Tennessee House Bill 368

The Tennessee House of Representatives just passed a bill that opens a door to attack the accurate teaching of evolution and any other scientific theories.  Essentially the text reads that it will be against the law to:

prohibit any teacher in a public school system of this state from helping students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught.

As I understand it, this would allow any teacher at any time to argue against any scientific theory that they don’t agree with.  Anything will go as long as they don’t explicitly say that their motivation is based on a “religious or non-religious doctrine.”  Flat-earthers, HIV-deniers, and intelligent design proponents will be fair game in Tennessee schools.

The bill is simply ridiculous in its motives.  One would presume that the bill’s sponsor believes that he is furthering  the true ideas a and wants of scientists.  Well not exactly:

"Evolution may not be controversial in the scientific community, but may be in our greater community," bill sponsor Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, said.

Here is where the problem lies.  The fundamentals of history should be decided by historians, math decided by mathematicians, and science by scientists.  As long as the information is accurate,  it should be taught truthfully.  As Richard Feynman said: “Reality must take precedence over public relations.”  This bill is a step backwards in the progress of humanity.