Posted on 01/03/2006 12:12:37 PM PST by PatrickHenry
Also today, Dover's board might revoke the controversial intelligent design decision.
Now that the issue of teaching "intelligent design" in Dover schools appears to be played out, the doings of the Dover Area School Board might hold little interest for the rest of the world.
But the people who happen to live in that district find them to be of great consequence. Or so board member James Cashman is finding in his final days of campaigning before Tuesday's special election, during which he will try to retain his seat on the board.
Even though the issue that put the Dover Area School District in the international spotlight is off the table, Cashman found that most of the people who are eligible to vote in the election still intend to vote. And it pleases him to see that they're interested enough in their community to do so, he said.
"People want some finality to this," Cashman said.
Cashman will be running against challenger Bryan Rehm, who originally appeared to have won on Nov. 8. But a judge subsequently ruled that a malfunctioning election machine in one location obliges the school district to do the election over in that particular voting precinct.
Only people who voted at the Friendship Community Church in Dover Township in November are eligible to vote there today.
Rehm didn't return phone calls for comment.
But Bernadette Reinking, the new school board president, said she did some campaigning with Rehm recently. The people who voted originally told her that they intend to do so again, she said. And they don't seem to be interested in talking about issues, she said. Reinking said it's because they already voted once, already know where the candidates stand and already have their minds made up.
Like Cashman, she said she was pleased to see how serious they are about civic participation.
Another event significant to the district is likely to take place today, Reinking said. Although she hadn't yet seen a copy of the school board meeting's agenda, she said that she and her fellow members might officially vote to remove the mention of intelligent design from the school district's science curriculum.
Intelligent design is the idea that life is too complex for random evolution and must have a creator. Supporters of the idea, such as the Discovery Institute in Seattle, insist that it's a legitimate scientific theory.
Opponents argue that it's a pseudo-science designed solely to get around a 1987 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that biblical creationism can't be taught in public schools.
In October 2004, the Dover Area School District became the first in the country to include intelligent design in science class. Board members voted to require ninth-grade biology students to hear a four-paragraph statement about intelligent design.
That decision led 11 district parents to file a lawsuit trying to get the mention of intelligent design removed from the science classroom. U.S. Middle District Court Judge John E. Jones III issued a ruling earlier this month siding with the plaintiffs. [Kitzmiller et al. v Dover Area School District et al..]
While the district was awaiting Jones' decision, the school board election took place at the beginning of November, pitting eight incumbents against a group of eight candidates opposed to the mention of intelligent design in science class.
At first, every challenger appeared to have won. But Cashman filed a complaint about a voting machine that tallied between 96 to 121 votes for all of the other candidates but registered only one vote for him.
If he does end up winning, Cashman said, he's looking forward to doing what he had in mind when he originally ran for school board - looking out for students. And though they might be of no interest to news consumers in other states and countries, Cashman said, the district has plenty of other issues to face besides intelligent design. Among them are scholastic scores and improving the curriculum for younger grades.
And though he would share the duties with former opponents, he said, he is certain they would be able to work together.
"I believe deep down inside, we all have the interest and goal to benefit the kids," he said.
Regardless of the turnout of today's election, Reinking said, new board members have their work cut out for them. It's unusual for a board to have so many new members starting at the same time, she said.
"We can get to all those things that school boards usually do," she said.
I would like to invite you to the Oswald Chambers "devotional" thread..
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1552165/posts <<- CLICK
LoL..
Gravity is like that, too. It never goes away. It's always been around. It'll probably never change. It could be used to explain anything. I mean, no gravity, no evolution! Maybe it shouldn't be in a science classroom either.
Science is 1,2,3 as much as the scientist is..
Science is composed of scientists.. basically semantically adept technology laywers.. Sophomores on crack, usually.. If "spinning" of news is possible, and it is, "spinning" of facts is too.., and are..
Example: Academe has not discovered that socialism is slavery by giverment.. or they have but have "spun" the facts to match their particular worldviews.. I'm Not talking about some parts of the academy but ALL parts of it, even mathematics.. You have you're rare scientist, thats open, but thats not the rule.. Drugs are controlled by the FDA whom is/are in bed with the Pharm industry..
When people believe nothing then they will fall for anything.. like, scientists are NOT SINNERS... propagandizing for their own beneifit.. Science is or has become about MONEY.. "Pure" science requires a "pure" scientist.. ALL or most validity checks have been bought off..
Thanks. Also you might want to relate it to an earlier sidebar some of you had going on "The Giver".
Been there done that.. {relating}
We can definitively state that God is outside the purview of science because that's what we define science to mean. Similarly, we define the trade of "plumbing" or "carpentry" in such a way that God is outside the purview of plumbers qua plumbers. Why don't you go yell at some plumbers for not investigating God as the source of clogs and leaks for a change?
Not to mention that smooth operator, Curly Pi.
Indoor plumbing promotes atheism.
Why did the Designer run the main sewer through a recreational area? Perhaps a fan of Jean Valjean?
Well sure. But who is anyone to know whether we have the competence or objective basis to define science as exclusive of God when science has no competence in the matter to begin with? And for God's sake don't bring my plumber into this. We're dealing with the fundamental assumptions inherent in anyone who undertakes to understand objective reality. This whole issue is not nearly as intrusive to general scientific pursuits as either side cracks it up to be.
Old joke, but a good one. But if you really don't like the way you were designed where sex is concerned then stay away from it altogether. If it's too "gross" for your liking then pleasure yourself with a hole in the wall. Or make yourself a Eunuch.
Scientists aren't competent to define "science"? Are you sure this is the argument you want to make?
Of course not - what you want to do is conflate the act of defining "science" with somehow defining "God". Sorry Fester - science is defined as the study of the material world. Anything beyond that is outside the purview of science, by definition. Unless, of course, you'd like to introduce "God" onto the stage as a wholly material being - then you can make "God" a part of science. But I don't think that'll play too well from the pulpit.
And for God's sake don't bring my plumber into this. We're dealing with the fundamental assumptions inherent in anyone who undertakes to understand objective reality.
And the fundamental assumptions inherent in anyone who undertakes to understand objectively real plumbing. You call your plumber and report a clogged drain. I hate to say it, but my bet is that your plumber has a priori ruled out the supernatural, including God, as the cause of your clog. So how come you aren't complaining to him about the atheistic nature of his profession and the assumptions therein?
Could be worse. Animals in the phylum Cnidaria (jellyfish, sea anemones, coral polyps) have a gut with only one opening. Imagine dealing with sewage regularly backing out of the drain...
And you call Coyoteman's placemarker "ugly?"
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.