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So...what are your thoughts on the Bull Nye kerfuffle?


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Thanks to google, I now have my answer.

 

We are a Bill Nye-watching family from waaaay back. The big kids would watch him in the afternoons on WHYY. Dd12 has watched his videos as part of science for the past two years. Even though she thinks she's past that, she still wants to watch his chem-related videos this fall :)

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We love Bill Nye. I guess I am disappointed because he seems to be saying that belief in creation is what is holding back education in this country. The majority of our public schools have been teaching evolution for decades and still failing. I wish he would use his fame and influence to address more pressing issues.

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We love Bill Nye. I guess I am disappointed because he seems to be saying that belief in creation is what is holding back education in this country. The majority of our public schools have been teaching evolution for decades and still failing. I wish he would use his fame and influence to address more pressing issues.

 

As a Christian, I'm ok with that. That is his opinion, and he is entitled to have it. :)

 

I guess we just don't view science and religion as being mutually exclusive. We admit that we don't always know or understand they "why" or "how", but wouldn't it be fun to explore it further?

 

We believe God created this world, and its mysteries are a part of the beauty of His creation. So what if Bill Nye doesn't believe that? Can Bill Nye teach Electricity in terms my 9 year old can understand? We tap into the Bill Nye DVDs that we want to watch, and ignore the rest. :)

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I believe what he said was something along the lines of if parents want to believe in Creationism that's great but please don't ruin your kids by feeding them the nonsense (my paraphrase obviously). And no, I don't applaud him. I find it extremely disrespectful to ALL parents. If a public school official had done something like this we'd be outraged! Can you even imagine if this were opposite? Somebody says that Evolution is bogus and we'd be doing ruining our kids by teaching it to them? I can only imagine THAT kerfluffle! In fact...didn't we just have a similar kerfluffle not too long ago with a certain AiG gentleman? Bill Nye is obviously not a Christian. I used to appreciate his science videos anyway. We teach Creation and young Earth here and my teens are studying worldview (including the THEORY of evolution)...it's not like we hide it from them. But this has me shaking my head. He has insulted my intelligence. But I have bigger things to worry about...just wanted to chime in b/c I'm feeling feisty tonight and couldn't help myself. :D

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If he would really like to be relevant he might point out that we only have a teeny tiny percentage of public schools that teach anything like creationism, yet our national science scores are abysmal. As a nation, we are failing our children in science.

 

YE Christians homeschool and send their children to private schools, for the most part, and they are a societal minority, anyway. So who is really to blame for the ignorance of our public-schooled children?

 

Whose fault is it that millions of children attend public schools yet can't read, write, figure, or explain anything about science, history, or geography? Isn't it handy to blame this minority sect of Christians, even though they have had nearly zero influence in the public schools and have, by and large, removed their children from them?

 

Recent efforts in LA and TX to convert public schools to a YEC perspective are worth commenting on. It's reasonable for a scientist to have an opinion on that, and it is imperative for parents and communities to be aware of those efforts. But they are recent, are they not? Or am I wrong about that? Has their been exclusive YEC teaching in LA long enough for the children raised under that teaching to demonstrate their knowledge in globally competitive tests? If they've taken the PISA, how did they do?

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Basically he has said that creationism is not appropriate for children and that has creationist families in an uproar. He also said that evolution is somehow responsible for technological innovation. This is the kerfuffle.

 

Freudian slip in the title, eh?

 

Hehe. Dont you hate how you cant edit your title!? Darn ipad :tongue_smilie:

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I am glad he had the courage to speak up about this issue and its detrimental effect on science education.

 

Detrimental effects on science education? Are you serious? So b/c we teach Creation somehow my children's science education is somehow negatively effected? B/c we teach that there is a God who created all things and is still personally involved in our everyday life my children are somehow not receiving a proper science education? I find that offensive. Be careful where you go with this. I think evolution is a load of you-know-what...but I would never go so far as to say it has a detrimental effect on science education. Bill Nye can believe and teach what he wants. When he starts making value judgements...sorry...that ends it for me. But...I think he has enough of a following that my opinion won't amount to a hill of beans.

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I don't think religious belief and science are mutually exclusive. I do think religious belief is bad science, just like philosophy is bad science. But the philosophy greats were also often great scientists. I have no doubt that many of our contemporary great scientists hold deep faith as well. The different areas simply ask and seek to answer different questions about what is around us.

 

I totally agree that the abysmal state of science education has very little to do with Creationism (taught as science), which would apply to so few students, it really just isn't an issue (in the broad discussion of education). (and, frankly, evolution is such a small bit of general science education, I think it could be skipped altogether and still not have much effect on the net quality of science education)

 

My thought is that, like history, science is taught in so broad and shallow a manner that it is completely disjointed and disconnected. One more reason we were drawn to Classical education: coherence

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If I wasn't already married, I would propose to Bill Nye. DH said if he were gay, so would he!!

 

We absolutely believe the RR is destroying not just science (although that one in particular), but any form of intellectualism in the US and it sickens us.

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Detrimental effects on science education? Are you serious? So b/c we teach Creation somehow my children's science education is somehow negatively effected? B/c we teach that there is a God who created all things and is still personally involved in our everyday life my children are somehow not receiving a proper science education? I find that offensive. Be careful where you go with this. I think evolution is a load of you-know-what...but I would never go so far as to say it has a detrimental effect on science education. Bill Nye can believe and teach what he wants. When he starts making value judgements...sorry...that ends it for me. But...I think he has enough of a following that my opinion won't amount to a hill of beans.

 

Well, teaching things that are wrong does have a detrimental effect on education, especially if those things that are wrong are organising principles rather than isolated pieces of trivia. If you think that evolution is entirely wrong, then you would also believe that it has a detrimental effect on science education and on research in general, because rather a lot of it is evolution-based.

 

I have to say that it surprised me that there are entire texts devoted to not teaching evolution. I had always thought it would just be leaving out that unit in science 9 and subsequent biology. I didn't envision entirely alternative narratives of science (Land Animals of the Sixth Day, etc.)

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Well, teaching things that are wrong does have a detrimental effect on education, especially if those things that are wrong are organising principles rather than isolated pieces of trivia. If you think that evolution is entirely wrong, then you would also believe that it has a detrimental effect on science education and on research in general, because rather a lot of it is evolution-based.

 

I have to say that it surprised me that there are entire texts devoted to not teaching evolution. I had always thought it would just be leaving out that unit in science 9 and subsequent biology. I didn't envision entirely alternative narratives of science (Land Animals of the Sixth Day, etc.)

 

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

Except that I knew those books were out there from FIL who came over one weekend and told me that if we EVER gave his grandchildren one of those books, he would kidnap them. He got one from somebody and he altnernately yelled while reading it and laughed until he had tears streaming down his face.

 

FIL was a teacher of the year in Michigan while DH was going up. He was a strict, serious JH and HS biology/chemistry teacher. And he gets a kick out of researching stuff for me to use. He's all excited because he gets to dissect stuff with the kids on Halloween. :)

Edited by Jennifer3141
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If I wasn't already married, I would propose to Bill Nye. DH said if he were gay, so would he!!

 

We absolutely believe the RR is destroying not just science (although that one in particular), but any form of intellectualism in the US and it sickens us.

 

But in regards to science only a tiny minority are taught about creationism, correct, or am I mistaken?:confused: I don't see how the RR could be destroying science education.:confused: Just curious, honest.:)

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If I wasn't already married, I would propose to Bill Nye. DH said if he were gay, so would he!!

 

We absolutely believe the RR is destroying not just science (although that one in particular), but any form of intellectualism in the US and it sickens us.

 

I wrote several responses to this but really I think Tibbie's previous post says it all:

If he would really like to be relevant he might point out that we only have a teeny tiny percentage of public schools that teach anything like creationism, yet our national science scores are abysmal. As a nation, we are failing our children in science.

 

YE Christians homeschool and send their children to private schools, for the most part, and they are a societal minority, anyway. So who is really to blame for the ignorance of our public-schooled children?

 

Whose fault is it that millions of children attend public schools yet can't read, write, figure, or explain anything about science, history, or geography? Isn't it handy to blame this minority sect of Christians, even though they have had nearly zero influence in the public schools and have, by and large, removed their children from them?

 

Recent efforts in LA and TX to convert public schools to a YEC perspective are worth commenting on. It's reasonable for a scientist to have an opinion on that, and it is imperative for parents and communities to be aware of those efforts. But they are recent, are they not? Or am I wrong about that? Has their been exclusive YEC teaching in LA long enough for the children raised under that teaching to demonstrate their knowledge in globally competitive tests? If they've taken the PISA, how did they do?

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If I wasn't already married, I would propose to Bill Nye. DH said if he were gay, so would he!!

 

We absolutely believe the RR is destroying not just science (although that one in particular), but any form of intellectualism in the US and it sickens us.

 

Before I go and blast this...please explain "RR"?

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If I wasn't already married, I would propose to Bill Nye. DH said if he were gay, so would he!!

 

We absolutely believe the RR is destroying not just science (although that one in particular), but any form of intellectualism in the US and it sickens us.

 

I don't think you can blame the decline of thinking skills on a single group. You may not agree with their arguments (and I don't) but they're not the ones drooling in front of reality tv (or even programming it). Or, wait... Maybe reality tv and the rest of the drivel is part of some group's conspiracy to turn us all into idiots so they can take over the world. ( where IS that tinfoil hat smilie?? :D)

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Ah. I like the logic of "blasting" something when you don't know what it is. I believe you proved my point about a lack of intellectualism. Thank you!

 

Ummm, no... not knowing an abbreviation that is not used in one's circle is not a lack of intellectualism. It is simply coming from a different background/exposure. If I posted FTR, or BBL8R, or FWIW, and you didn't know what it meant, does that somehow mean you are not only uneducated, but not interested in being educated?

 

I think it shows the opposite, she was asking what something was... she was ready to blast the entirety of what you said, but wanted to be certain she understood the terminology.

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I used to love Bill Nye growing up. I read about this and I just wrote it off as his opinion. I'm muslim and we believe in creation. Not in the same exact way but in general.I believe God created everything period. The details he alone knows and I don't need to know. My kid is not near the age to deal with this but no way am I going to tell him God is a liar.

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Well, teaching things that are wrong does have a detrimental effect on education, especially if those things that are wrong are organising principles rather than isolated pieces of trivia. If you think that evolution is entirely wrong, then you would also believe that it has a detrimental effect on science education and on research in general, because rather a lot of it is evolution-based. )

 

I agree. Teaching evolution ONLY is wrong. It's indoctrination. If it were not...Creation science would also be taught. There are many, many scientific (yes I did say that) findings that point toward an Intelligent Creator. Believe what you will. A belief in evolution and against a Creator has implications that reach far and wide. How about this for instance? If all life just "happened" to come into existence by some big bang then we really don't have any purpose here. Life has no meaning. Life has no purpose. We are born. We die. AND, inherent in the belief in evolution is the belief that one life is somehow more important than another. Evolution doesn't only have a detrimental effect on science education but on LIFE in general.

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I think people are making a big deal about nothing. It's not like he's a power house of scientific research. He did a science show for children. I don't think he carries that much weight in either the scientific community or the education community.

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Ummm, no... not knowing an abbreviation that is not used in one's circle is not a lack of intellectualism. It is simply coming from a different background/exposure. If I posted FTR, or BBL8R, or FWIW, and you didn't know what it meant, does that somehow mean you are not only uneducated, but not interested in being educated?

 

I think it shows the opposite, she was asking what something was... she was ready to blast the entirety of what you said, but wanted to be certain she understood the terminology.

 

 

Really? You think "blasting" something when you don't know what it is you're blasting is smart? You and I have different definitions of intelligence. That's all.

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Well, teaching things that are wrong does have a detrimental effect on education, especially if those things that are wrong are organising principles rather than isolated pieces of trivia. If you think that evolution is entirely wrong, then you would also believe that it has a detrimental effect on science education and on research in general, because rather a lot of it is evolution-based.

 

 

We absolutely believe the RR is destroying not just science (although that one in particular), but any form of intellectualism in the US and it sickens us.

I find it mind-boggling how much time is devoted to making fun of people who are educated. The underlying problem of rejecting anything that bears any resemblance to thought, is scary. To quote someone my husband had the privilege of speaking with the other day, "I get all my news from Rush Limbaugh!" This attitude, when expressed by the African American teen boy community, is laughed at as patently foolish, but is somehow acceptable when it's fat, middle aged white Christians saying those with a college degree or who talk funny are suspicious and not one of us. Including fat, middle aged white Christian Republicans with a degree from an Ivy league school who make fun of Obama's Ivy League education.

 

Anyway, here's an example from this year in Kentucky:

 

 

"Republicans did want the end-of-course tests tied to national norms; now they're upset because when ACT surveyed biology professors across the nation, they said students have to have a thorough knowledge of evolution to do well in college biology courses," said Rep. Carl Rollins, D-Midway, chairman of the House Education Committee.

 

Givens said he and other legislators have been contacted by a number of educators with concerns about Kentucky's proposed new science standards, which are tied to ACT testing and are scheduled to be adopted this fall.

 

"I think we are very committed to being able to take Kentucky students and put them on a report card beside students across the nation," Givens said. "We're simply saying to the ACT people we don't want what is a theory to be taught as a fact in such a way it may damage students' ability to do critical thinking."

 

 

 

 

Ah. I like the logic of "blasting" something when you don't know what it is. I believe you proved my point about a lack of intellectualism. Thank you!

Unless she thought it was Rainbow Resources? :lol:

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Really? You think "blasting" something when you don't know what it is you're blasting is smart? You and I have different definitions of intelligence. That's all.

 

 

She did say "before I blast". I think that it shows she understands that she is having an emotional response and wants to make sure that she isn't mistaken. She took the time to ASK for clarification before she continued

 

Isn't that what you want? For someone to pause their emotional response to make sure that they are engaging in an argument that they mean to?

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I agree. Teaching evolution ONLY is wrong. It's indoctrination. If it were not...Creation science would also be taught. There are many, many scientific (yes I did say that) findings that point toward an Intelligent Creator. Believe what you will. A belief in evolution and against a Creator has implications that reach far and wide. How about this for instance? If all life just "happened" to come into existence by some big bang then we really don't have any purpose here. Life has no meaning. Life has no purpose. We are born. We die. AND, inherent in the belief in evolution is the belief that one life is somehow more important than another. Evolution doesn't only have a detrimental effect on science education but on LIFE in general.

You are confusing evolution with abiogenesis, a common misconception in creationist circles. You are also assuming that only something outside ourselves is capable of creating purpose or meaning. I don't share your basic assumptions.

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Before I go and blast this...please explain "RR"?

 

Man, Sue, you are on fire. Perhaps you'd care to blast MA, GQ, RW, SZ, NTN, and OU while you are at it! ;) I can think up a few more initials if you still have the dynamite and the will when you've polished these off.

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Ah. I like the logic of "blasting" something when you don't know what it is. I believe you proved my point about a lack of intellectualism. Thank you!

 

Wow. I don't believe I have ever SLAMMED another member on this board quite so boldly. I happen to respect the variety of opinions here. My anger in this thread is at those who are very boldly and unashamedly bashing those of us who believe in Creation. I believe I was being MATURE (look that one up) in wanting to know what it meant before going off on a post. But now that I know...

 

I'm so glad we sicken you. And I is also verry hapy that I is not intellectual b/c I beleeve in God.

 

Can you imagine a similar thread on this board? Imagine a thread where the Creationist Christians were boldly BASHING the atheists, evolutionists, Muslims or whatever group (b/c we are a very diverse group here). Yikes. I shudder to think where THAT one would go. But I'm guessing THIS is tolerated. :glare: Wow. Unbelievable. FWIW...Bill Nye can believe what he wants. I really couldn't care any less about his opinion of Creation science. What I do care about is that this board used to be a place where we could all debate in a mature and civilized way...w/out calling names. Sigh.

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You are confusing evolution with abiogenesis, a common misconception in creationist circles. You are also assuming that only something outside ourselves is capable of creating purpose or meaning. I don't share your basic assumptions.

 

:iagree: and you (Sue) would do well to learn the scientific definition of the word theory. You put it in all caps on a pp like you were trying to make a point. :sleep:

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I agree. Teaching evolution ONLY is wrong. It's indoctrination. If it were not...Creation science would also be taught. There are many, many scientific (yes I did say that) findings that point toward an Intelligent Creator.

First of all, Darwin was a Christian. But teaching literalistic evangelical Christian interpretations of creation as "the" (equally weighted) option to evolution, as if they are side dishes at a buffet, leaves out so many other flavors of Christianity alone, not to mention any other religion or world views. There are other religions on earth besides evangelical, right wing Christian. Their views of the beginning of the world are never mentioned in the classroom, because the evangelical right wing wants to assert themselves into public school classrooms while expressing outrage if any other religions have any class "time."

 

I think the meaning of the world, the meaning of life, the qualities of the Creator, and implications of Creation, are matters that are not handled best through delving at scientific evidence such as fossils. Religious people have other things to look for, that are personally ver valuable, besides fossils. I don't personally see science and religion as inherently contradictory, though.

 

I also agree with TechWife that Bill Nye is a scientific entertainer of sorts, and not really any kind of super scientist. I am not sure anyone should be looking to him for any real guidance. But clearly, the US has a long ways to go in science education in particular, and education overall.

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First of all, Darwin was a Christian. But teaching literalistic evangelical Christian interpretations of creation as "the" (equally weighted) option to evolution, as if they are side dishes at a buffet, leaves out so many other flavors of Christianity alone, not to mention any other religion or world views. There are other religions on earth besides evangelical, right wing Christian. Their views of the beginning of the world are never mentioned in the classroom, because the evangelical right wing wants to assert themselves into public school classrooms while expressing outrage if any other religions have any class "time."

 

I think the meaning of the world, the meaning of life, the qualities of the Creator, and implications of Creation, are matters that are not handled best through delving at scientific evidence such as fossils. Religious people have other things to look for, that are personally ver valuable, besides fossils. I don't personally see science and religion as inherently contradictory, though.

 

I also agree with TechWife that Bill Nye is a scientific entertainer of sorts, and not really any kind of super scientist. I am not sure anyone should be looking to him for any real guidance. But clearly, the US has a long ways to go in science education in particular, and education overall.

 

This. Particularly the bolded (mine).

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