http://www.dbskeptic.com Skepticism. Critical thinking. Podcast. Community. Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:30:05 +0000 en-us hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Digital Bits Skeptic brings skepticism and critical thinking to a world of new age, religion and credulous pop culture. Andy Kaiser clean Andy Kaiser skeptic@dbskeptic.com skeptic@dbskeptic.com (Andy Kaiser) 2009 Skepticism and critical thinking in a world of new age, religion and credulous pop culture skeptic, skepticism, critical thinking, new age, religion, pop culture, skeptical articles, critical thinking articles, philosophy http://www.dbskeptic.com/images/dbskeptic-logo-144.jpg http://www.dbskeptic.com/category/education/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/11/21/skeptical-parenting-critical-thinking-around-the-family-dinner-table/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/11/21/skeptical-parenting-critical-thinking-around-the-family-dinner-table/#comments Sun, 21 Nov 2010 20:22:39 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=2080 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/11/21/skeptical-parenting-critical-thinking-around-the-family-dinner-table/feed/ 1 Celestia Ward By Celestia Ward Article ID: 1414 - Is skeptical fun possible with children? I have heard this question voiced by people who think childhood must be a sacred place, populated with Easter bunnies, unicorns, lollipops, Santa, fairies, dragons, By Celestia Ward Article ID: 1414 Is skeptical fun possible with children? I have heard this question voiced by people who think childhood must be a sacred place, populated with Easter bunnies, unicorns, lollipops, Santa, fairies, dragons, and a co... Andy Kaiser clean 17:49 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/07/22/research-methods-how-to-find-answers/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/07/22/research-methods-how-to-find-answers/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:04:08 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=2035 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/07/22/research-methods-how-to-find-answers/feed/ 9 Nicholas Covington By Nicholas Covington Article ID: 1412 - Here’s how you can research the answer to (almost) any question you can think of, and how you can be reasonably certain that the answer is correct. - All research begins with questions. By Nicholas Covington Article ID: 1412 Here’s how you can research the answer to (almost) any question you can think of, and how you can be reasonably certain that the answer is correct. All research begins with questions. Researching a topic me... Andy Kaiser clean 10:34 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/01/17/five-habits-of-the-skeptical-mind/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/01/17/five-habits-of-the-skeptical-mind/#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:15:16 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1847 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/01/17/five-habits-of-the-skeptical-mind/feed/ 9 Nicholas Covington By Nicholas Covington Article ID: 142 - In my journey of skeptical thinking, I have gradually realized the quirks in human thinking that so often lead me astray. I want to share these habits of good skepticism so others may have a better chance of fi... By Nicholas Covington Article ID: 142 In my journey of skeptical thinking, I have gradually realized the quirks in human thinking that so often lead me astray. I want to share these habits of good skepticism so others may have a better chance of finding truth. 1) Your belief will not change reality I have noticed a tendency to gravitate towards beliefs which I want to be true. These beliefs don’t always match the facts, and are not borne out by sober investigation. We have a strange superstition that we seldom recognize: sometimes we think that choosing to believe something will actually make it true. Members of cults will often deny strong opposing evidence in order to keep their membership. UFO believers will often not abandon their beliefs even when confronted with more down-to-earth explanations that explain the facts just as well or better than the alien hypothesis. People think that simply choosing to believe something will make it true. Belief never makes anything true. 2) Look for the best overall explanation of the facts Some people advocate one position because there is some evidence in its favor. Others advocate an opposite position for the same reason – they see evidence to do so. Most of these disputes can be settled by asking a very basic question: when we consider all the data, each hypothesis, and the simplicity of each position, does one hypothesis stand out as stronger? Here’s an example: there is currently a debate in the scientific community over whether birds evolved from dinosaurs or from some other group of reptiles. While the dino-bird enthusiasts can cite an impressive list of feathered dinosaur fossils and similarities in bird and dinosaur anatomy, the dino-bird opponents undermine those links by citing a few small but significant differences between dinosaurs and birds. Another example is the creation-evolution controversy. Creationists often explain away the results of radiometric dating. They say that radiometric decay rates were faster in the past, without realizing that faster decay rates would have radioactively fried every living thing on Earth. A third example is the geologic column. Creationists say that even though sediments that form layers of rock would usually take millions of years, there was a great big flood that must have been responsible for creating it. When you view the debate this way, it really isn’t hard to see that the old Earth hypothesis simply and comfortably explains the facts, while the young Earth hypothesis offers strained and complicated explanations for the most straight-forward data. When we take a bird’s eye view of the issue and compare which explanation is the overall best explanation (in terms of simplicity, explanatory power, and so on) answering the question is simple. 3) Use authorities carefully If someone cites an expert in order to persuade you of something, be cautious. Does the quotation simply assert an opinion, or does it try and demonstrate the reasoning behind its assertion? Is the expert in question really an expert? Numerous creationists, such as Kent Hovind, claim to have credentials when in reality they do not. Is the expert’s opinion representative of his field? Anyone can find a certified medical doctor who will promote some quack healing treatment, and so it is always good to know if the expert’s opinion is considered fringe within his own field. 4) Don’t confuse a possibility with a probability People often try and prove things to an absolute certainty. Or they refuse to give up a belief until it’s disproven with absolute certainty. Very little human knowledge is literally 100% certain. Thinking in terms of absolutes can often be impractical, because a lot of human knowledge (besides conceptual knowledge such as ‘one plus one equals two’) relies on weighing a claim with the doubts we may have about it. Yes, technically it is possible that man never went to the moon, Andy Kaiser clean 7:53 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/10/11/whats-the-real-value-of-a-college-education/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/10/11/whats-the-real-value-of-a-college-education/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:12:35 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1566 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/10/11/whats-the-real-value-of-a-college-education/feed/ 10 David Annis By David Annis Article ID: 1340 - Today I heard an advertisement on the radio urging me to go back to college.  “College graduates make a million dollars more over a lifetime,” the advertisement said. It directed me to a website where I could find a ... By David Annis Article ID: 1340 Today I heard an advertisement on the radio urging me to go back to college.  “College graduates make a million dollars more over a lifetime,” the advertisement said. It directed me to a website where I could find a ... Andy Kaiser clean 7:06 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/01/31/why-pick-on-religion-why-religion-matters-to-the-non-religious/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/01/31/why-pick-on-religion-why-religion-matters-to-the-non-religious/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:13:16 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=688 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/01/31/why-pick-on-religion-why-religion-matters-to-the-non-religious/feed/ 32 David Annis Author's note: This article was written in response to reader comments from article ID 1237: "If you can't prove God doesn't exist, why not believe?" - By David Annis Article ID: 136 - I have been asked why I bother trying to convince people that th... Author's note: This article was written in response to reader comments from article ID 1237: "If you can't prove God doesn't exist, why not believe?" By David Annis Article ID: 136 I have been asked why I bother trying to convince people that the God they choose to believe in does not exist.  There are many common beliefs that I don't share, like the one about Steve Martin being a comic genius. I choose to ignore that belief. There are other religions, such as Taoism, that I have never criticized. Why then do I debate other religious beliefs? To explain, here's a true story about my oldest son.  When he was 5 years old we went through a period when he was clearly very upset by something.  We had no idea what it was and he wouldn't tell us. His nanny noticed it too and talked to us about it. Disappointed that we didn't know what was bothering him, she vowed to figure it out.  One day when my wife and I returned home, our nanny told us she had solved the mystery. "This is going to sound a lot worse than it is," she said.  "I offered to play basketball with him and he wouldn't play, so I asked what was bothering him. This time he actually answered." He said, "I can't tell you, it's a secret and I'm not supposed to tell anyone, especially an adult."  Our nanny suggested that he could always share his secret with his parents. Our son replied that this secret was so unique, it was especially important that he not share it with mom and dad. As you can imagine, at this point my wife and I had horrible visions racing through our heads. But our nanny had pulled out all the stops to convince him to share his secret and eventually the promise of a huge ice cream sundae did the trick. Our son told his secret. He said, "Jesus is my savior." This revelation came from the woman who cleans our house. She had promised our son a silver cross if he would believe that Jesus was his savior.  Knowing we wouldn't approve, she swore him to secrecy.  She knew it was wrong to encourage a five year old to keep a secret from his parents. But she decided that saving his soul from eternal damnation was more important. I called my son over and asked him if he knew who Jesus was or what the word "savior" meant.  The answer to both questions was no. Now, let's cut briefly to education. My child can discuss murder and war in his school but was reprimanded for discussing sex in the hallway; not in an obscene way, not inaccurately, just giving an answer to a fellow first grader who said that she didn't know what the difference was between boys and girls.  The teacher was worried that a parent would object to their daughter getting "sex education". These stories quite nicely illustrate my issues with some religions. These religions encourage their believers to think that they have a monopoly on the truth, that they need to restrict the actions of others based on their beliefs, and that they must convince others to think as they do. These draw my ire because of the way that they affect me.  On a high level, they lead to restrictions on stem cell research, terrorist attacks in the name of religion, fights over abortion, holy wars, hostility to science, and bans on gay marriage.  So back to the title of this article: why pick on religion? For me, it's justified on a personal level. I see religious ideas encroaching into my kids' schools. I see censorship of legitimate discussion. And with the bribe of a silver cross, I've experienced people trying to proselytize my kids. Andy Kaiser clean 5:58 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/10/04/religulous-review-bill-mahers-brutal-and-intelligent-take-on-religion/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/10/04/religulous-review-bill-mahers-brutal-and-intelligent-take-on-religion/#comments Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:56:40 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=320 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/10/04/religulous-review-bill-mahers-brutal-and-intelligent-take-on-religion/feed/ 16 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1252 - Before we get to the good stuff, you should know that this review of Religulous contains spoilers. The spoilers give away the main topics addressed by Bill Maher. If you don't want to know them yet, By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1252 Before we get to the good stuff, you should know that this review of Religulous contains spoilers. The spoilers give away the main topics addressed by Bill Maher. If you don't want to know them yet, go see the movie first. If you're considering seeing the movie and want more information, or you want someone else's take on it, keep reading. Special thanks goes to the Center for Inquiry's Michigan chapter, who brought Religulous to West Michigan. Without their efforts, I may not have seen this movie. Religulous begins with Bill Maher talking about the Bible's Book of Revelations, a terrifying, end-of-the-world scenario preached by Biblical literalists. We get a lot of humor, and Religulous stays funny throughout much of its running time. Maher intersperses witty remarks with political and religious commentary, much like his stand-up act. But here you realize he's making a very directed, laser-focused point: religion is bad. Some quotes from him include: "[Religion is] selling an invisible product." "It's just so shamelessly invented." After his entertaining intro, we get to the main focus of the movie. Here, Bill takes on various aspects of religion, with both interviews and informal talks directly to the camera. While I don't have all the topics listed here, these are the majority, and are what Religulous spends the most time discussing: Pascal's Wager This concept says, "You should worship God, because what if you're wrong. If God exists, and you worship him, then you're safe. If He exists and you don't worship him, you've just written a one-way ticket to an everlasting pitchfork-infested sauna." There are many problems with Pascal's Wager. How do you know which God is the right one? So many religions have so many conflicting tenants, you can't know which one is true. What if God doesn't exist, and you waste your whole life worshipping a nonexistent being? Or worse, what if you've spent your life subjugating and abusing others based on religious-driven morals? Pascal's Wager is one of those questions that at first sounds witty and interesting, until you examine it logically and realize it's flawed logic. Biblical Inaccuracies The Catholic Bible is huge. From Old Testament to New, it's jammed packed with stories, morals, punishments and contradictions. Religulous spends time addressing many of these. Instead of listing them here (as even the Internet has a limited amount of space), I'll instead recommend a book: A great source of Biblical inaccuracies, problems, contradictions and abuses can be found in the book, Ken's Guide to the Bible. It's best to read Ken's Guide with an actual Bible nearby. Otherwise, you may not believe some of what you read - there are a lot of horrible things in the Bible that rarely get mentioned in Sunday's sermon. TV Preachers TV preachers bring in massive amounts of money. It's easy - they ask their viewers for contributions, and the checks and credit card numbers come pouring in. This seems like a violation of Jesus' teachings, who seemingly was a man teaching simple living and criticizing the rich. How can a television preacher reconcile his incredible material wealth while still claiming to live by Jesus' example? The Church and Homosexuality You might not know the Westboro Baptist Church by name, but you've probably heard about them. These are the people who loudly protest funerals of soldiers and other high-profile deaths. They're known for their motto, "God hates fags". Religulous uses them and others to expose the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church on how homosexuality is a conscious choice and a sin. Particularly interesting is a conversation Bill has with the head of Exchange Ministries, a religious non-profit specializing in converting gays away from homosexuality. Miracles Bill addresses the stupidity of various kinds of miracles. There are the obvious, in your face miracles, Andy Kaiser clean 21:11 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/09/20/religious-deference-taken-to-extremes/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/09/20/religious-deference-taken-to-extremes/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:37:43 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=186 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/09/20/religious-deference-taken-to-extremes/feed/ 6 David Annis By David Annis Article ID: 1249 - I live in a community of educated, intelligent people - 98% have a high school diploma, 67% have a four-year degree or better. We live in a suburb next to a major university. By David Annis Article ID: 1249 I live in a community of educated, intelligent people - 98% have a high school diploma, 67% have a four-year degree or better. We live in a suburb next to a major university. I send both of my kids to different elementary schools in this supposedly enlightened and educated community.  I expect that my friends and neighbors would want to have their children exposed to scientific ideas. Nonetheless, some of the parents in my community are afraid to expose their children to dangerous ideas.  I can understand that some ideas would frighten a parent.  For example, I don't approve of the way the school teaches the story of the pilgrims, or how they portray Palestinians as oppressed. My objections are based on my political  views - not religious - and so are ignored by my kids' school system.  However, the school system takes religious-based objections far more seriously.  Before school even started, I received a letter from each school warning me that they were going to teach things to which I might object. You may well wonder what these frightening ideas are.  So, let me quote from one of the letters, which calls these ideas "The Great Lessons". "The first of these Great Lessons offers a story on The Big Bang Theory (also known as ‘God With No Hands' to private Montessori Schools). While I present this lesson, I do tell the children that this is a theory.  However, if you are concerned because this discussion does not fit your own ideas of how the earth came to be, you are welcome to opt your child out of this lesson." The letter goes on to tell me when the lesson will be taught and assure me that if I don't want my child to hear this heretical idea, "We will make arrangements in school to have your child visit the library at this time." I was warned about the other great ideas: The coming of life, the coming of Man and I was given further opportunities to shield my child from ideas to which I might object. These letters make me very uneasy. Clearly, the school is seeking to accommodate religious belief in a way that it does not accommodate political belief, or even the beliefs of minority religions. I am left to wonder how many other school systems allow parents to opt their children out of exposure to opposing religious ideas.  More importantly, those children can be opted out of learning about the origins of the universe and life. They've missed learning about how to think critically about our world.  They grow up believing that the only way to know about the distant past is to read it in a book, not to puzzle it out from the evidence at hand.  As the letter warns "I discuss that we have fossils to help us understand the timeline of life." Clearly, it is not just in the tribal areas of Pakistan that those with religious views are allowed to intimidate the schools' administration and teachers. It happens right here at home. Andy Kaiser clean 5:01 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/09/06/the-future-of-skepticism/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/09/06/the-future-of-skepticism/#comments Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:16:21 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=155 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/09/06/the-future-of-skepticism/feed/ 6 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1247 - Things are getting worse. - Across the world, we've got so-called complementary and alternative medicine infiltrating legitimate healthcare and medical treatments. The United States government seems more interested ... By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1247 Things are getting worse. Across the world, we've got so-called complementary and alternative medicine infiltrating legitimate healthcare and medical treatments. The United States government seems more interested in supporting Christianity than supporting religious choice. There are attacks on preventative sciences, like Jenny McCarthy and others insisting their understanding of vaccination technology trumps that of any medical doctor. While I could argue that skepticism is making progress in places, like against the fringe beliefs of cryptozoology, astrology and Intelligent Design, it's even easier to argue that we're losing the battle. Logic and common sense are failing and falling, supported by the beliefs of a credulous society. We are losing. What's a skeptic to do? I fully expect that things will get worse. Yet, despite this gloomy outlook, I'm not worried. Let's do a little scrying of our own, a little fortune-telling and future-prediction. The difference between this and reading tea-leaves is that mine is an educated guess based on probabilities and human nature. Think about a possible future for healthcare. Let's assume the worst for the skeptical community. Let's assume we live in a world where people believe vaccinations cause autism and don't actually protect against disease. What will happen? As fewer people become immunized, herd immunity will break down. Entire communities will again become susceptible. We will see outbreaks and epidemics of preventable diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. We'll see previously-eradicated diseases like polio and leprosy resurface and spread through populations. Many people will get sick. Many people will die. The human response will be to analyze and respond. Doctors and biologists and groups like the Center for Disease Control will again stress the importance of immunizations. This goes far beyond the current polite and low-publicity efforts. We'll get massive ad campaigns, increased TV coverage and a flood of data supporting and explaining the science behind immunizations. The information has always been out there for those interested in finding it, but in this Sick New World, immunization science will be shoved down our throats. People will immunize because they actually understand the process, the risks, and the benefits. This scenario specifically addresses the anti-vaccination problem. But the long-term results are applicable across the board, from alternative-medicine to Scientology. If left unchecked, eventually enough people will get abused, hurt and killed. There will be an inevitable backlash as people come to their senses. As skeptics and critical thinkers, our job is to make sure this imagined world, if it does come to pass, passes quickly. If we can prevent it from happening, even better. If we can't prevent it, nature will do the job for us, though the results will be horrifying and deadly. Our job as skeptics will be to ensure this happens sooner rather than later. Our first obligation is to take care of our family, friends and those closest to us. Then work to educate the wider community and the world at large. The above example addresses healthcare. But a lack of critical thinking causes plenty of other problems in our society. Scammers will always be around unless we increase people's exposure to critical thinking. There will always be people trying to take advantage of others, and there will always be people ready to believe lies. We can lessen the damage with education and activism. Religion is another issue. At its best, it's a good cause that exists for the wrong reasons. At its worst, we get intolerance, persecution and death. Contributing to religion's existence are blind belief in tradition, reliance on unjustified moral laws, and the very human trait of being scared of the dark. Critical thinking and a desire for knowledge can help define what religion really is, Andy Kaiser clean http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/07/28/atlantic-university-a-degree-of-nonsense/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/07/28/atlantic-university-a-degree-of-nonsense/#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:29:31 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=102 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/07/28/atlantic-university-a-degree-of-nonsense/feed/ 0 Todd Fritz By Todd Fritz Article ID: 1241 ABSTRACT - This article looks at the claims and programs of study provided by Atlantic University, and it considers some of the implications from that study.  A brief history of the college's founder, Edgar Cayce, By Todd Fritz Article ID: 1241 ABSTRACT This article looks at the claims and programs of study provided by Atlantic University, and it considers some of the implications from that study.  A brief history of the college's founder, Edgar Cayce, is given.  It also considers the validity and meaning of the word "university". BIO Todd Fritz thefritzs@cox.net www.thinkingiscritical.com Todd Fritz is a member of Science and Reason in Hampton Roads.  He has a master's degree in counselor education and has been a school counselor for fifteen years.  Along with his partner, Andrew Payne, he also does programs on critical thinking for school groups and corporations. ARTICLE There is an institution granting master's degrees in something that has yet been proven to exist. Who decides what makes a university?  How does a student know if his courses are teaching him facts, theory or nonsense? I assume that if a college exists, it must follow some set of standards.  I make my living as a school counselor and have been looking at colleges for years.  The old saying that "there is a school for everyone" seems to be true.  I might amend that to say "there is a school for everything, whether it is real or not". At Atlantic University, I found entirely new educational concepts.  According to the "frequently asked questions" page, Atlantic University defines its status like this: "We don't have a large campus with dormitories, huge lecture halls, and a football team. Nor do we have a collection of many schools and degree programs, such as what's found at a traditional university. However, the word ‘university' is still an apt description of our institution because of the very root meaning of this 700-year-old word. The origins of ‘university' come from ‘the whole, the aggregate' just like the word ‘universe'. And although our student body and faculty are small - only about 250 and 16 respectively - we emphasize the whole person and the way in which truly meaningful and practical knowledge comes only from a holistic perspective." [Editor's note: All quotes were taken directly from the Atlantic University website and were accurate as of February 2008.] How's that for verbal gymnastics?  Because the root of the word may have originally meant "the whole", Atlantic University is a real university.  By that logic, anything can be considered a "real university" because anything that exists can be considered whole. Let's take a closer look at Atlantic University. It would be impossible to discuss Atlantic University without a brief introduction to its founder, Edgar Cayce.  Cayce was said to be able to heal people all over the world by going into a sort of "sleeping trance".  Among the things Cayce claimed were the ability to read auras, read a book by placing it under his pillow when he slept (a sort of educational osmosis), the ability to talk to angels, cure cancer and a host of other paranormal things like clairvoyance.  He also made many predictions that did not come true.  A few of my favorites are the following: A part of Atlantis will rise out of the ocean. Maybe he meant the hotel. In 1958, The US would discover a death ray that caused the destruction of Atlantis. He predicted that California would slide into the ocean. My favorite false Cayce prediction is that China would convert to Christianity by 1968! One has to question the educational value of a school whose founder can be this wrong on so many things. Cayce is best known for his alleged abilities to diagnose and cure patients psychically, and to discover details about a person's past lives.  Yes, he claimed the ability to heal people of all sorts of afflictions without ever seeing them in person.  Sort of like a long distance faith healer. Let's look at the college and course offerings for a moment. Located in Virginia Beach, VA, Atlantic University is an accredited graduate school.  They focus on Transpersonal Studies. Andy Kaiser clean http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/06/11/intelligent-design-in-michigan/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/06/11/intelligent-design-in-michigan/#comments Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:33:58 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=89 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/06/11/intelligent-design-in-michigan/feed/ 4 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1231 - Intelligent Design has come to Michigan. Michigan is my home state, so this gives me motivation to get off my big fat brain and do some research. And I have a child who will be entering the Michigan school system soon. By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1231 Intelligent Design has come to Michigan. Michigan is my home state, so this gives me motivation to get off my big fat brain and do some research. And I have a child who will be entering the Michigan school system soon. That gives me motivation to write. According to Michigan House Bill 6027 - sponsored by Republican John Moolenaar - Michigan is now the recipient of a so-called "academic freedom". campaign. This bill uses language recommended by the religiously-motivated Discovery Institute.  Here's the text of the original Michigan bill 6027. It's subtitled with "academic freedom to teach evidence regarding controversial scientific subjects". Here's recommended bill text from the Discovery Institute. Compare the two and you'll find connections, including word-for-word similarities. The bill attempts to open the science classroom for contrasting opinions. This is termed "academic freedom", so presumably those who have a dissenting opinion on how the world works can have a chance to say it, and those teachers with dissenting opinions on how the world works can have a chance to teach it. A criticism raised by proponents of such language is something like this: "Teach the controversy. Why would you oppose academic freedom?" I agree. Teach it. But since that specific controversy is religion-based, put it where it belongs, in religion class. By all means, teach creationism, or Intelligent Design, or whatever it's currently called. And do it in a religious studies classroom. But if you're sitting in a science class, the only religious education you should get is an explanation of why it doesn't belong there. Science is a body of knowledge, and a process. It's based on testable theories and observable evidence. A science class teaches the scientific method, how to postulate and test theories, and how to critically examine evidence. Religion does not do these things. Religion is not part of a science education. If Intelligent Design proponents truly believe that their case stands up to scientific scrutiny, what do you think is the honest way to present it: Option 1: Force school boards to teach these beliefs Option 2: Publish the case in a legitimately scientific way, and convince other scientists with data and evidence Option 1 is what ID proponents use today. Science, unfortunately, demands Option 2. If you want to play in the scientific sandbox, you've got to play by the rules. Granted, option 2 is not used by proponents, because it can't be. When you start examining such things from a scientific viewpoint, the proposition gets reclassified as a religion. Intelligent Design proponents can't fight their battle head-on. Instead of trying to prove their own point, they would rather subvert science and sneak their way into a school curriculum. They want to legitimize themselves in the science classroom without following any of the scientific method. Intelligent Design is a theory that can't be tested. This is not science. It doesn't belong in a science classroom. Unless we take the argument to its logical conclusion, and start teaching so called "alternative" beliefs everywhere. When you teach astronomy, don't forget to teach astrology. When you teach biology, don't forget to teach phrenology. When you teach geology, don't forget to teach Young Earth creationism. And the big reverse whammo: when you teach religion, don't forget to teach atheism! Hey, ID proponent, if it's so important to insist on teaching the controversy in science, you wouldn't mind if we taught about religious controversy, right? Even forget about atheism: I've got 1.5 billion Muslims that would like representation in your Christian studies class, so they can present their alternative viewpoint. Hopefully you can see what topics don't belong in what classroom, and why. This brings us back to Michigan. My home state is currently known for its horrible economy and depressing auto industry. Andy Kaiser clean