Good news from Texas

There IS some good news about the anti-evolution insanity rampant in this country. A Federal court in Texas slammed the Institute for Creation Research. ICR had whined because the state had denied them the certificate they need to issue a master's degree in science education from their graduate school. In the decision, Dr. Gerald Skoog is quoted as saying that the proposed ICR Master of Science program “integrates selective scientific data that gives credence to [the framework of Biblical creationism], but ignores, or circumvents, a large body of scientific data that erodes and shatters the foundation of this framework.”

For those of you who insist the Bible is literally true on every subject, read this again: "a large body of scientific data that erodes and shatters the foundation of this framework." Get it? Your viewpoint is NOT supported by the evidence of the world. Either your interpretation is wrong, or the whole Bible is wrong, or your God is a trickster to plant so much evidence that contradicts a literal interpretation of His Book.

The court also says: "It appears that although the Court has twice required Plaintiff to re-plead and set forth a short and plain statement of the relief requested, Plaintiff is entirely unable to file a complaint which is not overly verbose, disjointed, incoherent, maundering, and full of irrelevant information."

Well, if they could reason clearly they wouldn't be creationists, so this description of their statement is not a surprise. By the way, to make myself clear, I am not saying that creationism per se, the belief in a higher power or consciousness that created or manifests this universe, is wrong. I do insist that a literal reading of the Bible's book of Genesis is NOT supported by the evidence of the world and is in fact FALSIFIED by it. That's just the way it is, like it or not, make of it what you will.

Texas school board rewrites history

It's bad enough that the idiots on the Texas school board want to redefine science and ignore the evidence for common ancestry and evolution, now they are rewriting American history too.

Last week they passed new standards that downplay the role of Thomas Jefferson and also imply that our Founding Fathers were mainly strict Christians. There is much evidence that this just ain't so, but they want to rewrite history to suit their agenda.

Last month The New York Times published a good article about How Christian Were the Founders? that also describes the incompetence of the Texas school board in making decisions on subjects they know nothing about.

Because of the way the market works, since Texas is so big (as they are so proud of) the textbooks made to Texan standards end up being used by schoolchildren in other states too. Shame on Texas for dumbing down America!

Don McLeroy betrays America and Christ

Mr. McLeroy is the chair of the Texas State Board of Education. There was a vote yesterday about the standards for students in that state. Since Texas is such a big customer of textbook publishers, the standards for Texas affect the quality of textbooks for the rest of America.

I just read that in Friday's testimony, Mr. McLeroy said: "I disagree with these experts. Someone has got to stand up to experts." This is right up there on the stupid scale with the quote by Ray Mummert, a pastor from Dover PA who said in 2005: "We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture."

So Mr. McLeroy figures that, as a dentist, he is as much of an authority on scientific matters as the experts... I also read that even though the main weasel words were voted down some amendments were passed with weasel words in them so expect some lawsuits folks!

Thank Mr. McLeroy for adding to the financial hardships of Texans in these hard times, as well as for succeeding in at least part of his evil plot to DUMB DOWN our schoolchildren. Does this clown have ANY integrity? He should resign if he isn't fired. Some people are PROUD of being stupid and insist their stupidity is just as valid as someone else's smarts. I don't mind that normally, unless they insist their stupidity is MORE valid and insist that everyone be just as stupid as they are.