Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!mcnc!ece-csc!uvacs!dam From: dam@uvacs.CS.VIRGINIA.EDU (Dave Montuori) Newsgroups: sci.research Subject: Re: FAITH VS FACT Message-ID: <1746@uvacs.CS.VIRGINIA.EDU> Date: Fri, 10-Jul-87 14:48:04 EDT Article-I.D.: uvacs.1746 Posted: Fri Jul 10 14:48:04 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 12-Jul-87 13:49:31 EDT References: <1787@pbhye.UUCP> Reply-To: dam@uvacs.UUCP (Dave Montuori) Followup-To: talk.religion.misc Distribution: na Organization: U.Va. CS dept. Charlottesville, VA Lines: 37 In article <1787@pbhye.UUCP> was@pbhye.UUCP (Joe Wasik) writes: > the religious right came upon an idea: >if we cannot have our beliefs accepted as fact, then perhaps >the definition of fact (i.e. scientific evidence) needs to be altered. > >Consider, evolution is rejected in favor of creationism by denying >the validity of carbon dating, fossil evidence, genetic tracing >in favor of explanations such as the Great Flood. This is the first time I've ever heard the Great Flood used as support for creationism. Furthermore, the Flood isn't too far from being a fact proven by honest scientific means. Nevertheless, the fundie point of view is erroneous and doesn't merit being called "scientific." > School prayer is >promoted by relabeling traditional science as the religion of secular >humanism. Can you provide a logical connection between these? I am against the involuntary lack of prayer in public schools, but I don't think that has anything to do with how science is taught. Incidentally - correct me with references if I'm wrong - I think the Supreme Court defined secular humanism to be a religion in 1961. I went to a Catholic school. There we were taught both evolution and creationism, with the evidence for both sides presented. It was obvious to our class that creationism as the fundies preach it is a crock of s**t. God said Let There Be Physics, Let There Be Evolution, and the rest is left to the reader as an exercise. Now let's get this out of sci.research and back in talk.* where it belongs.... -- From the University of Virginia at Boar's Head, C.S. Department-in-Exile: Dave Montuori (Dr. ZRFQ); DAMONT quandum, DAMONTque futurus. dam@cs.virginia.edu == dam1m@virginia.BITNET == seismo!virginia!uvacs!dam "A blessing for the Tsar? May God bless and keep the Tsar... far away from us!"