Posted on 09/26/2005 1:53:21 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
A Pennsylvania school district's use of "intelligent design" in its high school biology curriculum goes on trial in federal court today in the nation's first legal challenge to the idea, which contends that evolutionary theory alone does not explain how life on Earth took shape.
The lawsuit, brought by 11 parents in the Dover Area School District, attacks as unconstitutional the year-old policy of telling ninth-grade biology students that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution "is not a fact. Gaps in the Theory exist for which there is no evidence." School officials also recommend a book on intelligent design, or ID.
The plaintiffs, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, argue that the policy -- which does not require students to study intelligent design -- serves religious, not secular ends, violating the First Amendment.
ID proponents say scientists can look at life forms and identify the work of a controlling "intelligence," although ID advocates are not specific about the nature of that force. While they do not reject all evolutionary theory, ID proponents argue that it incorrectly insists life took shape purely through a mindless process.
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
I'm a type O Rh+. I'm also a white Anglo-Saxon gentile, a heterosexual able-bodied right-handed endomorphic male, and a conservative capitalist evolutionist. I'm the ultimate oppressor :).
The evos are so dedicated to their cause, they don't mind a little thing like the ACLU helping them out. After all, they obviously need all the help they can get. Students continue to believe creation over evolution.
It is unconstitutional for a state to force a teacher to teach religion in a science class. The Discovery Institute, which has been spearheading this effort, knows that this case is a loser and has refused to support the ID side.
If you want to know why DI backed out it is simple. They ar smart enough to know that intelligent design has to come up with some actual science befor it can be taught in a science classroom.
There's a lot of name calling going on, but the
Discovery Institute knows that ID hasn't produced any science yet. If and when it does, it will be taught.
If you have children in public school, you know ID/creationism is being taught along side evolution in many areas and many, many people don't seem to mind. Sad for you, isn't it?
Oh, I didn't know humans only had one gene.
And more amazing, at least to me, about 15 years ago 60% of high school students couldn't find the Pacific Ocean on a map.
Have you heard about the geography teacher who thought that Alaska was an island because it was shown on maps of the USA in the same way Hawaii is? I kid you not.
Good thing I'm A Rh+, or I'd suspect we were identical twins.
You are disgusting. We need more of your kind. Go breed.
And like so many others, I don't believe we descended from anything other than other humans. You believe what you like about your ancestors as you are free to do. Why not allow the rest of us the same courtesy?
You think God had a bag of genes and decided to toss a monkey gene into Adam just for a laugh?
I can believe that, although I don't like it.
I think all living things are related and designed and created by God. What He specificaly chose to do with genes is anybody's guess.
Thank you mlc, you make an excellent specimen-in-a-jar.
You are also free to believe what you will, outside of the Science classroom.
But I would still be a human (despite what you think about me).
Ah my friend - it isn't that simple. All subjects should be open for debate, don't you think? What are you afraid of?
Both my daughters took honors biology in high school, got excellent grade, and STILL don't believe in evolution. But they learned what they had to in order to get the grades.
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