This is one of my least favorite memes, but it keeps showing up.
The problem I have with it is no that being anti-evolution is true, or reasonable, or not dogmatic. Suppose it is dogmatic. What Bill Nye does is forwards the position that dogmatists need to deny science generally in order to deny one aspect of science that they’re biased about. Making them choose between science + evolution and anti-science is a false dilemma. It is really science + evolution and science – evolution. One can be for science while denying an aspect of it because it happens to contradict the dogma. When the false dilemma Nye is selling is bought into, many more people will choose anti-science than I think Bill Nye would prefer.
It is not imperative that everyone accept this basic tenant of biology. I don’t think it is practical or intrinsically valuable for everyone to have a basic understanding of every single scientific discipline. People believe silly things all the time. It isn’t a big deal. High school biology can easily be replaced by a million other disciplines that aren’t core curriculum (statistics!) We will get fewer biologists it is true. It is imperative; however, that they accept the good work of science generally.
