Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #870533 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 124 pages

Customer Reviews

Misunderstanding, misrepresentation, and misdescription
What really happened was that the Dover, PA, school board, pursuing an openly fundamentalist agenda, wanted to force biology teachers to read a statement undermining the core of their teaching, and to promote a creationist "textbook" riddled with scientific errors.

The present book describes the judgment, protecting teachers and students from the dictatorship of the local politicians, as an attack on freedom of speech. Comment is superfluous.

A story of censoring


Traipsing Into Evolution is a much needed critique of the recent American Kitzmiller V. Dover Decision by Judge Jones. I find this case incredible. The text notes that the ACLU spent millions of dollars to insure that students did not hear information in class that indicated doubts about Darwinism exist. The court agreed with the ACLU and ruled that it was unconstitutional to present the problems with Darwinism in class to students. Darwinism must not be questioned. As a biologist, I find this abhorrent. Teachers should be able to openly and professionally discuss the many widely acknowledged problems with Neo-Darwinism. They should also eschew discussing religion in a science class. This book shows that the court has clearly limited the teacher's freedom to discuss this issue, and has actually endorsed a view that has religious implications while forbidding another view that also has religious implications. The court was thus not neutral, but has sided with one view, namely evolutionary naturalism. It has also, as this book documents, negated both the letter and the spirit of the disclaimer that was outlawed by the court. Students are discouraged from keeping an open mind, at least about this topic, and are taught one creation story as fact, the Neo-Darwinian theory of evolution. As the authors point out in toned down legalese, this decision no longer puts Darwin Doubters in the sidelines, as was the situation before this court case, but ruled that their doubts are not even allowed in the classroom. The book concludes that they can still teach in the schools, but must keep their Doubts about Darwinism to themselves. Fortunately Brits have the freedom to openly debate Darwinism in classrooms and elsewhere. Unfortunately, in America they do not, and this book explains why.

Millions spent to censor
Traipsing Into Evolution is a much needed critique the American Kitzmiller V. Dover Decision by Judge Jone's. I find this case incredible. The text notes that the ACLU spent millions of dollars to insure that students did not hear words in class that indicated doubts about Darwinism exist. The court agreed with the ACLU and ruled that it was unconstitutional to say these words to students. Darwinism must not be questioned. As a biologist, I find this abhorrent. Teachers should be able to discuss the widely acknowledged problems with Neo-Darwinism openly and professionally. They should also eschew discussing religion in a science class. This book shows that the court has clearly limited the freedom to discuss this issue, and has actually endorsed a view that has religious implications while forbidding another view that also has religious implications. The court was thus not neutral, but has sided with one view, evolutionary naturalism. It has also, as this book documents, negated both the letter and the spirit of the disclaimer. Students are discouraged from keeping an open mind, at least about this topic, and are taught one creation story as fact, the Neo-Darwinian theory of evolution. As the authors point out in toned down legalese, this decision no longer puts Darwin Doubters at the back of the bus as was the situation before this court case, but ruled that they are not even allowed on the bus. Is this the new American segregation? As the book points out, they can get on he bus but must not discuss their doubts about Darwinism. Fortunately Brits have the freedom to openly debate Darwinism in class and elsewhere. Unfortunately, in America they do not, and this book explains why.