---------- Forwarded message ----------
8 April 1999
Nature 398, 453 (1999) © Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
'FLAT Earthers' in battle with creationism
[SAN DIEGO] A group of US scientists and educators is using parody to fight
creationism in a school board election in Kansas. The group argues, for
example, that the teaching of 'round Earth theory' in schools should be
questioned, as the Bible makes reference to the world having four corners
(Revelations 7:1).
When creationists started an organization to diminish the teaching of evolution
in schools in Lawrence, Kansas, the scientists formed FLAT -- Families for
Learning Accurate Theories. FLAT has posted its 'Biblical' views on the
Internet.
"We don't necessarily all believe the world is flat," says Philip G. Kimball,
FLAT's treasurer, an author with a masters degree in education from Stanford
University. "Another possibility is a tetrahedron. The group isn't settled on
the Earth's final form."
With tongues firmly planted in cheeks, FLAT members comment that the Bible says
that is 3, not 3.14 (I Kings 7:23), and that studying foreign languages is
'unbiblical', as God created many languages to prevent people from recreating
the Tower of Babel.
In an interview with Nature, Kimball insisted on adhering to the satirical
line. In contrast, Adrian L. Melott, a cosmologist at the University of Kansas
in Lawrence and another founder of FLAT, acknowledged that parody was being
used because "reasoned argument with creationists has failed".
"The dialogue has given the public the idea that there are two sides to the
story of equal weight," said Melott. "Scientifically, that isn't the case."
FLAT was formed to counter a group called Parents for Objective Science and
History (POSH), formed by Ellen L. and Joel M. Barber, who objected to their
five-year-old son being taught in kindergarten that dinosaurs lived millions of
years ago. As creationists, the Barbers say they believe the Earth was formed
10,000 to 60,000 years ago.
With a campaign under way for last Tuesday's (6 April) election for the board
of the Lawrence Public Schools, the Barbers and POSH sought to persuade
candidates to advocate teaching evolution as theory.
When FLAT parodied their efforts, Ellen Barber said she felt "ridiculed",
adding: "They are trying to discredit our views. If they discredit God or the
Bible, we are discredited." Melott denies this, saying that religion has its
appropriate place in schools -- but not as a so-called science.
Ironically, say Melott and Kimball, their FLAT campaign has brought them
ridicule as well, with hate mail posted on the Internet and derision at home,
because many people seem to have missed the joke. "My wife wants to use her
maiden name for a couple of weeks," said Melott.
Humour aside, the issue of teaching creationism in schools is a serious
business in Kansas. Creationists are lobbying the state board of education to
include their view in statewide scientific standards.
REX DALTON
|