Dispute over evolution goes on trial in U.S. court

You asked 'do you actually believe the ACLU is right in saying that this is UNCONSTITUTIONAL'. You did not ask whether I thought it should be unconstitutional. I answered the question you asked, based on how the 1st Amendment is currently applied.

But allow me to answer the other question as well: Yes, it should be unconstitutional. If you want to make it optional for students to receive religious instruction, fine. But the minute you make it a mandatory item in a mandatory class you have infringed on my right to freely practice religion as I see fit. And before you get into the semantics of whether the exact wording of the Constitution extends to schools, keep in mind that this answer is based on what I think it should be, not necessarily how it could be interpreted. It just so happens that the current interpretation of the Supreme Court matches mine and not yours, but that is irrelevant to my own desires. My view would be the same even if the rulings were not in my favor, because I believe the Constitution intended, in cases where rights conflict, to favor the rights of those being imposed upon and not those who are doing the imposing. In other words, you have the right to swing your fist around, but your right to do so ends where my nose begins.

I asked my question to learn if you have the courage to honestly answer. I had no intention of beating you over the head with your answer, and was not trying to ridicule you specifically or Christianity in general with it. I simply wanted to learn the measure of your character by seeing if you were honest enough to acknowledge that there is at least the perception that false witness was being perpetrated in the name of religion. That you dodged the question pretty much told me what I was seeking, so there is no longer a need to answer.

I simply wanted to learn the measure of your character by seeing if you were honest enough to acknowledge that there is at least the perception that false witness was being perpetrated in the name of religion. That you dodged the question pretty much told me what I was seeking, so there is no longer a need to answer.

I think I answered your question when I said ID is not science. Was there more to it than that? I'm confident enough in my operating doctrine to not be deceptive. Any "dodging" was unintentional and can be placed squarely on my laziness. Is it wrong to lie? Umm, yes. Is ID attempting to pass non-science as science? I don't know. I'm not familiar with it enough to say. If so, it is wrong. If they are merely attempting to show that science is unable to explain our existence and they get one sentence worth from a science teacher, then I believe this is valid. That's what this specific case appears to consist of. Are there other cases where ID people are going further?

Thank you for your answers; I apologize for the goading tone I took.

My concern over this case, and the ID movement overall, is that their actions speak to me of insidious motives. When science rejected their assertions of intelligent design due to a lack of scientific merit, they devised a scheme to insert it into science classrooms by denying their religious motivations, similar to Peter denying Christ for his own benefit.

Even more disturbing, though, is their desire to force their ideals upon others, taking away their free agency. That was Satan's plan, and angered God so much that He cast out His favored angel for it.

I ask you, take it upon yourself to study the ID movement. Learn their goals and methods according to their actions. And then, whether you believe ID is true or not, ask yourself if their deeds speak of Christ or Satan. After all, both originally had the same goal.

Good thoughts...maybe I'll look into it more seriously than I have. It reminds me of my ire for people who try to dress up the bible in a way more "appealing" to people. Or preachers that distort the bible in order to not offend, also in attempts to draw in more people. It seems when people try to make truth more appealing they only muck it up and lead people away from it. It has a power of its own and doesn't need our help.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.