sdWhy You Treat Me Like a Dog?: 'Intelligent-design' school board ousted in Dover, PA .comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}
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Thursday, November 10, 2005
 
'Intelligent-design' school board ousted in Dover, PA
It amazes me that people are still debating this issue. "Intelligent-design" is but a thin veil hiding Creationism, which no one disputes is a matter of faith and religion. There is no room for the teaching of Creationism in schools funded by the government. With all its flaws, natural selection continues to be the best scientific explanation for the origin of life on earth, and is the only theory that stands up to any empiric testing. This cannot be said of intelligent-design, which relies on faith rather than science. It is OK to be awed by the complexity of the universe, but it is not necessary to invoke a higher being to explain it.

There is an excellent discussion reprinted from Natural History magazine here, which does a good job of dispelling the intelligent-design pseudoscience.

I continue to be mystified by the resurgence of this religious rhetoric on the American political scene. We are quick to decry the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and yet the religious right in the United States, who Bush describes as his base, continue to try and push the country back a century. These attempts will undoubtedly continue and may eventually enjoy greater success, particularly as the Senate begins the debate over the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.


In the meantime, we welcome the new school board of Dover, PA and hope the ouster of the previous board is a harbinger of good things to come elsewhere.
- posted by wanderer @ 6:26 PM
Comments:
The right-wing answer to this issue (or at least my answer) is: (1) intelligent design doesn't belong in any science class (2) the school board's actions are another reason to take kids out of government schools and put them in private schools in which you agree with the curriculum.
# posted by Blogger Doctor Bean : 11/10/2005 11:07 PM
 
What is it Jose?
I want this class taught in Spanish.
OK, Jose, we will make it a bilingual class.

Yes, Jamal?
I want this class to focus on the contributions that Africa has made to civilization, and I want us to never speak of the Holocaust again.
OK Jamal, sounds reasonable.

Yes, Michael
I want the curriculum to acknowledge that some of us here believethat there might be some higher power who had a hand in life's ultimate design.
Michael you are an ignorant bible thumping moron. Everyone under the sun can have there particular grievances corrected in our dumb-assed so called curriculum, except for you. You just tip elections.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 11/11/2005 6:30 PM
 
Bean: I think that there are a significant number of right-wingers who would like Intelligent Design in the classroom. I don't know if they are in the majority or you are.

Your second point raises the issue of government vouchers for private schools, which is another issue that divides liberals and conservatives. The liberal argument being that public (read free or low cost) education would suffer if vouchers were given out.

Goldstone: Do you really believe that Creationism should be taught in the classroom and is on the same level as bilingual education and multicultural (read non-Western) studies? Would you like Creationism to be taught as an alternative explanation for the origin of the Universe vis a vis natural selection, or just as part of a social studies/study of religion class?
# posted by Blogger wanderer : 11/12/2005 6:36 PM
 
I'm liking Goldstone more and more. Wanderer: if he's ever in LA, please arrange that the three of us share some meal. You buy.
# posted by Blogger Doctor Bean : 11/13/2005 8:05 PM
 
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