WOO HOO! Common Sense in a Philadelphia Courtroom: Intelligent Design forbidden!

[irishgrl]

Judge bans teaching intelligent design

By Jon Hurdle 2 hours, 46 minutes ago

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A judge on Tuesday barred the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution at a Pennsylvania school, saying in a scathing rebuke to the school board that it violated a constitutional ban on teaching religion in public schools.

U.S. District Judge John Jones dealt a blow to Christian conservatives, who have been pressing for the teaching of creationism in schools and who played a significant role in the re-election of
President George W. Bush.

"Our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to teach intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in a public school classroom," Jones wrote in a 139-page opinion in the case, brought against the Dover School District.

Jones condemned the "breathtaking inanity" of the policy of the board, all but one of whom have now been ousted by local voters.

"Any asserted secular purposes by the board are a sham and are merely secondary to a religious objective," he said.

Intelligent design holds that some aspects of nature are so complex that they must have been the work of an unnamed creator rather than the result of random natural selection, as argued by Charles Darwin in his 1859 theory of evolution.

Opponents argue it is a thinly disguised version of creationism -- a belief that the world was created by God as described in the Book of Genesis -- which the Supreme Court has ruled may not be taught in public schools.

Jones said the students and teachers of Dover High School "deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom with its resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources."

The school district was sued by a group of 11 parents who claimed teaching intelligent design was unconstitutional and unscientific and had no place in high school biology class.

In his ruling, the judge suggested the parents file a claim for damages and legal fees against the school district.

'VICTORY FOR SCIENCE'

Christy Rehm, one of the plaintiffs, said: "This is a victory for education, a victory for science and a victory for science education."

Richard Thompson, head of the Thomas More Law Center which represented the defendants, said in a statement: "The founders of this country would be astonished at the thought that this simple curriculum change (was) in violation of the constitution that they drafted."

Asked about the ruling, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the president has said he believed such decisions should be made by local school districts.

"The president has also said that he believes students ought to be exposed to different theories and ideas so that they can fully understand what the debate is about," he said.

The six-week Harrisburg trial, one of the highest-profile court cases on evolution since the 1925 Scopes "monkey trial," was closely watched by Christian conservatives in other states who are planning similar initiatives.

The Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State called the court decision "a significant blow to religious right-led efforts to sneak fundamentalist dogma into public schools under the guise of science."

Richard Katskee, assistant legal director of the group, called the decision "a cautionary tale" for other school districts that might be considering similar initiatives.

Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think-tank that champions intelligent design theory, criticized the ruling.

"The judge thinks intelligent design is a supernatural explanation, but it clearly is not. So the entire decision is predicated on a false perception of intelligent design," Luskin said.

"This is by no means the end of this issue, legally speaking," said Luskin, adding that the court only has jurisdiction over part of Pennsylvania.

Eugenie Scott, head of the National Center for Science Education, called the ruling, "a major victory for science education," but said she expected challenges against evolution to continue.

In October 2004, Dover became the first U.S. school district to include intelligent design in science curriculum.

Ninth-grade biology students were presented with a four-paragraph statement saying that evolution is a theory, not a fact, and that there are "gaps" in the theory. The statement invited students to consider other explanations of the origins of life, including intelligent design.

YAY! WOO HOO! another nail in the ID coffin!!

[gldstwmn]

I was very pleased to hear this today.

[David]

I don't know why those christianists don't just take their babes out of the public schools (which are bad enough as is without the additional burden of religionism) & put them into christianist schools, like that Mother Lode Christian School in the Gold Country (Sonoma, I think). That way, they can ensure their babes aren't taught anything that contradicts or questions the Word.

Irish girl, do you know whether the Mother Lode School is still in operation in Sonoma?

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by David

I don't know why those christianists don't just take their babes out of the public schools (which are bad enough as is without the additional burden of religionism) & put them into christianist schools, like that Mother Lode Christian School in the Gold Country (Sonoma, I think). That way, they can ensure their babes aren't taught anything that contradicts or questions the Word.

Irish girl, do you know whether the Mother Lode School is still in operation in Sonoma?

Sonoma is the wine country just west of Napa and north of Marin county .Maybe your're thinking of Sonora?

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

Judge bans teaching intelligent design

By Jon Hurdle 2 hours, 46 minutes ago

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A judge on Tuesday barred the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution at a Pennsylvania school, saying in a scathing rebuke to the school board that it violated a constitutional ban on teaching religion in public schools.

U.S. District Judge John Jones dealt a blow to Christian conservatives, who have been pressing for the teaching of creationism in schools and who played a significant role in the re-election of
President George W. Bush.

"Our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to teach intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in a public school classroom," Jones wrote in a 139-page opinion in the case, brought against the Dover School District.

Jones condemned the "breathtaking inanity" of the policy of the board, all but one of whom have now been ousted by local voters.

"Any asserted secular purposes by the board are a sham and are merely secondary to a religious objective," he said.

Intelligent design holds that some aspects of nature are so complex that they must have been the work of an unnamed creator rather than the result of random natural selection, as argued by Charles Darwin in his 1859 theory of evolution.

Opponents argue it is a thinly disguised version of creationism -- a belief that the world was created by God as described in the Book of Genesis -- which the Supreme Court has ruled may not be taught in public schools.

Jones said the students and teachers of Dover High School "deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom with its resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources."

The school district was sued by a group of 11 parents who claimed teaching intelligent design was unconstitutional and unscientific and had no place in high school biology class.

In his ruling, the judge suggested the parents file a claim for damages and legal fees against the school district.

'VICTORY FOR SCIENCE'

Christy Rehm, one of the plaintiffs, said: "This is a victory for education, a victory for science and a victory for science education."

Richard Thompson, head of the Thomas More Law Center which represented the defendants, said in a statement: "The founders of this country would be astonished at the thought that this simple curriculum change (was) in violation of the constitution that they drafted."

Asked about the ruling, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the president has said he believed such decisions should be made by local school districts.

"The president has also said that he believes students ought to be exposed to different theories and ideas so that they can fully understand what the debate is about," he said.

The six-week Harrisburg trial, one of the highest-profile court cases on evolution since the 1925 Scopes "monkey trial," was closely watched by Christian conservatives in other states who are planning similar initiatives.

The Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State called the court decision "a significant blow to religious right-led efforts to sneak fundamentalist dogma into public schools under the guise of science."

Richard Katskee, assistant legal director of the group, called the decision "a cautionary tale" for other school districts that might be considering similar initiatives.

Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think-tank that champions intelligent design theory, criticized the ruling.

"The judge thinks intelligent design is a supernatural explanation, but it clearly is not. So the entire decision is predicated on a false perception of intelligent design," Luskin said.

"This is by no means the end of this issue, legally speaking," said Luskin, adding that the court only has jurisdiction over part of Pennsylvania.

Eugenie Scott, head of the National Center for Science Education, called the ruling, "a major victory for science education," but said she expected challenges against evolution to continue.

In October 2004, Dover became the first U.S. school district to include intelligent design in science curriculum.

Ninth-grade biology students were presented with a four-paragraph statement saying that evolution is a theory, not a fact, and that there are "gaps" in the theory. The statement invited students to consider other explanations of the origins of life, including intelligent design.

YAY! WOO HOO! another nail in the ID coffin!!

Great news! Somehow I think if the trial had been in say Oklahoma City or Topeka it would have gone the other way.Which I can't understand .One gander at Smirky's mug and I'm totally convinced of the verity of the theory of evolution.

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Great news! Somehow I think if the trial had been in say Oklahoma City or Topeka it would have gone the other way.Which I can't understand .One gander at Smirky's mug and I'm totally convinced of the verity of the theory of evolution.

they are leaning more towards doing away with any scientific reasoning for religion towards how the world was created...

If they want to teach it my theory is best:

On the Seventh Day God ate a Taco Supreme and developed the worst case of the trots....So when he finished taking a dump he wiped and said "I think I will call this dingleberry Earth", And he filled it with pieces of ****, errr, humans.

I personally never cared who created the frikkin' universe...Hell, For all we know "Jo-Blow RocknRoll" created the f**kin' thing.

[David]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Sonoma is the wine country just west of Napa and north of Marin county .Maybe your're thinking of Sonora?

Sonora, yes! I'm thinking of Sonora. I always confuse the two.

Or maybe this Mother Lode School is in Coloma.

[irishgrl]

Originally Posted by David

I don't know why those christianists don't just take their babes out of the public schools (which are bad enough as is without the additional burden of religionism) & put them into christianist schools, like that Mother Lode Christian School in the Gold Country (Sonoma, I think). That way, they can ensure their babes aren't taught anything that contradicts or questions the Word.

Irish girl, do you know whether the Mother Lode School is still in operation in Sonoma?

I hadnt heard of that one. My mother went to a Catholic Boarding School in Napa many many moons ago, but she said it closed. Personally I agree with you. These fundies can get vouchers to put their kids in parochial schools and I dont know why they dont!

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by estranged4life

they are leaning more towards doing away with any scientific reasoning for religion towards how the world was created...

If they want to teach it my theory is best:

On the Seventh Day God ate a Taco Supreme and developed the worst case of the trots....So when he finished taking a dump he wiped and said "I think I will call this dingleberry Earth", And he filled it with pieces of ****, errr, humans.

I personally never cared who created the frikkin' universe...Hell, For all we know "Jo-Blow RocknRoll" created the f**kin' thing.

Taco Supreme? What about the .99 large Bean Burrito. AYE YI YI, talk about the ****s...

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

I hadnt heard of that one. My mother went to a Catholic Boarding School in Napa many many moons ago, but she said it closed. Personally I agree with you. These fundies can get vouchers to put their kids in parochial schools and I dont know why they dont!

California has vouchers for parochial schools?

[irishgrl]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

California has vouchers for parochial schools?

I believe there is a voluntary voucher system, but let me get back to you on that.

edit #1: well, I may have to retract that statement. I know it was on the ballot at one time and it failed but I thought it was put on a second time (in a slightly different format) and won. I cant find any particular reference to CA school vouchers....but, CA parents can home school their kids or put them in private/charter schools and I think there is federal funds available for tuition....

edit #2: ok. I just did a little research, there was a measure, prop 38 in 2000, that tried to get the voucher system started in CA. it didnt pass. here is a link to the League of Women Voters analysis. I think thats the second time the voucher idea failed here.

here is a site that shows which states currently have voucher systems:

School Vouchers

1990 — Milwaukee Parental Choice Program

1995 — Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program

1999 — Florida’s McKay Scholarships for Children with Disabilities

1999 — Florida’s A+ Opportunity Scholarship Program

2003 — Ohio Autism Scholarship Program

2004 — Washington D.C.’s Opportunity Scholarship Program

2004 — Florida Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program

2005 — Carson Smith Scholarship for Students with Special Needs

2005 — Ohio Educational Choice Scholarship Program for children in failing schools

Tax Credits

1997 — Arizona’s Tuition Tax Credit Program

2001 — Florida’s Step-Up for Students Scholarship Program

2001 — Pennsylvania’s Education Improvement Tax Credit Program

2004 — Pennsylvania Pre-Kindergarten Program

2005 — Florida Voluntary Kindergarten Program