PZ Myers dissects the state of reality-based — ie, empirical, rational — education. Theocracies don’t have a strong track record as long-lasting, vibrant nation-states and if we’re headed that way, we should know what to expect.
Pharyngula: My YearlyKos talk:
A recent review in PLoS Biology summarized the state of the nation on evolution. One third of Americans reject it outright, saying it is definitely false. In another survey, 43% agreed with the statement that god created humans as they are, and we did not evolve from other forms of life. In yet another survey comparing attitudes towards evolution in America, Japan, and Europe, the US ranked 33rd out of 34—we beat Turkey. Go, USA.
Imagine being an electrical engineer and hearing that a third of the country doesn’t believe all that stuff about electricity and radio waves, but thinks there actually are little people moving about inside their televisions. That’s how biologists feel about the state of knowledge about biology here; we’ve got a lot of people with medieval attitudes about the subject. This is the pool from which we have to draw our students, and that worries us.
It gets worse.
Evolution is a lightning rod issue, attracting more attention than it should: the underlying issue is whether the scientific method, the idea of formulating and testing hypotheses, the correct approach to understanding and solving problems. I would like to see the scientific method put forward with some examples that even the people who believe in Pat Robertson prophecies can understand. Evolution is too big a leap for some.
Likewise abortion: I don’t know that a constitutionally protected right to a surgical procedure is a great position to take. The right to privacy is the issue, to make decisions without government interference or even government knowledge. Again, restating this in terms of privacy — what would even the most obedient, uncritical citizen be unwilling to let the state know about? — would be a stronger case. Of course, these days we have people who think the state should be able to search anything, anywhere, anytime and if you disagree you must have something to hide.
Perhaps it’s too late. Perhaps the terrorists have already won. If they have succeeded in making this country like Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, with a state religion and inflexible conformity, then they have. Who would have thought an avowed born-again Christian would be the one to further their aims?