Posted on 09/28/2005 4:11:22 AM PDT by PatrickHenry
HARRISBURG, Pa. - A former physics teacher testified that his rural school board ignored faculty protests before deciding to introduce the theory of "intelligent design" to high school students.
"I saw a district in which teachers were not respected for their professional expertise," Bryan Rehm, a former teacher at Dover High School, said Tuesday.
Rehm, who now teaches in another district, is a plaintiff in the nation's first trial over whether public schools can teach "intelligent design."
Eight Dover families are trying to have the controversial theory removed from the curriculum, arguing that it violates the constitutional separation of church and state. They say it effectively promotes the Bible's view of creation.
Proponents of intelligent design argue that life on Earth was the product of an unidentified intelligent force, and that Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection cannot fully explain the origin of life or the emergence of highly complex life forms.
Aralene "Barrie" Callahan, a former member of the Dover school board and another plaintiff in the case, said that at least two board members made statements during meetings that made her believe the new policy was religiously based.
At a retreat in March 2003, a board member "expressed he did not believe in evolution and if evolution was part of the biology curriculum, creationism had to be shared 50-50," Callahan testified.
At a school board meeting in June 2004, when she was no longer on the board, Callahan recalled another board member complaining that a biology book recommended by the administration was "laced with Darwinism."
"They were pretty much downplaying evolution as something that was credible," she said.
In October 2004, the board voted 6-3 to require teachers to read a brief statement about intelligent design to students before classes on evolution. The statement says Darwin's theory is "not a fact" and has inexplicable "gaps," and refers students to an intelligent-design textbook for more information.
In a separate development Tuesday, two freelance newspaper reporters who covered the school board in June 2004 both invoked their First Amendment rights and declined to provide a deposition to lawyers for the school district.
Both are expected in court Wednesday to respond to a subpoena to testify at trial, said Niles Benn, a lawyer for the papers. Lawyers for the school district have questioned the accuracy of articles in which the reporters wrote that board members discussed creationism during public meetings.
In other testimony Tuesday, plaintiff Tammy Kitzmiller said that in January, her younger daughter opted out of hearing the statement - an option given all students - putting her in an awkward position.
"My 14-year-old daughter had to make the choice between staying in the classroom and being confused ... or she had to be singled out and face the possible ridicule of her friends and classmates," she said.
The Dover Area School District, which serves about 3,500 students, is believed to be the nation's first school system to mandate that students be exposed to the intelligent design concept. It argues it is not endorsing any religious view and only letting students know there are differences of opinion about evolution.
The non-jury trial is expected to take five weeks.
No, I'm taking it up with you. Sadly, there are no retraction or admission of previous errors on your part. Dare you address your prior misconstruals?
I looked up Ghiselin's book, and it seems at first glance to be a philosophical work, not a biology text. The quote by Darwin in question was written down in a pocket notebook. I found a cite for it here:
Paul H. Barrett, Peter J. Gautrey, Sandra Herbert, David Kohn, and Sydney Smith, editors, Charles Darwin's Notebooks, 1836-1844: Geology, Transmutation of Species, Metaphysical Enquiries (Cornell University Press, 1987), p. 539.
You will have to ask coyoteman about moon gods. I'm thinking about pasta right now.
js1138: "And malt does more than Milton can To justify God's ways to man."
A non sequitur - but not an unexpected response from one who is under the influence and speaking from experience. LOL
And the physical evidence is located where?
Do you realize just some of what is required for a new species to arise based on evolution?
I'm still waiting for a Buddist or Hindu to support ID. Science crosses the boundaries of believe. ID does not. Therefore.....
Actually, the ID folks have some company in at least one other religion:
Science Research Foundation. Inspired by the books and writings of Harun Yahya (see next link).
Harun Yahya International. Islamic creationism
Islamic Scientific Creationism: A New Challenge in Turkey. Links between Harun Yahya and ICR's Gish and Morris.
SRF (Science Research Foundation) Conferences US and Islamic creationists working together.
Mustafa Akyol (Turkish creationist) testifies in Kansas "Monkey Trial". See the next link.
Why Muslims Should Support Intelligent Design, By Mustafa Akyol.
I trust that you are familiar with genetics?
They would say that its all illusion. And they would be right.
So if she's teased for being Mormon, her parents have no grounds for complaint?
It's all a Ruse!
Five weeks is a long time for a slam-dunk case?
This is exactly what evolutionary biologists study.
What religion might that be?
[I hope that others realize that this case is not about teaching an ID curriculum but simply reading a disclaimer.]
Think about what school would be like if every group that had a beef about what was being taught in a public school classroom were to codify a disclaimer against it.
Teachers would be spending a good portion of every day reading disclaimers. Do we really want to be wasting class time doing that?
I believe the truthful answer would be: NO.
ID would take us "backwards," MSU professor testifies
For anyone who ever napped through a college philosophy class (like this writer, for example), the morning session might not seem particularly attractive as it featured Dr. Robert Pennock, a professor of philosophy of science at Michigan State University. However, Dr. Pennock offered insightful testimony to further bolster our case. He even managed to bring some levity to the situation.
Dr. Pennock and Eric Rothschild, who handled direct questioning, analyzed statements by Dr. William Dembski, a key proponent of ID. The testimony included quotations from several of Dembski's writings. "They want to revolutionize science" Dr. Pennock stated. "They want a theistic science."
"They would turn us back to an earlier era," he noted, causing "the scientific community to take a number of steps backwards."
The various factions of creationists were also discussed, including Young Earth Creationists, Old Earth Creationists, and Special Creation. Dr. Pennock stated that intelligent design is an attempt to unite the factions.
"It is a strategy to unite against a common enemy," he said.
The morning session included several light moments. Dr. Pennock testified that referring to a "designer" rather than "God" is like referring to "Ambassador Wilson's wife" rather than "Valerie Plame Wilson." As the gallery laughed, Judge Jones chuckled and said, "As an example."
Also, when opposing counsel Patrick Gillen asked if he had ever heard evolution referred to as a "big tent theory," Dr. Pennock said curiously, "I can't say that I've ever heard it referred to as a 'Big Ten theory.'" When he realized his mistake, Dr. Pennock noted his position at Michigan State, and Gillen referred to his own degree from the University of Michigan.
This afternoon the court will deal with the issue of two York newspaper reporters who have been subpoenaed for testimony.
Submitted by Andy Hoover, community education organizer, ACLU of PA
Only the admin moderator knows...
No one ever said the IDers were too bright. After all they accept ID on faith don't they?
But to be fair, those missing links and other phantasms are all accepted on faith.
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