Ya, pretty sad to hear, that they're at it again.

You can see the hypocritical double standard of theists.

When they are the minority, they protest it endlessly.

But, when atheists merely put up a sign saying anything they don't like, it's 'insulting', it's 'hostile', it's 'militant'.

Christians feel 'more' equal that others. They feel it's their 'right' to have what they 'want' taught in schools.

That's not the way it works.

Schools are meant to teach children cutting edge science and technology, in order to allow children to 'get ahead of the curve', to be 'at the forefront'.

Not to 'regress' to being 'sheeple'.

I don't see their efforts to challenge school boards to teach ID, as a bad thing. I see it as a good thing.

It'll make the topic more mainstream, and will become higher profile.

More atheists will become more vocal. More prominent atheists, will become more vocal.

It'll become more 'hip' to be atheist.

That's why the theists are desperate to find intelligent people, to represent them, in the media.

The majority of what they have, are athletes and brainless celebrities who thank Jeebus, for winning an Emmy for a daytime soap opera, or for scoring the winning touchdown, or winning the 'Southern Comfort 500' Nascar race, or idiots on TV.

Britney Spears and Elizabeth Hasselblank, against Sam Harris and Daniel Dennet.

Ray Ray (Banana Man) Comfort and Kirk Camoron, against Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawkings.

Ya, there's no evolutionary gap there...

I think it's a little more complex than that. I think it's a desperate attempt to become prominent and respected.

To gain infamy.

Like the pathetic VenomfangX infantile on YouTube, who was dubbed "Poster Child for Stupidity", or PCS, for short.

A young kid with a very limited intellect, who only had enough knowledge to make himself dangerous. Yet, he was trying to disprove science, and challenge well established science, that he didn't even understand.

An utter fool, who finally got busted trying to file false DMCA copyright infringement charges, and had to face the possiblity of imprisonment, and had to issue a public YouTube apology, or the case against him, would have gone to court.

Just like astrology, homeopathy, or a lucky rabbit's foot.

It'll never get into the science classrooms as science. Because it's NOT scientific.

There's NO scientific data.

It's 'data' is a bible.

Pfffft....

L. Ron Hubbard did it...

Credulity can infect all levels of education. Being smart about some things doesn't mean you are right about all things. Religion infects all classes in America and the ones who have managed to escape it's grip are in the minority.

Newton was a smart man, but he also thought Alchemy would become a valid science.

As long as our species exists, from rich to poor, in all nations, there will always be those who prefer wishful thinking to pragmatism, and if they have money, or numbers or both, they will try to push their utopia on politics.

Even if someone like Hitchens or Dawkins came out tomorrow and said, "I now believe in God", highly unlikely, but....

Even if, my default reaction would be to lean towards natural explanations to this sudden change. Affects of some sort of emotional trauma or physical damage to the brain in injury or disease. Or even slick marketing of some elaborate pseudo scientist.

What I would not do is say, "This person is smart and since I have had a history of supporting their position, now that they have changed it, they must be right automatically".

No, if this were to happen, they would STILL be subject to the rigors of scientific method that demands independent testing and independent peer review.

I get tired of believers pointing out smart people as being proof for their god existing. Muslims point out Arabs contributing to algebra as being proof of Allah. Christians point out fuckwads like Aquinus as being proof Jesus.

That would be like saying Gene Rodenburry invented the modern cell phone because he depicted the tricorder in Star Trec.

Henry Ford built the model T. But he had no way, or clue, for that matter, that his car manufacturing would lead to modern Lamborghini. AND no mechanic back then, or even now, if sane, is going to claim that their inventions are the result of pink unicorns or Thor.

Reality is not run on pixie dust nor do human observations of such need comic book super heros to observe.

They're trying to bypass a few critical steps.

Trying to get the trophy when they haven't even qualified to compete.

The good news is that Creationists have many opportunities to elaborate on their data and scientific findings.

Here's one such platform, that they should not overlook.

The League of Reason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwfeMbH4HyI&feature=related

Good luck, Creationists. May God be with you....

The search for alchemy based on experiment and painstaking recording is the foundation of modern chemistry and gave us precursors to neat things like Mendeleev's periodic table.

People will get the education system they demand.

In the US, the First Amendment should trump this ID nonsense from being seriously brought up as being a subject for a public school. But, if no one seriously challenges it - and note that challenges take money and years - it will keep making inroads. This will happen until there are enough people attending school board meetings and saying NO to this intelligent design nonsense, and accurately articulate its source and content. Furthermore, demand that science be taught as science, rather than some sort of religious debating forum.

The vast majority of people are neither in the young-earth-creationist evangelical Christian crowd, nor in the secular camp. This will remain an issue until the majority comes out and says, clearly, what it wants and what it will tolerate. If the majority want mythology taught as science, that's what they'll get. And, it's what they should have. The First Amendment could be changed too - IF the majority want it.

If people want the US to remain a first-world, industrial, economic, and military power, we MUST stop the mythology-pushers in our science classes, and leave science classes to teach science - with standards for what and how it's taught. If people continue to cave to the ID camp, and teach mythology, and require that some children be exempted from being offended by true science - or demand that no children be taught science because a few or their parents MIGHT be offended, the US should be prepared to become another third-world, impoverished theocracy. Or, taken over by another nation with science-based military equipment.

I don't think anyone here wants the US to become a sad little theocracy made up of superstitious people. The key to it is to wake up the "silent majority", and have THEM say "NO" to these religious fringe groups - that while we may be offending them, they are offending us too - and posing a clear and present danger to our future national security by giving a counterfeit education to everyone funded by tax money. A counterfeit education which cannot compete in today's world. A counterfeit education which cannot proceed to study science or medicine without a lot of remedial classes.

Arguing with the young earth evangelicals pushing the ID agenda will be fruitless. They will not change their minds. Alerting the majority to what is going on, and why it is they should care about it, will make a difference.

Whether or not they are free to prevent their own children from getting a real education is another matter for debate.