One thing, incidentally, that is often lost in these threads which tend to go back and forth on "evolution is true/false" and "ID is true/false" and "you are an idiot" is something pretty important.
First, why should we even have government schools? This thread is evidence of just one of the countless problems they create. We are all (in some sense) conservatives, and yet we are ready to kill based upon what we believe should happen in the government schools. Why not direct our wrath towards ending government schools?
Second, if it is a given that we simply MUST have government schools, then, we have to figure out a way to protect something fundamental to America and that is religious freedom. Like it or not, most of the colonies in what would become the U.S. were founded by those seeking freedom of religion. This value is fundamental to who we are and it is part of the Constitution (or used to be anyway....but hopefully conservatives can all agree that it is still part of the Constitution). The question then becomes, how do we have government run education, while not treading too much upon religious freedom...namely that the government will not be giving preference to a particular religious or particular anti-religious teaching?
The evolutionists who argue that the cold, hard facts of science are on their side fail to recognize that even if they are right, they are, by demanding conformity on an understanding of the origin of the universe, entering into areas which contradict the sincerely held religious faith of those who are paying for the government schools.
In a sense, then, it doesn't matter who is "right" on this, in terms of what is happening to religious freedom. Assume for the moment that the evolutionists are absolutely correct. Well, the problem is that if you interject their ideas into government approved curriculum and cut off those who believe otherwise, then you are violating the sincerely held religious views of millions of people. Then you send them a bill for the public schools.
There is something deeply problematic about that scenario from a human rights and religious freedom aspect. Incidentally, this is one of the main points that WJB brought out in the Scopes trial. If we are to have government schools, why can't the parents who are paying for it dictate what is taught, especially as it relates to their religion which makes normative statements about the whole of reality?
All I hear from the evolutionary side of the ledger is "because you guys are idiots".
But....let's assume for the sake of argument....ok, we're all idiots. Unfortunately, the Constitution as originally envisioned allows us to be idiots. Freedom of religion is part of our heritage. Freedom of religion is lost in a society where the government desires to monopolize the teachings of the origins of the man and the universe, and not even permit criticism of that, whether from "ID" or from purely religious views.
Just something to think about.
Good observation CD.
"First, why should we even have government schools?"
Because we learned a long time ago that an educated citizenry makes for a stronger, freer country than an ignorant citizenry.
People can argue all they want about the details of how this concept is applied, but I suspect there is general agreement that the concept is valid.