"stoney" <stoney@the.net> wrote in message
news:q82hq1talpir69kvo883dl33cc912ed7m9@4ax.com...

Hit these cretins right on their God.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10545387/

Judge rules against 'intelligent design'

'Religious alternative' to evolution barred from public-school science
classes
Updated: 5:31 p.m. ET Dec. 20, 2005

HARRISBURG, Pa. - In one of the biggest courtroom clashes between
faith and evolution since the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, a federal
judge barred a Pennsylvania public school district Tuesday from
teaching "intelligent design" in biology class, saying the concept is
creationism in disguise.

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones delivered a stinging attack on the
Dover Area School Board, saying its first-in-the-nation decision in
October 2004 to insert intelligent design into the science curriculum
violates the constitutional separation of church and state.

The ruling was a major setback to the intelligent design movement,
which is also waging battles in Georgia and Kansas. Intelligent design
holds that living organisms are so complex that they must have been
created by some kind of higher force.

Jones decried the "breathtaking inanity" of the Dover policy and
accused several board members of lying to conceal their true motive,
which he said was to promote religion.

A six-week trial over the issue yielded "overwhelming evidence"
establishing that intelligent design "is a religious view, a mere
re-labeling of creationism, and not a scientific theory," said Jones,
a Republican and a churchgoer appointed to the federal bench three
years ago.

The school system said it will probably not appeal the ruling, because
the members who backed intelligent design were ousted in November's
elections and replaced with a new slate opposed to the policy.

During the trial, the board argued that it was trying improve science
education by exposing students to alternatives to Charles Darwin's
theory of evolution and natural selection.

The policy required students to hear a statement about intelligent
design before ninth-grade lessons on evolution. The statement said
Darwin's theory is "not a fact" and has inexplicable "gaps." It
referred students to an intelligent-design textbook, "Of Pandas and
People."

But the judge said: "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."

The disclaimer, he said, "singles out the theory of evolution for
special treatment, misrepresents its status in the scientific
community, causes students to doubt its validity without scientific
justification, presents students with a religious alternative
masquerading as a scientific theory, directs them to consult a
creationist text as though it were a science resource and instructs
students to forgo scientific inquiry in the public school classroom
and instead to seek out religious instruction elsewhere."

In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require
public schools to balance evolution lessons by teaching creationism.

Eric Rothschild, an attorney for the families who challenged the
policy, called the ruling "a real vindication for the parents who had
the courage to stand up and say there was something wrong in their
school district."

Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Law
Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., which represented the school district and
describes its mission as defending the religious freedom of
Christians, said: "What this really looks like is an ad hominem attack
on scientists who happen to believe in God."

It was the latest chapter in a debate over the teaching of evolution
dating back to the Scopes trial, in which Tennessee biology teacher
John T. Scopes was fined $100 for violating a state law against
teaching evolution.

Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in Georgia heard arguments
over whether a suburban Atlanta school district had the right to put
stickers on biology textbooks describing evolution as a theory, not
fact. A federal judge last January ordered the stickers removed.

In November, state education officials in Kansas adopted new classroom
science standards that call the theory of evolution into question.

President Bush also weighed in on the issue of intelligent design
recently, saying schools should present the concept when teaching
about the origins of life.

'ID is not science'
In his ruling, Jones said that while intelligent design, or ID,
arguments "may be true, a proposition on which the court takes no
position, ID is not science." Among other things, he said intelligent
design "violates the centuries-old ground rules of science by invoking
and permitting supernatural causation"; it relies on "flawed and
illogical" arguments; and its attacks on evolution "have been refuted
by the scientific community."

"The students, parents, and teachers of the Dover Area School District
deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom, with its
resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources," he wrote.

Jones wrote that he wasn't saying the intelligent design concept
shouldn't be studied and discussed, saying its advocates "have bona
fide and deeply held beliefs which drive their scholarly endeavors."

But, he wrote, "our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to
teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science
classroom."

***** yeah!!! Common sense prevails!!!

The judge also said: "It is ironic that several of these individuals,
who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in
public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise
the real purpose behind the ID Policy."

Calling it like it is. You have a bunch of fundies, represented by a
bunch of fundies, and supported by a bunch of parent fundies pushing a
view about religion that they claim isn't really religion. Now, with the
ruling, you have a bunch of fundies saying the decision is an insult to
"God". Who the hell did they think they were fooling?!?!

Former school board member William Buckingham, who advanced the
policy, said from his new home in Mt. Airy, N.C., that he still feels
the board did the right thing.

'We were robbed'
"I'm still waiting for a judge or anyone to show me anywhere in the
Constitution where there's a separation of church and state," he said.
"We didn't lose; we were robbed."

Right there, this fucking idiot comes out and says that this is an attempt
to introduce religion into the public classroom, something he denied
earlier.

"stoney" <stoney@the.net> wrote in message
news:q82hq1talpir69kvo883dl33cc912ed7m9@4ax.com...

Hit these cretins right on their God.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10545387/

Judge rules against 'intelligent design'

'Religious alternative' to evolution barred from public-school science
classes
Updated: 5:31 p.m. ET Dec. 20, 2005

'ID is not science'
In his ruling, Jones said that while intelligent design, or ID,
arguments "may be true, a proposition on which the court takes no
position, ID is not science." Among other things, he said intelligent
design "violates the centuries-old ground rules of science by invoking
and permitting supernatural causation"; it relies on "flawed and
illogical" arguments; and its attacks on evolution "have been refuted
by the scientific community."

"The students, parents, and teachers of the Dover Area School District
deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom, with its
resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources," he wrote.

Jones wrote that he wasn't saying the intelligent design concept
shouldn't be studied and discussed, saying its advocates "have bona
fide and deeply held beliefs which drive their scholarly endeavors."

But, he wrote, "our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to
teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science
classroom."

***** yeah!!! Common sense prevails!!!

The judge also said: "It is ironic that several of these individuals,
who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in
public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise
the real purpose behind the ID Policy."

Calling it like it is. You have a bunch of fundies, represented by a bunch
of fundies, and supported by a bunch of parent fundies pushing a view about
religion that they claim isn't really religion. Now, with the ruling, you
have a bunch of fundies saying the decision is an insult to "God". Who the
hell did they think they were fooling?!?!

Former school board member William Buckingham, who advanced the
policy, said from his new home in Mt. Airy, N.C., that he still feels
the board did the right thing.

'We were robbed'
"I'm still waiting for a judge or anyone to show me anywhere in the
Constitution where there's a separation of church and state," he said.
"We didn't lose; we were robbed."

Right there, this fucking idiot comes out and says that this is an attempt
to introduce religion into the public classroom, something he denied
earlier.

turk

But, he wrote, "our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to
teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science
classroom."

***** yeah!!! Common sense prevails!!!

In article <q82hq1talpir69kvo883dl33cc912ed7m9@4ax.com>,
stoney <stoney@the.net> wrote:

Hit these cretins right on their God.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10545387/

Judge rules against ‘intelligent design’

‘Religious alternative’ to evolution barred from public-school science
classes
Updated: 5:31 p.m. ET Dec. 20, 2005

The old board's actions may still have an impact, however. Jones also
ruled that the school board would have to pay the plaintiffs’ legal
fees, which are not insignificant. Plaintiffs' attorney Rothschild
said compensation would be sought despite the turnover on the board,
but that the cost was still being tallied. “We’ll sort out who we
might pursue for this remedy in the days ahead,” he said.

This report includes information from MSNBC's Alan Boyle.

Science wins out over superstition again. Then again it always does. I'm
glad that they got a judge who had the intelligence to see through
'intelligent' design. Let's hope that this sets a precedent that lasts.

I'm sure that there are a lot of disgruntled little fundies tonight.
Heh, heh!

{Judge's Decision PDF Link}

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/051220_kitzmiller_342.pdf
© 2005 The Associated Press

In article <q82hq1talpir69kvo883dl33cc912ed7m9@4ax.com>,
stoney <stoney@the.net> wrote:

Hit these cretins right on their God.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10545387/

Judge rules against ‘intelligent design’

‘Religious alternative’ to evolution barred from public-school science
classes
Updated: 5:31 p.m. ET Dec. 20, 2005

HARRISBURG, Pa. - In one of the biggest courtroom clashes between
faith and evolution since the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, a federal
judge barred a Pennsylvania public school district Tuesday from
teaching “intelligent design” in biology class, saying the concept is
creationism in disguise.

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones delivered a stinging attack on the
Dover Area School Board, saying its first-in-the-nation decision in
October 2004 to insert intelligent design into the science curriculum
violates the constitutional separation of church and state.

The ruling was a major setback to the intelligent design movement,
which is also waging battles in Georgia and Kansas. Intelligent design
holds that living organisms are so complex that they must have been
created by some kind of higher force.

Jones decried the “breathtaking inanity” of the Dover policy and
accused several board members of lying to conceal their true motive,
which he said was to promote religion.

A six-week trial over the issue yielded “overwhelming evidence”
establishing that intelligent design “is a religious view, a mere
re-labeling of creationism, and not a scientific theory,” said Jones,
a Republican and a churchgoer appointed to the federal bench three
years ago.

The school system said it will probably not appeal the ruling, because
the members who backed intelligent design were ousted in November’s
elections and replaced with a new slate opposed to the policy.

During the trial, the board argued that it was trying improve science
education by exposing students to alternatives to Charles Darwin’s
theory of evolution and natural selection.

The policy required students to hear a statement about intelligent
design before ninth-grade lessons on evolution. The statement said
Darwin’s theory is “not a fact” and has inexplicable “gaps.” It
referred students to an intelligent-design textbook, “Of Pandas and
People.”

But the judge said: “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.”

The disclaimer, he said, "singles out the theory of evolution for
special treatment, misrepresents its status in the scientific
community, causes students to doubt its validity without scientific
justification, presents students with a religious alternative
masquerading as a scientific theory, directs them to consult a
creationist text as though it were a science resource and instructs
students to forgo scientific inquiry in the public school classroom
and instead to seek out religious instruction elsewhere."

In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require
public schools to balance evolution lessons by teaching creationism.

Eric Rothschild, an attorney for the families who challenged the
policy, called the ruling “a real vindication for the parents who had
the courage to stand up and say there was something wrong in their
school district.”

Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Law
Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., which represented the school district and
describes its mission as defending the religious freedom of
Christians, said: “What this really looks like is an ad hominem attack
on scientists who happen to believe in God.”

It was the latest chapter in a debate over the teaching of evolution
dating back to the Scopes trial, in which Tennessee biology teacher
John T. Scopes was fined $100 for violating a state law against
teaching evolution.

Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in Georgia heard arguments
over whether a suburban Atlanta school district had the right to put
stickers on biology textbooks describing evolution as a theory, not
fact. A federal judge last January ordered the stickers removed.

In November, state education officials in Kansas adopted new classroom
science standards that call the theory of evolution into question.

President Bush also weighed in on the issue of intelligent design
recently, saying schools should present the concept when teaching
about the origins of life.

‘ID is not science’
In his ruling, Jones said that while intelligent design, or ID,
arguments “may be true, a proposition on which the court takes no
position, ID is not science.” Among other things, he said intelligent
design “violates the centuries-old ground rules of science by invoking
and permitting supernatural causation”; it relies on “flawed and
illogical” arguments; and its attacks on evolution “have been refuted
by the scientific community.”

“The students, parents, and teachers of the Dover Area School District
deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom, with its
resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources,” he wrote.

Jones wrote that he wasn’t saying the intelligent design concept
shouldn’t be studied and discussed, saying its advocates “have bona
fide and deeply held beliefs which drive their scholarly endeavors.”

But, he wrote, “our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to
teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science
classroom.”

The judge also said: “It is ironic that several of these individuals,
who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in
public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise
the real purpose behind the ID Policy.”

Former school board member William Buckingham, who advanced the
policy, said from his new home in Mt. Airy, N.C., that he still feels
the board did the right thing.

‘We were robbed’
“I’m still waiting for a judge or anyone to show me anywhere in the
Constitution where there’s a separation of church and state,” he said.
“We didn’t lose; we were robbed.”

The controversy divided Dover and surrounding Dover Township, a rural
area of nearly 20,000 residents about 20 miles south of Harrisburg. It
galvanized voters to oust eight school board members who supported the
policy in the Nov. 8 school board election. The ninth board member was
not up for re-election.

The new school board president, Bernadette Reinking, said the board
intends to remove intelligent design from the science curriculum and
place it in an elective social studies class.

“As far as I can tell you, there is no intent to appeal,” she said.

The old board's actions may still have an impact, however. Jones also
ruled that the school board would have to pay the plaintiffs’ legal
fees, which are not insignificant. Plaintiffs' attorney Rothschild
said compensation would be sought despite the turnover on the board,
but that the cost was still being tallied. “We’ll sort out who we
might pursue for this remedy in the days ahead,” he said.

This report includes information from MSNBC's Alan Boyle.

Science wins out over superstition again. Then again it always does. I'm
glad that they got a judge who had the intelligence to see through
'intelligent' design. Let's hope that this sets a precedent that lasts.

I'm sure that there are a lot of disgruntled little fundies tonight.
Heh, heh!