Research Journal volume 8 • Answers Research Journal volume 9 • Answers Research Journal volume 10 • Answers Research Journal volume 11 • Answers Research Journal volume 12 • Answers Research Journal volume 13 • Answers Research Journal volume 14 • Answers Research Journal Volume 15 •
| Institute for Creation Research: |  Nathaniel Jeanson • Jeffrey Tomkins • Lawrence Ford • Henry Morris • Brian Thomas • Duane Gish • RATE • Your Origins Matter • John Morris • Jerry Bergman • San Diego Christian College • Timothy LaHaye • Russell Humphreys • Lists of creationist scientists • Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools • Andrew Snelling • Alpha Omega Institute • Jason Lisle • Institute for Creation Research • Danny Faulkner • David DeWitt •