Science and the Bible by Bolton Davidheiser, Ph.D.
EVOLUTION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
T en years ago Professor H. J. Muller, noted geneticist and No bel Prize winner of Indiana Uni versity, complained that evolution “ is given scant and usually skeptical at tention in grade schools and even in most high schools.” He expressed the opinion that if this situation is not changed so that evolution forms an integral, fundamental part of the average American’s way of think ing and outlook on life, then “we only deserve the fate of sheep, which a sheep-like behavior will bring.” In his opinion we can maintain our position as the dominant species of the earth only if we keep a care ful watch over other living things and control long-term processes which tend to bring about changes in other creatures and in ourselves. He believes that in order to do this we must understand the mechanism of evolution. But for centuries even the wisest men knew nothing about the mechanism of evolution and most of them did not even believe in evo lution. It does not seem to follow that suddenly it is so very important for everyone to have an evolutionary view of life in order to keep other species from ga in in g superiority over us. However, much progress has been made toward the teaching of evolution as a fact in the grade schools, and Professor Muller and those who agree with him for what ever reasons they may have should now be pleased. A fourth-grade tex tbook (The Macmillan Science-Life Series, Book 4, Revised edition), recently in use in California public schools, con tains the following: “ Scientists be lieve that the first animals on earth were one-celled animals, like the ameba. From these all other kinds of animals have developed. The new est animals are human beings.” In the science series which has been adopted for use starting next year (Concepts in Science), the transition is being made from the use of the words change and develop, meaning evolve, to the direct use of the words evolve and evolution. Parts of the teacher’s editions for the first grade and the fifth grade texts are identical. The teachers are told, “ Living things are in constan t change. The universe changes; the
earth changes; the single organism and the species change over the ages. The concepts of adaptation over the ages, divergence in form, converg ence is geographical isolations, and evolution are within the purview of this conceptual scheme. . . .” There is a point in the fifth-grade text where the teacher is told, “ You may recognize that the term change, which is used in discussing the de velopment of living things, means that more complex organisms have evolved from simpler organisms dur ing the two-or-more billions of years of life on earth. Our present-day biological forms have evolved be cause of their ability to survive in changing environments. The me chanisms of biological evolution are based in complex understandings of the interaction of heredity and en vironment. Why any organism exists today — why we exist — is rooted in many biological changes and adapta tions. If this understanding is firm ly grasped, the use of the term evo lution may have value at this point in the child’s development.” The term change is repeated with a regularity that suggests “ brain washing.” It is used 30 times on one page of the teacher’s edition of the first-grade book. The fifth-grade stu dents are told three times in 27 pages that the higher forms of life came from the one-celled forms. The children are told that the earliest fish may have had skeletons of cartilage. They are then told that sharks have skeletons of cartilage and cod have skeletons of bone. They are then asked to think which came earlier, sharks or cod-like fish. They are given a hint: in an individual’s development, cartilage develops first and later it becomes bone. From this information they are expected to con clude that sharks evolved first. But there are at least three th ings wrong: cartilage does not become bone (it is replaced by bone), the evolutionists no longer believe that sharks evolved before bony fish, and the idea that individual development shows the order of evolutionary de velopment has been found to be so inconsistent that it has been aban doned by outstanding evolutionists. There are also other mistakes and inconsistencies which an ed ito r might have noticed.
would you like to put these funds into effective and profitable use ? Then,
you should know about MOODY ANNUITIES Christian men and women are often concerned about the matter of investing their funds. Some do not wish to become involved in stocks and bonds because of the fluctuation and uncertainty of economic conditions. But they are interested in security and an as sured income. Moody Annuities meet both of these requirements. This is what you should know about Moody Annuities: (1) . . . they assure an income up to 9.09 per cent (depending on your age) and this for as long as you live. To support this guarantee are the resources of Moody Bible Institute. Since plan’s inception almost 60 years ago, the Institute has never missed an annuity dividend payment. And in addition , th is e x tra d iv id e n d . .. (2) your annuity funds are carefully put to work in the great program of Moody Bible Institute, and thus you share directly in the blessings of this world-wide gospel ministry. W O U LD YO U LIKE T O RECEIVE DO U B LE DIV ID ENDS ON Y p U R MONEY? I \'ÌÌÌ We’ll be happy to send you the free booklet, Double Dividends, which explains the Moody Annuity Plan in detail. It contains a chart showing income rate for all ages, explains tax benefits and tells you all about the many ministries of Moody Bible Institute in which you’ll have a share. M OODY B IB LE IN S TITU TE 820 N. LaSalle Street • Chicago, Illinois 60610 Please send me, without obligation: □ Dou ble Dividends, story of Moody Annuity Plan. □ Folder relating to Wills. □ Information on Life Income Agreements. Nom e. _ Date of Birth _ Address _ City ------ .Zip. WRITE: Annuity Department Dept. 2K7 n
r
C LIP AND M A IL COUPON TO D A Y
FEBRUARY, 1967
31
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker