Bill in Texas would allow creationists to grant Masters of Science degrees

That's right. Step right up, folks. Want a Master of Science degree? Just repeat after me:

"Jesus rode a dinosaur".

There ya' go. One MS degree from the God is Science, and Scientists are Witches University. While you are at it, here are some Master's theses you can cut and paste to get that MS degree you have been longing for.

1) Botanical classification of plants in The Garden of Eden.

2) The Great Flood of 6,000 BC, and how it changed patterns of migration.

3) The Plagues of Egypt - A condensed history of Jewish practical jokes.

4) A practical HOWTO - Make the sun stand still, and amaze your friends.

5) Turning water into wine - Alchemy 101.

6) Techniques of Raising the dead - From Jesus to Dr. Frankenstein.

7) Practical Hypnosis - Making 10,000 people believe that one fish can satiate all their appetites at once.

8) How to Track the Sun's Position as it Revolves Around the Earth.

9) Cain's Wife - How a second creation was pulled off just one county away from Adam's creation.

10) Biblical math - Why 1+1 = 3 (Or any other number you care to choose).

That's right, folks. You can be an egghead too. Just put all your money (don't hold back any, or a bolt of lightning will strike you dead) in a brown envelope or a brown paper bag, and send it to:

I Wanna Be a Scientist too
Behind the Third Seat from the Left
Second Pew
Church of the Almighty Dollar
666 Hypocrites Way
Halleluia, Jesusland

Send us your money now, and we will include, at no extra charge, a portrait of Jesus, painted how we would like to see him - White, with blond hair (not nappy) and blue eyes. It's a $995.00 value, and it's yours for free, if you act now. Yes, folks, yesterday you couldn't spell scientist, and today you is one. Just send in that money. Do it now, or forever fry in hell. In Jesus' name, this I do affirm. Amen.

Article is here.

Based on what's actually happening, I would have thought this was something that most people in TX would get behind. The religion issue is incidental to the larger point:

If a private college doesn't receive funds from any governmental organization, should they have to be held to any standards or requirements when they award degrees? No, one Texan lawmaker is insisting.

Texas State Representative Leo Berman has proposed House Bill 2800, which would exempt any private non-profit institution that requires students to complete “substantive course work” from having to acquire a certificate of authority from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board(THECB). “If you don’t take any federal funds, if you don’t take any state funds, you can do a lot more than some business that does take state funding or federal funding,” Berman says. “Why should you be regulated if you don’t take any state or federal funding?”

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Sounds like this is more of an argument over government involvement in private business than it is about religious beliefs.

If they want to offer science degrees to those who stuy creationism, I say let them. The government shouldn't interfere if it isn't funding those institutions. It will be blatantly obvious when one of those "graduates" goes to apply for a job that they came from a pseudoscientific institution, and that they don't have the same credentials as those who studied real science.

Unless of course they apply for a job at some kind of creationism institution, in which case they'll be in a shoe in for all the radicals that think the education system has justified their beliefs.

Orius said:

If they want to offer science degrees to those who stuy creationism, I say let them. The government shouldn't interfere if it isn't funding those institutions. It will be blatantly obvious when one of those "graduates" goes to apply for a job that they came from a pseudoscientific institution, and that they don't have the same credentials as those who studied real science.

Unless of course they apply for a job at some kind of creationism institution, in which case they'll be in a shoe in for all the radicals that think the education system has justified their beliefs.

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The whole point is that accreditation is the standard, and to grant it for an institution that lacks the merit cheapens the value of those who went to a proper university in Texas.

This should be opposed because it gives credibility to the credulous.

Creationism is not science; only speculation
Evolution is barely science; mainly speculation
Big Bang Theory is not science; it's speculation

My question is why are they wanting to make a degree with an emphasis in creationism, when they already have accredited degrees for a Bachelor of Arts in theology?

TheNextEra said:

My question is why are they wanting to make a degree with an emphasis in creationism, when they already have accredited degrees for a Bachelor of Arts in theology?

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To piss liberals off.

Arch Enemy said:

To piss liberals off.

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It doesn't piss me off in the least, since I am not from Texas and my lawmakers aren't wasting time for this.

If it gets passed it will simply be yet another Bachelor of Arts degree.

As I said earlier, the degree would not solely be on creationism, but other pre-requisites that must be followed as well. No biggy to me, I just don't see the reason to waste time on it is all when there is already an accredited theology degree program.

Arch Enemy said:

To piss liberals off.

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It must seriously be their version of ethnic and woman studies.

That degree along with those aren't worth the paper they are written on.

Harry Guerrilla said:

That degree along with those aren't worth the paper they are written on.

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Actually that isn't all true either. There are some jobs, especially federal jobs, that have a pre-requisite of having a minimum of a bachelors degree or a certain amount of experience in the field.

Many times those with degrees (no matter how absurd) as long as they are an accredited degree from an accredited college that person would get the job over someone who doesn't have one and doesn't have that certain amount of years experience.

I'll admit though that with the economy going the way it is and with layoffs, this will most likely change but in the past that is how it has been.

Thinking about it, I would argue that there are far more scientific fields in which Creationist beliefs are not a practical impediment than fields in which they are. Anthropology and primatology seem to be poor fits, and Young Earthers are probably not good for astronomy or geology... but I've never even heard of a college-educated Creationist arguing against the existence of microevolution, much less the principles of the scientific method.

This is much less of a big deal than people are making it out to be.

TheNextEra said:

Actually that isn't all true either. There are some jobs, especially federal jobs, that have a pre-requisite of having a minimum of a bachelors degree or a certain amount of experience in the field.

Many times those with degrees (no matter how absurd) as long as they are an accredited degree from an accredited college that person would get the job over someone who doesn't have one and doesn't have that certain amount of years experience.

I'll admit though that with the economy going the way it is and with layoffs, this will most likely change but in the past that is how it has been.

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I agree that there are some limited jobs available for those degrees but for how many institutions that offer it, its really annoying.

To each his/her own if they want to waste their college time.

I can tell you one thing for certain, no oil or gas company in Texas is going to hire scientists who believe that our sedimentary layers were laid down in the great flood less than 6,000 years ago.

Though I imagine the Biblical Creation Theme Parks will be delighted to have these esteemed graduates working on their displays and shows.



:2wave:

"Bill in Texas would allow creationists to grant Masters of Science degrees"




I really don't care what Bill is doing in Texas.

Grateful Heart said:

I can tell you one thing for certain, no oil or gas company in Texas is going to hire scientists who believe that our sedimentary layers were laid down in the great flood less than 6,000 years ago.

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Agreed. Last I heard, many geologists hired had some evolution background as it helps them find the specific areas that the organisms lived in that got turned into hydrocarbons. I know for a fact that Chevron's explorer drilling ships specifically look for specific diatoms in specific geological eras in the core samples they take from the seafloor. And all of these geological eras are well beyond the YEC time frame.

YECs tend not to understand the contradiction between their use of hydrocarbons to power their lives and the method of discovery that invalidates their belief system. As I've always said, YECs are living lies everyday.

RightinNYC said:

Sounds like this is more of an argument over government involvement in private business than it is about religious beliefs.

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Yes and no. If the Texas Education organization is forced to certify what amounts to a diploma mill then it essentially renders that overall certification worthless. While it would be obvious to many that the fake science I mean Creationist 'science' is worthless, it does open the door for other diploma mills to operate rendering actual graduate degrees on par with a piece of paper you get for sending a check.

obvious Child said:

Yes and no. If the Texas Education organization is forced to certify what amounts to a diploma mill then it essentially renders that overall certification worthless. While it would be obvious to many that the fake science I mean Creationist 'science' is worthless, it does open the door for other diploma mills to operate rendering actual graduate degrees on par with a piece of paper you get for sending a check.

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And the next thing you know, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster will also be allowed to issue MS degrees, granted of course, by his noodly appendage.:mrgreen:

Why not get a degree in Astrology while your at it?

*hangs head in shame*

I'm so glad I went to school in New York instead of here.

Orius said:

If they want to offer science degrees to those who stuy creationism, I say let them. The government shouldn't interfere if it isn't funding those institutions. It will be blatantly obvious when one of those "graduates" goes to apply for a job that they came from a pseudoscientific institution, and that they don't have the same credentials as those who studied real science.

Unless of course they apply for a job at some kind of creationism institution, in which case they'll be in a shoe in for all the radicals that think the education system has justified their beliefs.

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Fine, but they should loose their accreditation. If you're gonna hand out bogus degrees, you shouldn't be an accredited university.

As for the Flying Spaghetti Monster thing....could you imagine how many people, even those who just passed and supported this bill, would be pissed off...ranting and raving pissed off if something like that happened. It could prove very entertaining.

Ikari said:

Fine, but they should loose their accreditation. If you're gonna hand out bogus degrees, you shouldn't be an accredited university.

As for the Flying Spaghetti Monster thing....could you imagine how many people, even those who just passed and supported this bill, would be pissed off...ranting and raving pissed off if something like that happened. It could prove very entertaining.

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Actually, things are pretty entertaining right now. :mrgreen:

GarzaUK said:

Why not get a degree in Astrology while your at it?

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Several years ago I was introduced to a Licensed Profession Counselor (LPC), a profession requiring a minimum education of Masters Degree in counseling or some related mental health curriculum. The primary tool of her practice was, and still is, AFAIK, 'The Secret' book and DVD.

The Secret Official Web Site

:shock::shock::shock:

Lachean said:

The whole point is that accreditation is the standard, and to grant it for an institution that lacks the merit cheapens the value of those who went to a proper university in Texas.

This should be opposed because it gives credibility to the credulous.

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obvious Child said:

Yes and no. If the Texas Education organization is forced to certify what amounts to a diploma mill then it essentially renders that overall certification worthless. While it would be obvious to many that the fake science I mean Creationist 'science' is worthless, it does open the door for other diploma mills to operate rendering actual graduate degrees on par with a piece of paper you get for sending a check.

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Nobody is trying to force Texas to grant them accreditation or to certify them in any way. The conflict is over the fact that TX has a law saying that no institution can grant any degree unless it's accredited by a TX institution. This bill is proposing to remove that requirement for schools that don't receive any government funding.

I don't think it's necessarily a good idea, but it's less about religious intrusion and more about governmental involvement.

danarhea said:

That's right. Step right up, folks. Want a Master of Science degree? Just repeat after me:

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Accrediation is a great thing. You can have whatever 'degree' you want, but if the school isnt recognized acorss the academinc and professional community, its meaningless.

The state doesnt need to be involved at all, especially when there's no state money involved.


Given all that, the rest of the OP was uncalled for.

Goobieman said:

Given all that, the rest of the OP was uncalled for.

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Perhaps, but I got a chuckle from some of it.

I respect the right to practice one's religion freely, no matter how ridiculous the belief. But ridiculous beliefs leave one open to ridicule.