Posted on 05/25/2006 2:59:09 PM PDT by dukeman
ADF filed friend-of-the-court brief in defense of textbook stickers which accurately stated that evolution is a theory
ATLANTA — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit today vacated a lower court decision that declared Cobb County science textbook stickers which stated “evolution is a theory, not a fact” unconstitutional. The court was critical of the district court for issuing its ruling against the stickers despite holes in the evidentiary record in the case and remanded the case back to the district court for new proceedings.
“No school should be in trouble for simply stating the facts. That’s what schools are supposed to do. Though we wish the appeals court would have ruled on the constitutional merits of the case without sending it back to the district court, we are pleased that the district court’s ruling against the school district has been vacated,” said Alliance Defense Fund Senior Legal Counsel Joel Oster.
In its ruling today, the 11th Circuit wrote, “The problems presented by a record containing significant evidentiary gaps are compounded because at least some key findings of the district court are not supported by the evidence that is contained in the record.” The full text of the court’s ruling in the case Selman v. Cobb County School District can be read at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/CobbCountyDecision.pdf.
The lower court judge agreed that the stickers were not applied to the textbooks for a religious purpose and were devoid of religious content. Nonetheless, he deemed the stickers a violation of the so-called “separation of church and state” for the sole reason that many people were aware that Christians supported the stickers.
According to the friend-of-the-court brief ADF attorneys filed in the case, “The District Court’s analysis will lead to absurd results…. The Establishment Clause was never meant to prohibit the passage of a secular law, for a secular purpose, simply because Christians actively lobbied for the law” (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3404).
The sticker which had been applied to each textbook read, “This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.”
ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
Darn-darn, hit post twice. ;)
Which case is that, Dudley?
That, "Yes, the study of life's origins can be done at the same time, by the same people, who study the theory of evolution."
E.g., the drive to be able to reduce this to a very simple series of logical events that could have taken place with no divine intervention; its all about extinguishing the divine. We don't want the Bible to be right in this, do we? Surely this would make us accountable to it, whether or not one adheres to it. This is what Harvard is trying to prove, which makes my case, that some of their scientist's major aim is to disprove the existence of God.
bump
So what? You are suffering from a logical inconsistency. Assuming for the sake of argument that you are correct, that some Harvard scientists are trying to disprove the existence of God, it does not follow that ALL scientists who study evolution have that as their primary aim. Of course, you have been told that repeatedly, too.
By the way, you have been using the Evo-troll's toolkit, haven't you?! That old saw about how all who study evolution are atheists!
That's why I said "some."
"By the way, you have been using the Evo-troll's toolkit, haven't you?! That old saw about how all who study evolution are atheists!"
I'm kinda new at this, I haven't heard of the "Evo-troll's toolkit," but it sounds like something to look up.
About the "old saw" about Atheist; Creationist study Evolution too. In simple terms, Creationists (and ID) know its adaptation qualities work; but we know that the part of Evolution as an explanation of the whole world of living things requiring that information appears which was not there before is wrong.
About 'Dudley,' did he came out of the evo troll kit too?
Correct
The Cobb County case has been settled.
http://www.scienceblogs.com/dispatches/
"In an agreement announced today, Cobb County school officials state that they will not order the placement of "any stickers, labels, stamps, inscriptions, or other warnings or disclaimers bearing language substantially similar to that used on the sticker that is the subject of this action." School officials also agreed not to take other actions that would undermine the teaching of evolution in biology classes."
Excellent!
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