The Devil in Dover and elsewhere: the personal side of the Creationism controversy

Series: Year of Darwin
Richard Katskee is an attorney for Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Lauri Lebo is a journalist who covered the Dover, PA intelligent design trial. Sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• case
• western
• reserve
• university
• cwru
• mediavision
• darwin
• katskee
• lebo
• standard
• h264

[freekydkey]

The kids  ALWAYS had the OPTION to read "Of Pandas and People" along with plenty other fictional literature. Just doesn't need to be TAUGHT by our teacher to our children and passed off as a "possible" truth.

[brpierce]

"At no point was the Dover School Board trying to eliminate the teaching of evolution."

Actually, one of the reasons they fell flat on their faces was because the prosecution was able to present substantial evidence that Bill Buckingham was pushing for exactly that--or, at the least, for equal time for Creationism.

[8698gil]

This coach is a perfect example of christian arrogance. I don't believe in god, but if I did, I could think of more important things to pray for than a winning football team, like ending the starvation of millions of children around the world.

[8698gil]

People who want ID taught as science in schools are predominately christian, not muslim or other faiths. ID/creationism does not belong in the public school system. My son goes to a public school along with many kids who belong to different faiths. I am an atheist, but I can imagine that Muslim parents would strongly object to Christian creation being taught to their children in school. Religious teaching belongs in the home and the churches, not public schools.

[Newenlightenmentnow]

This is a fascinating assertion. Prayer is part of football. Let me go the the NFL homepage and look at the rule book and see how prayer is part of football......looking. Nothing about praying. Before that atheist Pat Tillman selflessly gave up his NFL career to join the Army (being an atheist in a foxhole), was he also an atheist playing football? Did Pat Tillman not understand football? Strange given that he made the NFL.

[TippyCando]

@vechorik -- Your post does, however, point out a glaring failure in our school systems.  And that is -- They don't teach critical thinking skills very well.

[TippyCando]

@vechorik -- Do you have children? Imagine a teacher spending all of your child's classroom time talking about their summer vacation rather than the required subject matter. After all, they should have "Freedom of Speech" in the classroom.

"Maybe churches should pay taxes and become free to say what they want."

Just in case you hadn't noticed -- Churches already do have the right to say what they want.

[aaronzvz]

@vechorik Your logic is fundamentally flawed.

[Cannonfodder69]

@vechorik Freedom of speech does not factor into science curricullums. Science classes should teach the most accurate theories in their respective fields, as well as discuss current research and up-coming projects.

But I agree, churches should have to pay taxes just like everyone else. If they do charity, they can do deductions just like any other charity organization has to do

[vechorik]

What about freedom of speech? It's the same old story, accept something from the government and they "own you." Maybe churches should pay taxes and become free to say what they want.