Saturday 24 December 2011

Agnosticism / Atheism: Ricky Line Complains That School Test Calls Evolution a Fact

Agnosticism / Atheism
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Ricky Line Complains That School Test Calls Evolution a Fact
Dec 24th 2011, 12:00

A Christian not understanding what 'fact' and 'theory' are in science, so not understanding that evolution is both fact and theory, is nothing new. What is a little new is when the Christian is a school superintendant. Thus we have Ricky Line, superintendent for the Hart County Schools in Kentucky, complaining about a new state test that treats evolution as a fact -- which it is.

"I have a deep concern about the increased emphasis on the evolution content required," Line wrote [in recent letters and email messages to state Education Commissioner Terry Holliday and Kentucky Board of Education members]. "After carefully reviewing the Blueprint, I find the increase is substantial and alarming."

"I have a very difficult time believing that we have come to a point ... that we are teaching evolution ... as a factual occurrence, while totally omitting the creation story by a God who is bigger than all of us," he wrote. "My feeling is if the Commonwealth's site-based councils, school board members, superintendents and parents were questioned ... one would find this teaching contradictory to the majority's belief systems."

"My argument is, do we want our children to be taught these things as facts? Personally, I don't," Line said [later]. "I don't think life on earth began as a one-celled organism. I don't think that all of us came from a common ancestor ... I don't think the Big Bang theory describes the explanation of the origin of the universe."

"I am concerned with the current standards of some of these states," he said in a message to state board members. "I do not believe that our Commonwealth's parents would be in agreement with the teachings from some of these states."

Source: Kentucky.com

Ricky Line is not the first Christian to complain about evolution being treated like a fact and he won't be the last Christian to complain about evolution being treated like a fact. What makes Ricky Line a little different, though, is that he is supposed to be an educator and he is supposed to be responsible for the education of children. As superintendent for the Hart County Schools in Kentucky, Ricky Line has a lot of power and responsibility.

And how is he using that power and responsibility? Notice that in his messages, quoted above, he expresses more concern with teaching about "God" than teaching about science. Notice that Ricky Line is more concerned with how people will react when they learn things that contradict what they already believe than with ensuring that science standards are rigorous and appropriate.

So how did Ricky Line ever get to be superintendent for the Hart County Schools in Kentucky anyway? Does he actually have any relevant qualifications? Does he know the the slightest thing about education generally or science and science education in particular?

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