Posted on 01/13/2005 12:09:01 PM PST by Brilliant
ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal judge Thursday ordered a suburban Atlanta school system to remove stickers from its high school biology textbooks that call evolution ``a theory, not a fact,'' saying the disclaimers are an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.
``By denigrating evolution, the school board appears to be endorsing the well-known prevailing alternative theory, creationism or variations thereof, even though the sticker does not specifically reference any alternative theories,'' U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper said.
The stickers were put inside the books' front covers by public school officials in Cobb County in 2002. They 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.''
``This is a great day for Cobb County students,'' said Michael Manely, an attorney for the parents who sued over the stickers. ``They're going to be permitted to learn science unadulterated by religious dogma.''
Doug Goodwin, a spokesman for Cobb County schools, had no immediate comment.
The stickers were added after more than 2,000 parents complained that the textbooks presented evolution as fact, without mentioning rival ideas about the beginnings of life, such as the biblical story of creation.
Six parents and the American Civil Liberties Union then sued, contending the disclaimers violated the separation of church and state and unfairly singled out evolution from thousands of other scientific theories as suspect.
At a trial in federal court in November, the school system defended the stickers as a show of tolerance, not religious activism.
``Science and religion are related and they're not mutually exclusive,'' school district attorney Linwood Gunn said. ``This sticker was an effort to get past that conflict and to teach good science.''
But the judge disagreed: ``While evolution is subject to criticism, particularly with respect to the mechanism by which it occurred, the sticker misleads students regarding the significance and value of evolution in the scientific community.''
The case is one of several battles waged around the country in recent years over what role evolution should play in the teaching of science.
Last year, Georgia's education chief proposed a science curriculum that dropped the word ``evolution'' in favor of ``changes over time.'' The idea was dropped amid protests from teachers.
A school district in Dover, Pa., has been locked in a dispute over a requirement that science students be told about ``intelligent design'' -- the concept that the universe is so complex it must have been created by some higher power.
Incredible.
If you believe in evolution, wait. Belief won't work for you. If you THINK evolution is right...oh never mind. I digress to more articulate Freepers.
I'd seriously rethink your stance, btw. SERIOUSLY.
There is only one word for this judge: dumb. A man that stupid, a man so fundamentally ignorant of the Constitution, has no business on the bench.
Why do you have to teach either in highschool? It's not like your knowledge of evolution is of great importance in later life, unless you're going to be an anthropologist or a biologist. Teach them physics or some other more useful science.
If it causes such a ruckus, then why don't we do what the liberals always insist we should do, and be "sensitive" to the fact that others may be "offended"?
In any event, why on earth are the courts making these decisions? It's utter absurdity.
Let's say assume premise were true. First, how many adults who have studied evolution in school really even know much of anything about it? So they might be stupid anyway. Second, we have that little issue about our form of government to address. It is a republic, not a judicial oligarchy. What this judge did was unconstitutional.
Six parents and the American Civil Liberties Union then sued, contending the disclaimers violated the separation of church and state and unfairly singled out evolution from thousands of other scientific theories as suspect.
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Well we could have guessed WHO was hosting this continued rape and molestation of our judicial system...fully supported by the liberal activist judges of course!!!
Since when can't scientific theories be presented - as theories, not necessarily as proven facts - in a textbook? There are many points of controversy in both the arts and sciences, many issues on which more than one viewpoint has respnsible adherents, and the courts never regard it is ILLEGAL to present opposing viewpoints. the theory of evolution is the ONLY controversial topic on which the courts have ruled that presenting an opposing viewpoint is illegitimate. As for evolution, there are some facts in support of it, but the belief that evolution MUST be true is not based on science, but philosophy - a philosophy of materialism - and that particular philosophy has NO pride of place in our Constitution, nor is it an "establishment of religion" to present an alternate view to that philosophy. This judge is quite simply full of sh*t.
The Missing Link must have been called at a surprise witness.
Again, tyranny by the minority.
Sorry, that's already been taken by Michael Newdow!
Clarence Cooper
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Born: Decatur, Georgia-May 5, 1942
Education: Clark College (B.A. 1964); Emory University (J.D. 1967); Harvard University (M.A. 1978). Judge Cooper was appointed a United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of Georgia by President Clinton on May 9, 1994.
I knew what I said might be controversial, but I believe America is the greatest country in the world and nobody shouldever be allowed to surpass it in greatness.
The only thing I'M saying is, scholars should find their answers here, they shouldn't refer back to God. That's what made the Muslim world backwards. I don't want the Chinese to excell over our nation, because kids are taught that God made everything, so don't be curious about a thing.
Obviously I'm religious too, but religion should never take the place of science.
I remember seeing Frist recently saying that he didn't know whether AIDS could be spread by tears. The guy is a doctor. He should know better. Pandering to extreme religious people is a bad thing if it takes the place of science.
Remember it isn't priests whoi will defend us from Chinese rockets, it's scholars and technicians.
If our nation doesn't honor God, why should God honor our nation?
He must be one of those Clinton judges that the GOP blocked with unending filibusters. </sarcasm>
The Missing Link must have been called at a surprise witness.
Let's say assume premise were true. First, how many adults who have studied evolution in school really even know much of anything about it? So they might be stupid anyway.
Should read: Let's assume your premise is true. First, how many adults who have studied evolution in school really know that much about it today?
Well anyway, you get my point. LOL! I get into trouble when I try to freep and ebay at the same time.
Now we've got judges telling educators that they can't "denigrate" evolution. Pathetic.
Ah, an affirmative action judge. I'm glad I called him dumb before I found out he's black.
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