Anyone read Primates and Philosophers? I'm a big fan of Frans de Waal's primate books, but I was put off by some of the reviews. Is it worth a read?
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Question for Toro, Thom and other evolution nerds
I've been meaning to read it myself, but haven't.
Generally, he's very, very good. But the synopses I've seen suggest I'll think he's very, very wrong in this. -
Question for Toro, Thom and other evolution nerds
That's the impression I got, too. And he is straying outside his area of expertise, which is always dangerous. I was hoping someone could save me the bother of ploughing through it if it really is that wrong, because it's hard to resist the temptation.Comment
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Question for Toro, Thom and other evolution nerds
While we're on the subject of evolution, let's have a good laugh at Michael Behe. He testifed on behalf of some Christian schools whose biology courses weren't accredited by UCLA, but it rather backfired on them. That's twice he's shot his own movement in the foot on the witness stand. Perhaps they should pay him not to testify.
Plaintiff's evidence also supports Defendants' conclusion that these biology texts are inappropriate for use as the primary or sole text. Plaintiffs' own biology expert, Professor Michael Behe, testified that "it is personally abusive and pedagogically damaging to de facto require students to subscribe to an idea. . . . Requiring a student to, effectively, consent to an idea violates [her] personal integrity. Such a wrenching violation [may cause] a terrible educational outcome." (Behe Decl. Para. 59.)
Yet, the two Christian biology texts at issue commit this "wrenching violation." For example, Biology for Christian Schools declares on the very first page that:
(1) "'Whatever the Bible says is so; whatever man says may or may not be so,' is the only [position] a Christian can take. . . ."
(2) "If [scientific] conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong, no matter how many scientific facts may appear to back them."
(3) "Christians must disregard [scientific hypotheses or theories] that contradict the Bible." (Phillips Decl. Ex. B, at xi.)Comment
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