Thoughts in a Haystack

You may remember Republican State Senator Raymond Finney of Tennessee, who recently filed a resolution asking the Tennessee Department of Education to address a few questions about life, the universe and everything. Specifically, he wanted to know if the Tennessee Department of Education would agree if there is "a Supreme Being, that is a Creator" and, if so, why the state's schools aren't teaching that and, if not, why the state's schools aren't teaching there is one anyway … or something.

Anyway, now Senator Shea Flinn, a Memphis Democrat, has asked Attorney General Bob Cooper whether Finney's request violates a provision in the Tennessee Constitution that bans religious tests for public office holders.

So the guy who started this is now backing away:

"Everybody is jumping the gun on this and getting upset for nothing. I have it in there ... but I probably don't have time this year," said Finney, a 65-year-old retired physician who said he has found no scientific proof of evolution.

The natural question is, now that he's stopped looking all together, can he get his head out from where he stuck it, up where the sun don't shine?

There is always another possibility, that this is all a bit of political posturing:

Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, speculated that Finney is using the measure to gain political traction in advance of his 2008 re-election bid.

"This to me is an effort directed to a niche political group that he's trying to ingratiate himself to as he starts his re-election campaign," Kyle said….

Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey disagreed with Kyle suggestion of political motivations.

"Raymond doesn't do it like that, he just does what's in his heart," Ramsey said.

Ramsey, R-Blountville, said he agrees with Finney's objectives.

"Obviously I believe in the supreme being: I believe in God and I believe Jesus is my savior," Ramsey said.

"He's just trying to make the point that creationism is an alternative to evolution, that there's two different views out there," he said.

Just two? Gee, I wonder which side that leaves ID on?
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