Posted on 09/30/2005 7:45:00 AM PDT by PatrickHenry
The Campaign to Defend the Constitution, a group organized to promote the teaching of evolution, sent letters Thursday to all 50 governors, urging them to ensure that science classes teach material based on established science.
The letters were signed by more than 100 scientists and clergy of various faiths, the group said.
Although Gov. Ed Rendell had not received the letters as of Thursday afternoon, spokeswoman Kate Philips said he is committed to the idea of teaching evolution in science classes.
Rendell "believes that (intelligent design) is more than appropriate to be taught in religion classes, but has no room in science classes in public schools," Philips said. "But this is in the court's hands now, and other than his opinion, he has no influence."
But a spokeswoman for DefCon, the group's nickname for itself, said the group hopes that after governors receive the letter, they will make a public announcement opposing the teaching of intelligent design.
"It would be nice if (Rendell) took a stance and said, whether it's in the Dover district or any other Pennsylvania district, 'We need to protect the teaching of science in our science classrooms,'" Jessica Smith said.
The group named Dover its top "Island of Ignorance" in the country. It has targeted areas in the country where it says evolution is being challenged at the state level or in public school science classrooms. They include Cobb County, Ga.; Kansas; Blount County, Tenn.; Ohio; Grantsburg, Wisc.; Alabama; Utah; South Carolina; and Florida.
Advocates of intelligent design say life is so complex that it is likely the result of deliberate design by some unidentified creator, not random evolutionary mutation and adaptation.
Critics say it is essentially creationism and violates the separation of church and state when it becomes part of a public school curriculum.
"We can do better when we let science do its job, and ask religion to do its job," former ACLU executive director Ira Glasser said Thursday, "and if there's a need for conversation, please, let's not do it in the classrooms of our children."
Yeah, the dogs turned into cats and the elephants turned into leopards. It was crazy, I bet.
Of course felines evovled into felines.
No, mlc cannot be saying that because mlc has unequivocally stated that speciation has never occurred. That was the original post that I responded to when I said that mlc could not be a YEC. Either the Noah story is a child's fable, or speciation on a scale undreamed of by mainstream biology has occurred in the last 4000 years.
Funny, this is exactly what an article in Answers In Genesis says happened. I find it puzzling that creationists argue on one hand that evolution couldn't possibly occur, while at the same time arguing that it occurred at an impossibly fast pace since the Flood to account for today's biodiversity. Explanation, anyone?
Ichy job! Keep up the good work.
I think we can all draw our own conclusions about what this tells us about the reasoning capacity of those who take creationist lie-sites seriously.
Of course hominoids evolved into hominoids.
For a process that can't even produce speciation, it sure went into overdrive after the flood.
Yes, hilarious; mlc is blithely accepting giant evolutionary strides across taxonomic space in a mere 4000 years, while insisting that virtually identical creatures cannot possibly be related when it gives her religious difficulties.
They can reproduce with each other.
You are as nasty as ever. But most evos are. Doesn't matter. We see you all for what you are.
Nice technique for ducking Narby's actual arguments. Please don't think about anything that might alter your preconceptions. You are doing a great job for the lurkers.
In another post, I said that I wouldn't have any problem with ID being mentioned in a science class, exactly as you have stated.
Nice babble. Please go on!
Evolution remains a theory whether you like it or not. Creationists aren't going away and I doubt God is either.
That's what we've been saying all along!
I have no doubt living things adapt - there is plenty of evidence for that. To say a sheep evolved into a goat or bird or cat is silly. To say apes evolved into humans is equally silly. God made sure species would survive - that is obvious.
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