And I Want A Masters Degree In Magic

Ken AshfordEducation, Godstuff, Science & TechnologyLeave a Comment

Oy:

State Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) proposed House Bill 2800 when he learned that The Institute for Creation Research (ICR), a private institution that specializes in the education and research of biblical creationism, was not able to receive a certificate of authority from Texas' Higher Education Coordinating Board to grant Master of Science degrees.

Berman's bill would allow private, non-profit educational institutions to be exempt from the board’s authority.

“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?”

HB 2800 does not specifically name ICR; it would allow any institution that meets its criteria to be exempt from the board's authority. But Berman says ICR was the inspiration for the bill because he feels creationism is as scientific as evolution and should be granted equal weight in the educational community.

Offer a Masters in Theology.  Heck, offer a Masters in Creationism.  But don't call it science!

As for Berman's question as to why non-profit education institutions shouldn't be able to give out Masters of Science degrees, the answer is obvious.  What would stop Jim Bob's School of Bullshit to start handing out degrees in, well, anything?