Dover Intelligent Design Decision Criticized as a Futile Attempt to Censor Science Education

Evolution News.org ^

[truthfinder9]

SEATTLE — "The Dover decision is an attempt by an activist federal judge to stop the spread of a scientific idea and even to prevent criticism of Darwinian evolution through government-imposed censorship rather than open debate, and it won't work," said Dr. John West, Associate Director of the Center for Science and Culture at Discovery Institute, the nation's leading think tank researching the scientific theory known as intelligent design. “He has conflated Discovery Institute’s position with that of the Dover school board, and he totally misrepresents intelligent design and the motivations of the scientists who research it.”

“A legal ruling can't change the fact that there is digital code in DNA, it can’t remove the molecular machines from the cell, nor change the fine tuning of the laws of physics,” added West. “The empirical evidence for design, the facts of biology and nature, can't be changed by legal decree."

In his decision, Judge John Jones ruled that the Dover, Pennsylvania school district violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by requiring a statement to be read to students notifying them about intelligent design. Reaching well beyond the immediate legal questions before him, Judge Jones offered wide-ranging and sometimes angry comments denouncing intelligent design and praising Darwinian evolution.

"Judge Jones found that the Dover board violated the Establishment Clause because it acted from religious motives. That should have been the end to the case," said West. "Instead, Judge Jones got on his soapbox to offer his own views of science, religion, and evolution. He makes it clear that he wants his place in history as the judge who issued a definitive decision about intelligent design. This is an activist judge who has delusions of grandeur."

"Anyone who thinks a court ruling is going to kill off interest in intelligent design is living in another world," continued West. "Americans don't like to be told there is some idea that they aren't permitted to learn about.. It used to be said that banning a book in Boston guaranteed it would be a bestseller. Banning intelligent design in Dover will likely only fan interest in the theory."

"In the larger debate over intelligent design, this decision will be of minor significance," added Discovery Institute attorney Casey Luskin. "As we've repeatedly stressed, the ultimate validity of intelligent design will be determined not by the courts but by the scientific evidence pointing to design.”

Luskin pointed out that the ruling only applies to the federal district in which it was handed down. It has no legal effect anywhere else. The decision is also unlikely to be appealed, since the recently elected Dover school board members campaigned on their opposition to the policy. "The plans of the lawyers on both sides of this case to turn this into a landmark ruling have been preempted by the voters," he said.

"Discovery Institute continues to oppose efforts to mandate teaching about the theory of intelligent design in public schools," emphasized West. "But the Institute strongly supports the freedom of teachers to discuss intelligent design in an objective manner on a voluntary basis. We also think students should learn about both the scientific strengths and weaknesses of Darwin's theory of evolution."

Drawing on recent discoveries in physics, biochemistry and related disciplines, the scientific theory of intelligent design proposes that some features of the natural world are best explained as the product of an intelligent cause rather than an undirected process such as natural selection. Proponents include scientists at numerous universities and science organizations around the world.

[Sols]

Monkeys, unlike humans, are NOT apes. :)

[dmz]

I'd be extremely interested in a link to a few of these studies you've checked. I attempted a google and they all came back unsupportive of your statement.

[dmz]

Physical laws wouldn't exist as such without a designer? Who knew?

[dmz]

I was only answering your question "So, why did they need a judge to decide anything"

[vpintheak]

Evolutionists = tyranny of the minority = dimocRat tactics. No freedom of thought here, move along, nothing to see.

[drjimmy]

Doesnt matter who placed him on the bench, he shouldnt be dictating what can and cannot be taught in schools. That is up to the School Boards. It will go down on appeal.

As a federal judge, he has the ability to determine whether something done in a government setting (public schools) passes constitutional muster. In making his ruling, he determined that the proponents of Intelligent Design in this case actually had a religious intent behind their effort (and lied repeatedly to try to hide that fact), and it was therefore an unconstitutional breach of the separation of church and state. You can argue that there is no such thing in the Constitution as separation of church and state, but that's not what legal precedent says.

And by the way, there won't be any appeal of this case. The school board that was sued for trying to foist this pseudo-science on students was tossed out en masse in the last election.

[Siegfried The Red]

You don't care about being right or wrong and you are studying for a Masters degree, and then you tell me not to preach to you? "Bob" help us. I hope my next piece of lab equipment doesn't start rounding pi to 3.

There I go again, insulting!! :) :) Relax, I hope you do well in the pursuit of your degree. You should know not to be so thin skinned if you're going to participate in an ID/evolution/creationism thread. :)

And good luck in your degree, although if you really don't care whether you are right or wrong in your beliefs, you probably don't care whether you get an A or an F either, it's all the same, right? Professors are probably just a bunch of anti-religious conspirators trying to make sure you fail anyway, right?

[Siegfried The Red]

We agree on that, definitely. Let the science be done and let the chips fall where they may.

[StAnDeliver]

Born in '05 types orcing ID threads.

Hmmmm.......O₃.......

[StAnDeliver]

"I like my fries nice and hot."

Spoken like someone who spends a lot of time consuming fast food...

[Sols]

I figure we ought to start teaching children about the greys and the lizard people abductions. Freedom of thought and all.

[dmz]

I was wondering who they were hauling out of the bookstore yesterday doing my holid, uhh, Christmas shopping.

Someone tried to purchase a copy of Darwin's Black Black Box.

[Siegfried The Red]

Yeah, that's pretty much the favorite debate tactic of people who know they're wrong. Shut up the opposition.

Is that you Senator Kennedy?

Your remarks here could be considered even worse than mine by some because they have nothing to do with the topic and on some boards that is grounds for banning. :)

[Oztrich Boy]

It will go down on appeal.

Ain't nobody dumb enough in a position to appeal it.

[jjmcgo]

It's not about blue or red. York is a red area in a marginally blue state. Pennsylvania is about the most evenly balanced state in the country. Not in registrations but in the way voters vote for candidates based on individual aspects rather than party. I mean, we have a Dem governor and Spector and Santorum for Senators. Could you find three more dissimilar politicians?
The defeat of the IDers is mostly attributable to them getting caught in lies in court about the planning of introducing ID. They looked very bad day after day in court.
Remember, all politics is local.

[aft_lizard]

I fail to see where me being right or wrong about ID or any other subject when it comes to your post in reference. So therefore it is of no consequence to the matter at hand. You deliberately insulted believers of ID as if they were no better than uneducated migrant workers not worthy to even look at you. That is my point.

Nah I try not to be thinskinned, but the subject brings out the worse in me. Actually I have been pretty good at avoiding the subject altogether. I have just seen your joke presented as a real insult rather than humor to many times.

[StAnDeliver]

"Try developing or discussing any tenants of intelligent design"...

...And you will most likely find FReepers who do not confuse "tenants" with "tenets". Unless you live in turtle-shell houses...

[aft_lizard]

Aint nobody dumb enough? I think there are plenty of people "dumb" enough to appeal it.

[drjimmy]

Born in '05 types orcing ID threads. Hmmmm

Why don't you call for a "Zot" while you're at it? In fact, perhaps everyone who has signed up after, say, March 9, 2000, is probably suspect and should be zotted just to be safe.

[xmission]

As a federal judge, he has the ability to determine whether something done in a government setting (public schools) passes constitutional muster.

Now THAT is funny. As a federal jusge many of them have the ability to IGNORE the constitution. He may have the job or obligation to do it, but the ability or willingness is another story altogether when you are talking about judges.