Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the pre-biotic soup: For Immediate Release Dec. 14, 2004 Press Contact: Rob Crowther
Discovery Institute (206) 292-0401 x.107 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Leading intelligent design think tank calls Dover evolution policy "misguided," calls for it to be withdrawn Seattle, Dec. 14 - The policy on teaching evolution recently adopted by the Dover, PA School Board was called "misguided" today by Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, which advised that the policy should be withdrawn and rewritten. "While the Dover board is to be commended for trying to teach Darwinian theory in a more open-minded manner, this is the wrong way to go about it," said Dr. John G. West, associate director of Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture (CSC). "Dover's current policy has a number of problems, not the least of which is its lack of clarity. At one point, it appears to prohibit Dover schools from teaching anything about 'the origins of life.' At another point, it appears to both mandate as well as prohibit the teaching of the scientific theory of intelligent design. The policy's incoherence raises serious problems from the standpoint of constitutional law. Thus, the policy should be withdrawn and rewritten." Apart from questions about its constitutionality, West expressed reservations about the Dover School Board's directive on public policy grounds. "When we first read about the Dover policy, we publicly criticized it because according to published reports the intent was to mandate the teaching of intelligent design," explained West. "Although we think discussion of intelligent design should not be prohibited, we don't think intelligent design should be required in public schools. "What should be required is full disclosure of the scientific evidence for and against Darwin's theory," added West, "which is the approach supported by the overwhelming majority of the public." Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture is the nation's leading think-tank exploring the scientific theory of intelligent design, which proposes that some features of the natural world are best explained as the product of an intelligent cause rather than an undirected cause such as natural selection. In recent years a growing number of scientists have presented the case for intelligent design theory in academic journal articles and books published by major academic presses such as Cambridge University Press and Michigan State University Press. For more information visit the Institute's website at www.discovery.org/csc/. ### >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ed Brayton >Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 12:53 PM >To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics >Subject: Re: Press Conference Announcing Legal Challenge to >"Intelligent Design" Curriculum in PA > > >Ah, I was just going to post something about this. The Thomas More Law >Center has offered to handle the defense for the Dover school >district. >I haven't seen any official word that they'll be representing the >district, but the district would be foolish not to accept the offer. >Well, let me rephrase that. They'd be foolish to fight the lawsuit in >the first place, as I think they're going to lose and it's >going to cost >the taxpayers of that district an enormous amount of money. But if >they're going to fight it, they'd be even more foolish not to >accept the >offer to have the TMLC represent them. TMLC has done some >pretty good work. > >This could very well be the test case that everyone involved in the >evolution/creationism battle have been anticipating for a couple of >years now, the one that determines whether the precedents set >in McLean >v. Arkansas and Edwards v. Aguillard concerning the teaching of >"creation science" also hold true for the teaching of "intelligent >design". The ID folks aren't happy about that, as they don't think the >Dover school board's policy is very defensible (and they're >right, it's >riddled with contradictions and false claims). There is another >potential case that may be coming down the line that has not >gone public >yet that would be even worse for them, however. If this case >goes at all >like McLean v. Arkansas, it could end up being quite the show trial, >with a couple dozen prominent expert witnesses testifying on >either side >about the nature of science and the evidence for evolution. > >Ed Brayton > >Christopher C. Lund wrote: > >> Fresh off the presses... >> >> >> *** MEDIA ADVISORY *** >> >> Press Conference Announcing Legal Challenge to "Intelligent Design" >> Curriculum in PA School District >> >> WHEN: >> >> Tuesday, December 14, 1:00 p.m. >> >> WHAT: >> >> The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, Americans United >> for Separation of Church and State and attorneys with Pepper >Hamilton >> LLP will file a federal lawsuit on Tuesday on behalf of 11 >parents who >> say that presenting "intelligent design" to students in >public school >> violates the religious liberty of parents, students and faculty. >> >> The lawsuit will be the first in the nation to challenge the >> instruction of "intelligent design," which is an assertion that an >> intelligent, supernatural actor has intervened in the >history of life. >> The "intelligent design" debate gained national public >attention after >> the Dover Area School District Board in Pennsylvania voted >in October >> to require science teachers to present this religious view as an >> alternative to the scientific theory of evolution. Dover is believed >> to be the first school district to mandate such a policy. >> >> WHERE: >> >> Pennsylvania State Capitol, East Wing Rotunda >> Commonwealth Avenue, Harrisburg >> >> WHO: >> >> Parents, scientists, clergy members and attorneys who are challenging >> the Dover School District policy. >> >> Attorneys and clients in the lawsuit will not be available >for comment >> before the Tuesday press conference. >> >> CONTACT: >> >> Paul Silva, ACLU Nat'l, 212-549-2689 or 2666 >> Joe Conn, Americans United, 202-466-3234 or 202-365-8507 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> To post, send message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see >> http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw >> >> Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as >> private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages >that are >> posted; people can read the Web archives; and list members can >> (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others. >> >> >_______________________________________________ >To post, send message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, >see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw > >Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be >viewed as private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read >messages that are posted; people can read the Web archives; >and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages >to others. > _______________________________________________ To post, send message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others.
