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I have a burning need to know stuff and I love asking awkward questions.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Darwin Triumphs in Dover


From The BBC:


A court in the US has ruled against the teaching of the theory of "intelligent design" alongside Darwinian evolution. A group of parents in the Pennsylvania town of Dover had taken the school board to court for demanding biology classes not teach evolution as fact. The authorities wanted to introduce the theory that Earth's life was too complicated to have evolved on its own. Judge John Jones ruled the school board had violated the constitutional ban on teaching religion in public schools. The 11 parents who brought the case argued that teaching intelligent design (ID) was effectively teaching creationism, which is banned.


They complained the theory - which argues life must have been helped to develop by an unseen power - is tantamount to religious education. The school board argued they had sought to improve science education by exposing pupils to alternatives to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. But Judge Jones said he had determined that ID was not science and "cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents". In a 139-page written ruling, the judge said: "Our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science classroom."


He accused school board members of disguising their true motives for introducing the ID policy. "We find that the secular purposes claimed by the board amount to a pretext for the board's real purpose, which was to promote religion in the public school classroom," he said. He banned any future implementation of the policy in Dover schools. The case, the first of its kind, sets an important precedent in a country where several states have adopted the teaching of ID. Ironically, he adds, it is a somewhat academic ruling in the Dover area since parents there voted last month to replace the school board members who brought in the policy. That move provoked US TV evangelist Pat Robertson to warn the town was invoking the wrath of God. A lawyer for the parents said the ruling was a "real vindication" for those families who challenged the school board.


I guess that the next step is to appeal the decision…..?

7 comments:

goal10der said...

This is sweet vindication for people who want to keep religion out of public schools and is a fantastic precedent set for the rest of the country. I can't see how the Supreme Court can possibly overrule this decision. You know, a little over 300 years ago, people came to this country to escape religious persecution...if ID was allow to stay, then where would we have to go - the Moon? As far as Pat Robertson's statement about invoking the "Wrath of God", I think we already saw the Wrath of God (by this I mean Pres. Bush, because he claims he talks to Jesus you know), unleash itself on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region (his administrations terrible mismanagement in the hurricane's aftermath). So if that's how it will be, Pennsylvania better prepare for a hurricane! (My American sarcasm may not come through the way I am intending it, but I hope you get the idea.)

Aginoth said...

At last a judge in the US not swayed by the increasingly prevalent right wing Christians...perhaps there is still light at the end of the tunnel

CyberKitten said...

goal10der said: I can't see how the Supreme Court can possibly overrule this decision.

Me neither.. But I don't know how the US legal system works... and the Fundies DO have LOTS of money.... So who knows?

As to where people would go after ID became the State religion of the USA... I'm pretty sure Canada or the UK would be glad to have truckloads of scientists and technical people...

Paste said...

This is really good news, I'll post it myself. Good blog and thanks for commenting on mine. I'll link you.
Happy Christmas.

CyberKitten said...

Thanks Dave. I'll return the favour.

JR said...

Since that was a decision by a U.S. District Court, it can still be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and then that decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court of the U.S. So there are still a couple chances of overturning it. I would bet the side arguing for ID will say there is no mention of God and in order for it to promote religion it has to do so. Just a theory. Happy reason won out at this level.

CyberKitten said...

BTW - If you want to read the 139 page decision by the trial judge you can find it @:

http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/kitzmiller/kitzmiller_342.pdf

A bit of light reading over the Holidays.....