Evolutionary theory

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I never bother to talk about evolution because people on all sides of the issue tend to get real twitchy when you start to question whatever theory they adhere to. Veins start bulging, the nervous eye ticks start going, and well, things just generally get ugly. So I don't discuss theories of evolution with Christians, theists, agnostics, or atheists. People just can't seem to behave themselves when talking about it. Some Christians seem to go off the deep end arguing that the earth is only a few thousand years old, all references to days in the Genesis creation account mean 24 hour periods, and anyone who doesn't believe likewise isn't really Christian. Don't get them started on carbon and radiological dating. Then there are the insultingly smug scientist/philosopher wannabes who carry on about dumb bible thumping fundies afraid to come out of the woods and what not. Always ready with the canned assumptions and accusations of ignorance and wanting to take everyone back to the dark ages. Who would want to carry on a conversation with anyone like that?

So what's my point in saying all of this? A school district in Cobb County Georgia was taken to court for placing a sticker in their science books stating:
This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered.

The claim was that the sticker violated the establishment cause of the Constitution. The court agreed and the school district is now appealing the decision. (So which religion was established by the sticker I wonder?) Every professor I have ever had at least had the integrity to refer to evolution as a theory even if it was pretty obvious that they thought it was a fact. I even had a few admit in their lectures that current evolutionary theories were inadequate for explaining the origins of life on earth.

But what I'm really wondering is, why bother with the stickers in the first place? It only prompts those smug and insulting adherents to evolutionary theory to do things like this. And why challenge the sticker? It's not like anyone is screaming convert or die. People give far too much importance to what they believe about evolution.

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