ACLU fights 1-minute statement
Posted on July 16, 2005
A Pennsylvania school district sued by the ACLU for a controversial change to its biology curriculum sought judgment in its favor in federal court.
The Dover Area School District, represented by the Thomas More Law Center, became the first in the nation officially to inform biology students of the theory of intelligent design as an alternative to Darwin’s theory of Evolution.
The new policy requires teachers to read a one-minute statement at the beginning of biology classes explaining evolution is a theory that continues to be tested and informing students of alternatives.
As WorldNetDaily reported, the American Civil Liberties Union is challenging the new policy in a federal lawsuit, although it decided not to go forward with a request for a temporary restraining order to block its implementation at the beginning of the school term this year.
Teachers said they would not read the required statement, but the assistant superintendent carried out the reading Jan. 26 to two biology classes at Dover High School.
The school provided an opt-out, allowing students to join teachers in the hall outside the classroom when the statement was being read, but only 15 out of 170 made that choice.
The Thomas More Law Center, which filed papers in federal court Thursday, said that contrary to many press accounts, the school district is not teaching intelligent design, creationism or religious doctrine in its biology class, as its policy expressly forbids that.
The school district is teaching the Darwinian theory of evolution pursuant to state standards, insists Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel for the Law Center.
“This minor change to Dover’s science curriculum was simply a modest step by a small-town school board to improve the science education of its students,” he said. “This controversy is nothing more than a tempest in a teapot.”
Thompson said the America’s founders “would be astonished at the thought that this simple curriculum change ‘established religion’ in violation of the Constitution that they drafted.”
The ACLU, along with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, filed the lawsuit in December arguing intelligent design theory is inherently religious.
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Thanks to Mudville Gazette
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12 Responses to “ACLU fights 1-minute statement”
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Even those who believe in evolution should realize that the theory of evolution has “evolved” quite a bit since its inception. If scientists as little as 60 years age could be wrong, why can’t what they say now be wrong?
PS: Jay, could you please remind everyone that the trail of the illegals who were arrested for traspassing is currently going on.
The ACLU was hired by the Mexican government to get lawyers for them. These lawyers have suceeded in having one part of the charges on them dropped. If this case is won, by the town, we would have a potent weapon in the battle against law breakers.
GD - these people are really annoying and destructive. It’s beyond belief.
I am with you !
I totally agree.
Also, Jay, I hate to go off the mark, but didn;t you say the ACLU is trying to do away with Chaplains in the military because it’s a “violation” of the Separation of Church and State? If so, could you send me some links?
If not, I’m totally ignorant and I’m sorry, lol.
Good post. I agree that every theory should be given a fair time in the educational sun. However, having written several news stories about the Intelligent Design Theory and it’s advocates, I have to say that the theory doesn’t have much to go on.
For one thing, it’s more theoretical than either Evolution OR Creationism, which both are at least logical and which can both work together if you are willing to allow them to. I’m not knocking Intelligent Design, but I believe that as a theory it is insulting to God. In fact, it also tends to ignore the incredible volume of evidence that supports the gradual and independent changes described by Evolution Theory. However, if anyone really believes in it (and I’ve met a person or two who do as I worked on news stories), it deserves the time to be heard. CHEERS ALL!
I think I would have been one of those standing in the hall. I did that quit a bit when I was in school any way, I didn’t always agree with the teacher.If that is true about the Chaplains I’d like to get more info too. I have posted my Question Of The Week, I hope you will stop by to answer it.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
It is true about the chaplains, but I’m not sure how active they are on that. I will do a little research.
Thanks. Once again, my card carrying ACLU mother-in-law has no idea about any of it. She’s “pro”-chaplain.
I’m trying to figure out what y’all hate worse—science, or America.
I mean, it’s obvious that you hate them both with a white hot intensity. But which is worce, in your opinion?
Lol, what? I served this Nation in Iraq. I don’t hate America. As for science, I love biology and zoology, so long as the non-Christian-scientology isn’t taught and Darwin doesn’t come up.
Why does everyone think Christianity is against science? Photosynthesis has nothing to do with this.
Look, if you are going to teach children who are old enough to understand the meaning of theory, why can’t you teach them about the evolution of creation theory? What man has guessed at since his creation? None of them are proven. Christians have faith in our creation theory, but that too has evolved. Intelligent design is apparently a new interpretation of Christian creation theory(or not). A historical perspective is required, as should be in all teaching. Schools have long used the “Sun revolves around the Earth” theory to explain how our knowledge about the stars and planets developed. Nowadays, the people who want to teach “creation theory” are as persecuted as Da Vinci was by the Catholic church. OK, not quite, but how ironic. The ACLU plays the role if the Catholic inquisition in the modern model.
Very nice blog.