Fresno High School Sued Over 'Intelligent Design'

[linwood]

here we go again!!



This rocks!!

(AP) FRESNO, Calif. A rural high school offering a philosophy course discussing a religion-based alternative to evolution was sued Tuesday by an organization claiming the class violates the U.S. Constitution.

The suit was filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State in U.S. District Court in Fresno against El Tejon Unified School District.

It asks the judge for a temporary restraining order halting the winter-session class, which is already in its second week.

More here

The difference here is this is a philosophy course not a science course.
I`m unsure how I feel as it`s being offered as an alternative to evolution.

Edit:

Better article

"It's really just a philosophy class," said John Wight, superintendent of El Tejon Unified School District. "We don't take a position."
...
The class taught by a minister's wife shocked some school board members when they learned that three experts on intelligent design were scheduled to speak while two evolution experts listed as guest speakers were not coming.

One of the evolution experts disagreed with the class. The other, Nobel laureate Francis Crick, who was a co-discoverer of the double-helix structure of DNA, died in 2004.
Mercury News

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/13568701.htm

Edit 2:

The course curriculum

http://www.mountainenterprise.com/In...abus051209.htm
http://www.mountainenterprise.com/In...kjh_markup.htm
http://www.mountainenterprise.com/In...us-051229.html

I haven`t checked it out yet but many people here have wondered exactly what an ID curriculum would consist of.
here you have it!

 

[linwood]

I just noticed they invited a dead man to speak on evolutions behalf!

Do you think they could take this seriously?

:biglaugh:

 

[linwood]

Again the Discovery Institute is trying to distance itself from the ID curriculum just as it did in PA

In the letter a Discovery Institute attorney writes: “The title and nature of this course are problematic and appear to misrepresent the content of the course and intelligent design.” The letter later urges the district to: “either reformulate the course by removing the young earth creationist materials or retitle the course as a course not focused on intelligent design.”

http://www.evolutionnews.org/2006/01/intelligent_design_group_urges.html

 

[robtex]

Thanks Steve I was just going to scower the net for that story and post it here!! I have to wonder with the issue coming up again and again all over the country as a religious agenda has been established wouldn't it be more ethical for ID'ers to move their children's education into the local churches as opposed to trying to propogate them on other parties?

Also, the deceased Dr Crick was an atheist which makes me suspect to the nature of the invitation given the information of the teachers religious affliations. A public school is an extremely inappropiate place for debates on the existance of God. Childeren have a lot on their shoulders without dumping metaphyics into the mix.

I strongly concur with the last qoute of the 2nd link linwood posted.

"I don't agree with teaching kids religion," said parent Tammy Rossiter, who has a son and daughter at the school. "It's something that should be done at home."

 

[MdmSzdWhtGuy]

Chalk up another victory for ID!!!

B.

I think I am going to found a flat earth society.

 

[linwood]

Chalk up another victory for ID!!!

Not so quick.

The school has already cancelled the class and settled the suit out of court with the parents.

The lawsuit in Hurst et al. v. Newman et al. -- in which eleven parents challenged the constitutionality of a four-week intersession course on "The Philosophy of Design" (formerly "The Philosophy of Intelligent Design") at Frazier Mountain High School in Lebec, California -- was settled on January 17, 2006. In the settlement, the defendants agreed to end the class and to ensure that no school in the El Tejon School District, including Frazier Mountain High School, "shall offer, presently or in the future, the course entitled 'Philosophy of Design' or 'Philosophy of Intelligent Design' or any other course that promotes or endorses creationism, creation science, or intelligent design."
Settlement

Jeez I just found out they had the class and an hour later found out they settled it.

Chalk up yet another victory for rational thought!!
That was quick.

 

[linwood]

I have to wonder with the issue coming up again and again all over the country as a religious agenda has been established wouldn't it be more ethical for ID'ers to move their children's education into the local churches as opposed to trying to propogate them on other parties?

Yes Rob it would be more ethical but this isn`t about ID at all.

Have you read the Discovery Institutes "Wedge Document"?

It`s about getting religion back into our culture and schools and government policy at the cost of sensible, rational, scientific secularism.

 

[ladylazarus]

There is a very, very big difference between a course that objectively examines religious beliefs, and a course that attempts to prove certainly religious beliefs and disprove evolution (which was the intention of the "philosophy" course in question).

 

[linwood]

There is a very, very big difference between a course that objectively examines religious beliefs, and a course that attempts to prove certainly religious beliefs and disprove evolution (which was the intention of the "philosophy" course in question).

After looking at that currculum I can only agree with you.

Such a quick settlement tells me the school board agrees with you too.

 

[linwood]

I would just like to point out this wasn`t a Fresno high school.

The district court that was scheduled to hear the case was in Fresno.

The first article I posted was wrong

 

[robtex]

There is a very, very big difference between a course that objectively examines religious beliefs, and a course that attempts to prove certainly religious beliefs and disprove evolution (which was the intention of the "philosophy" course in question).

I don't know how much you can really "examine" religion when its members say it is a matter of faith and in general live religious debates/discussions frequently stray from being civil. Religion really needs to stay out of state schools, period. The attack on evolution is an important note.

If we could isolate this and look at a parallel. What would you say if I offered up a philosophy course that offered an "alternate theory" to chemical bonding, the proton electron theory and the suggested the periodic table of elements was only a theory based on these observations:

1) Larger elements like unnilquadium (element 104) could only last a few seconds proving that not all chemicals bound and thus maybe none of them can.

2) isotopes prove that the formula of electrons to protons is a variable at best

3) The stablity and instablity is relative thus suggesting that chemical bonding is open to interpretation

In addition I throw out an alternate theory that chemistry as "science" is really only a theory (which is what ID says about biology) but certain religious texts and sacred texts may in fact have a more feasible answer.......

Really in the context of ID and in note of LL's post I would say my chemistry theory has as much merit and as much agenda as any ID theory ever proposed in the public sector.

 

[ladylazarus]

I don't know how much you can really "examine" religion when its members say it is a matter of faith and in general live religious debates/discussions frequently stray from being civil. Religion really needs to stay out of state schools, period. The attack on evolution is an important note.

Examining religion does not require discussion of whether or not the religion is correct. It's important to understand certain religious beliefs (it's important to treat them as just that beliefs -- not truths) if only to have an understanding of an important aspect of human culture. ID, however should get no more classroom time than, "some people believe that evolution incorrect and that there was actually an intelligent creator who created the species; this belief entails the rejection of the validity of the scientific method and the cornerstone of modern biology."

I agree with the rest of your post.