'FLAT Earthers' in Battle with Creationism

news ‘FLAT Earthers’ in battle with creationism

[SAN DIEGO] A group of US scientists and Barber, who objected to their five-year-old educators is using parody to fight creation- son being taught in kindergarten that ism in a school board election in Kansas. dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. As cre- The group argues, for example, that the ationists, the Barbers say they believe the teaching of ‘round Earth theory’ in schools Earth was formed 10,000 to 60,000 years ago. should be questioned, as the Bible makes With a campaign under way for last Tues- reference to the world having four corners day’s (6 April) election for the board of the (Revelations 7:1). Lawrence Public Schools, the Barbers and When creationists started an organiza- POSH sought to persuade candidates to tion to diminish the teaching of evolution in advocate teaching evolution as theory. schools in Lawrence, Kansas, the scientists When FLAT parodied their efforts, Ellen formed FLAT — Families for Learning Accu- Barber said she felt “ridiculed”, adding: rate Theories. FLAT has posted its ‘Biblical’ “They are trying to discredit our views. If views on the Internet. they discredit God or the Bible, we are dis- “We don’t necessarily all believe the world credited.” Melott denies this, saying that reli- is flat,” says Philip G. Kimball, FLAT’s trea- gion has its appropriate place in schools — surer, an author with a masters degree in but not as a so-called science. education from Stanford University. Ironically, say Melott and Kimball, their “Another possibility is a tetrahedron. The the University of Kansas in Lawrence and FLAT campaign has brought them ridicule as group isn’t settled on the Earth’s final form.” another founder of FLAT, acknowledged well, with hate mail posted on the Internet With tongues firmly planted in cheeks, that parody was being used because “rea- and derision at home, because many people FLAT members comment that the Bible says soned argument with creationists has failed”. seem to have missed the joke. “My wife wants that Ț is 3, not 3.14 (I Kings 7:23), and that “The dialogue has given the public the to use her maiden name for a couple of studying foreign languages is ‘unbiblical’, as idea that there are two sides to the story of weeks,” said Melott. God created many languages to prevent peo- equal weight,” said Melott. “Scientifically, Humour aside, the issue of teaching cre- ple from recreating the Tower of Babel. that isn’t the case.” ationism in schools is a serious business in In an interview with Nature, Kimball FLAT was formed to counter a group Kansas. Creationists are lobbying the state insisted on adhering to the satirical line. In called Parents for Objective Science and His- board of education to include their view in contrast, Adrian L. Melott, a cosmologist at tory (POSH), formed by Ellen L. and Joel M. statewide scientific standards. Rex Dalton

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