The buck has to stop somewhere. The question is who is ruling in the country? Autocratic monarch? Aristocracy? The people? Or do we have theocratic system when the body of priests or scientists enforces doctrinal rules?
When you put science as the final criterion you get scientistic pseudo-theocracy like Soviet Union ruled by the doctrine of "Scientific" Socialism or National Socialism ruled in the name of biological doctrine of race.
That the naive decision of some little local school board raises such resistance and anger among secularists it is a sign of raising pseudo-theocracy. The devotees of the doctrine which is to rule do not suffer any exceptions or dissent.
US Constitution and other founding documents are clear - the power belongs to the people. And religion has special protected status in it.
...and it HAS, with a court saying that a school board doesn't have the right to inject religious beliefs into a science class. Funny, you espouse the "rights of the People" a whole lot while ignoring the rights of those that don't follow your religious beliefs.
When you put science as the final criterion you get scientistic pseudo-theocracy like Soviet Union ruled by the doctrine of "Scientific" Socialism or National Socialism ruled in the name of biological doctrine of race.
Leave the former USSR out of it. That's a red herring slippery-slope argument to try to label me as a follower of communist beliefs, but it won't stick because the truth is the absolute defense. However, when you put SCIENCE as the final criterion for a SCIENCE class.....you get a science class. When you introduce non-scientific religious notions into a science class as if it's a viable alternative to actual scientific thinking, you corrupt that science and the teachings of the scientific method. ID does not in any manner belong in a science class and a school board calling an apple a Volkswagon, doesn't make the fruit a car.
That the naive decision of some little local school board raises such resistance and anger among secularists...
I am not a secularist in any manner...just a biologist that doesn't think that non-scientific religious beliefs belong in a SCIENCE room. I'd fully welcome ID into a philosophy or theology class in a public school any time some less naive school board wants to add ID to the curriculum.....and I have no problem with kids praying in school if they want to, even if that prayer is led by non-students, so long as it involves ONLY those that want to participate and is not an intercom-led prayer for ALL students. Hint: blanket statements about "secularists" will never get you anywhere.
And religion has special protected status in it.
Religion has no special protected status in the Constitution. The first amendement is about the rights of the People like you and me, not of the right of "religion". Your right to choose your religion as you see fit without the government making a law against your religion or FOR another religion...your right to freely choose your religion has special protected status, not your religion.....just as my right to not be religious is protected. However, that has nothing to do with some local school board trying to inject non-scientific religious beliefs into a SCIENCE room, where they do not belong....put it in theology or philosophy.