The Indiana legislature is now infected -- "Intelligent Design" bug

[Felix Mala]

They're threatening to enact a law requiring that "ID" be taught alongside evilution.

Here's the thing. Can't we bring a lawsuit against this requirement if they omit Ancient Greek, Native American, Inuit, Maori, In can, Aztec, Japanese, Chinese, Balinese, Hawaiian, Chilean, Zimbabwean, Ethiopian, Egyptian, Persian and Hindu versions of "intelligent design?" If you're going to throw all scientific method to the wind, one myth is just as good as any other. Right? It the only FAIR thing to do. To teach all theories... Of course then, you're teaching folklore, not biology... Of course, heh-heh, this has never been about educating our kids...

[DrGonzoLives]

1. I'm suing

if they leave out the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[meganmonkey]

2. May we all be touched by his noodly appendage n/t

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ieoeja]

4. Columbus, IN public schools teach it.

They started teaching it this year. They teach it in a social studies class during the section on comparative religions.

[rocktivity]

5. At least they're not teaching it as part of their science curriculum

and at least they're not pretending that ID isn't rooted in a religion.

:headbang:
rocknation

[DefenseLawyer]

8. In high school, or earlier?

As long as they actually taught it as one of many "creation myths" in that kind of course, and not as science, it could be at least arguably acceptable. The problem is, you can bet that they don't. I bet they still push it has "science", which is the whole reason the wingnuts pushed the school board to include it in the first place.

[ieoeja]

10. Re-read my post.

They teach it as part of the "comparitive religion" section in social studies.

They don't teach it in science.

They DO teach it in comparison with other religions.

[DefenseLawyer]

13. I can read, but thanks

They may not teach in IN science, the question is whether they teach it AS science. It wouldn't matter if they taught it in art class, if it is presented in a way that depicts it as being rooted in or having a scientific basis. Unless someone can explain otherwise, I will assume that whomever pushed to have "intelligent design" taught in the school, in whatever class, did so to combat the "evils" of teaching evolution. Putting it in social studies class may have been the best way to get it in there without causing a stir.

[nemo137]

12. we got that during the anthro part of our world history freshman year

some parent complained, and in a ranther right wing moment, asked our teacher what gave him the right to teach that, and then asked him if he remembered Pearl Harbor and the Arizona. I remember the Mr. did an impression of the face he made when he heard that, and it was pricless.

Our teacher was a Vietnam vet, by the way. It always stuns me when people question his patriotism. I mean, Vietnam vet, U.S. history and gov't teacher, not a fan of this gov't, but loves his country, or at least the ideals it was founded on.

[democraticinsurgent]

6. Make 'em watch "The West Wing"

Perhaps many of you saw this as well. Any legislator or RW activist who wants to have intelligent design taught in science class should be forced to watch the 10/16 episode of The West Wing, where Jimmy Smits (Santos) smacks down the notion that intelligent design is anything but faith and therefore can't be taught.

During his campaign for president he's asked if he believes in "intelligent design"; he quips "I believe in God, and I'd like to think he is intelligent". His campaign aides start calling it the "God gaffe" until Santos meets a high school parent group and responds to their questions in about the most intelligent manner one could imagine.

Later he discusses the separation of church and state, saying something along these lines: The framers of the constitution realized that there were differences among religions so instead of sponsoring a single religion they decided to support no religions, thereby allowing the people to make individual decisions free of government coercion.

"It wasn't done to make you comfortable, it was done so you could be free".

[Chiyo-chichi]

7. The Indiana legislator who says

he'll intriduce a bill is also an Elvis impersonator.

So, have fun with that tidbit.

[delete_bush]

9. thank you, thank you very much

for that tidbit.

[Felix Mala]

14. I have to concede: God sure showed us how much he loves us

when he created Elvis.

[karynnj]

11. When I was a kid in Indiana , I was told that the Indiana legislature

sometime in the first half of the 20th century wanted to legislate that pi was 3, to make the math easier. (Purdue and IU mathematitians supposedly stopped it.)

[Felix Mala]

15. We can only hope these idiots don't dispute the theory of gravity...

[thinkingwoman]

16. Indiana has no shortage

of stupid asshat ideas. :eyes: