Posted on 12/22/2005 1:41:44 PM PST by jennyp
[subhead: He denies he is contradicting earlier statements of support for the cause.]
Early this year, Sen. Rick Santorum commended the Dover Area School District for "attempting to teach the controversy of evolution."
But one day after a federal judge ruled that the district's policy on intelligent design was unconstitutional, Santorum said he was troubled by court testimony that showed some board members were motivated by religion in adopting the policy.
And, he said in an interview, he disagreed with the board for mandating the teaching of [ID], rather than just the controversy surrounding evolution.
Santorum - who sits on the advisory board of the Thomas More Law Center, which defended the school board in court - said the case offered "a bad set of facts" to test the concept that theories other than evolution should be taught in science classrooms.
"I thought the [TMLC] made a huge mistake in taking this case and in pushing this case to the extent they did," Santorum said.
He said he intends to withdraw his affiliation with the Michigan-based public-interest law firm that promotes Christian values.
...
Santorum would not comment on the ruling itself, saying that he had yet to fully review it.
The case highlighted Santorum's high-profile role in the debate over teaching evolution. ... [H]is actions - most notably, an effort in 2001 to insert a "teach the controversy" amendment into a landmark education bill - figured prominently into the case.
It also has become a political issue for Santorum as he faces a tough reelection in 2006. His leading Democratic challenger, state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., has seized upon the senator's seemingly contradictory statements on intelligent design to portray him as a "flip flopper" who puts an ideological agenda above other interests.
...
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
Funny comments.
Should we also let students decide if homosexuality is natural or not?
There's more to her theory, but I think you get the idea.
I believe that is the nature of politics in general, don't you? One party will strike where the other is weak. Tom Daschle is a demo case in point.
Sadly, it apparently trumps doing useful things with their time in DC.
Thanks for the explanation; I'm still learning the language around here. No, from reading the boards around here, it's obviously possible to dislike Santorum for any one of a number of reasons. ;-D
Look, whether one agrees or disagrees with the result of this case and no matter where one stands on the ID debates, the fact the federal govt. can dictate what a local school can and can't teach as science should give all cause for concern.
Yup.
Education is a wonderful thing and conservative is not synonymous with ignorance.
it's obviously possible to dislike Santorum for any one of a number of reasons
No doubt about that. But unless the Republicans have a better alternative, what's one to do?
I'm stuck with Obama and Durbin. It would be nice to have a Republican Senator I could complain about.
From my experience most born again Christiana aren't advocating it either. There's only a vocal few who have been duped by a charlatan book selling hoax to side with an idea that, when examined closely, is mostly contrary to bible teachings.
Only because bible believers have, up to now, been the most susceptible to falling for the DI's ID hoax.
Students have all ready decided that they want to learn science when they sign up for a science class. Why do you advocate wasting their time with charlatan garbage?
When you stop and think about it, it's really always been that way.
Politicians "debating" science is as ridiculous as religious leaders debating/denouncing it and issuing fatwah.
this looks like a crawfishing CYA move on Santorum's part
I'd say he was politically astute for doing it, had he not been so politically (and scientifically) foolish as to back "teaching the controversy"(tm) to begin with.
well, there are the dupes...
and then there have been the dishonest sort who backed ID because they'll back *anything* which promises to wound empirical science, fact-based biology, and the theory of common descent and speciation through mutation and selection commonly called "the theory of evolution".
many belonging to that latter variety are now performing a lovely fandango of distancing themselves from ID.
You should take time to study this case a little closer. It was the local citizens backed by their science teachers who had to go to the gov after a board, which had been seduced by a Seattle based seller of charlatan books, attempted to dictate what a local school can and can't teach as science. When you consider the amount of garbage public schools are putting into the curriculum these days, consider this a rare victory for the local citizens.
Rickie was toast after he backed The Sphenctor at GW's request. Hate to see a supposedly good man fall into the celler. He has no one but himself to blame.
Santoroum is a windsock, if he thought he could get a vote by advocating the burning of witches he would supply the lighters.
But, on this one, he is right, ID has no place in a science class in any public school.
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