Posted on 12/19/2006 2:19:29 PM PST by Sopater
ATLANTA — A suburban school board that put stickers in high school science books saying evolution is "a theory, not a fact" abandoned its legal battle to keep them Tuesday after four years.
The Cobb County board agreed in federal court never to use a similar sticker or to undermine the teaching of evolution in science classes.
In return, the parents who sued over the stickers agreed to drop all legal action.
"We certainly think that it's a win not just for our clients but for all students in Cobb County and, really, all residents of Georgia," said Beth Littrell of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.
The school board placed the stickers inside the front cover of biology books in 2002 after a group of parents complained that evolution was being taught to the exclusion of other theories, including a literal reading of the biblical story of creation.
The stickers read: "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."
A federal judge ordered the stickers removed in 2005, saying they amount to an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion. The school board appealed, but a federal appeals court sent the case back, saying it did not have enough information.
"We faced the distraction and expense of starting all over with more legal actions and another trial," said board chairwoman Teresa Plenge. "With this agreement, it is done and we now have a clean slate for the new year."
School board attorney Linwood Gunn said the agreement is not an admission that the stickers were unconstitutional. "The school board attempted to reach what they thought was a reasonable compromise," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
ping...
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
AND we can't have that now, can we?
Good news!
I hate agreeing with the ACLU ever, but the sticker caper was a bonehead idea from the start.
A sticker is silly. Teach the kids at school and at home. Worked for centuries, will work again.
Neither would I.
There is a time and place for such a lesson, and it isn't in science classes.
Roger that. The religion of naturalistic materialism is safe.
Bonehead ideas are not unconstitutional. The ACLU are a bunch of blood sucking pimps who use tactics more commonly found on the docks of New York. Extortion and bleeding communities dry are their methods of choice.
OMG! The horror! The carnage! It would be the end of civilization if kids were exposed to the biblical story of creation! (But make sure they all know how to use a condom.)
Not all are, but some certainly are. How about a boneheaded idea to execute you and your family without a trial?
How about a boneheaded idea to rummage through your closet without a warrant?
The wording of the sticker leaves the door open to other theories as well -- fer instance, the one proposed in Scientology that space aliens populated the world.
This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."
How the hell is that an endorsement of Religion? Evolution is a theory, and there are other theories besides, Evolution and God. That above statement says nothing about religion or that life could change because an asteroid hits the earth, ask the dinos.
Be careful, the FRaliban will be out tonight!
:~)
Meanwhile theory taught as fact is now safe in classrooms as long as it is the dominant theory (as Rush says, the one with "concensus").
Specifically concepts such as "a fetus is not human", "homosexuality is genetic", and "man is responsible for global warming".
Shouldn't it be up to the teacher to point out when things they are learning are theory and not a proven fact?
But I do agree that the uninformed often don't catch on that it is a theory. Maybe it would solve a lot of problems if we started always calling it the "theory of evolution" just like one almost always hears the "theory of relativity" and not just relativity when referring to that theory.
It amazes me, the self-identified "conservatives" who hail the actions of the ACLU in butting-into a policy of a local school district, simply because they believe the precepts of the Church of Darwin. What business is it of the ACLU to influence any school's policy? Folks, read the article again: The forces of leftists materialism didn't win; the school district simply caved-in because the defense of their policy was becoming too costly. Your tax-dollars at work....trying to fend-off the ACLU.
Let me edit. This particular "boneheaded idea' is not unconstitutional and the ACLU remains a bunch of pimps who use extrotion and bleeding communities dry to advance their particular ideology.
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