Thoughts in a Haystack

Interviews conducted with 11 of the 15 members of the Texas State Board of Education are being reported to show that there is little support for intelligent design being taught in biology and other science classes.

"Creationism and intelligent design don't belong in our science classes," said Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy, who described himself as a creationist. "Anything taught in science has to have consensus in the science community – and intelligent design does not." ...

"When it comes to evolution, I am totally content with the current standard," he said, adding that his dissatisfaction with current biology textbooks is that they don't cover the weaknesses of the theory of evolution.

Uh, oh! This is the same guy who, after his failed attempt to reject mainstream biology textbooks, said this:

I want to tell you all the arguments made by all the intelligent design group, all the creationist intelligent design people, I can guarantee the other side heard exactly nothing. They did not hear one single fact, they were not swayed by one argument. It was just amazing. I mean all the, my fellow board members who were really not even the scientists in the group, they were not impressed by any of this. They said, "Oh well, it's just two opinions. And there were only the four really conservative, orthodox Christians on the board were the only ones who were willing to stand up to the textbooks and say that they don't present the weaknesses of evolution. Amazing.

At least Dr. McLeroy was once clear about what ID really is. It is creationism being humped by conservative "orthodox" True Christians™ and the only thing approaching "substance" it has is the old tired arguments about the "weaknesses" of evolution (none of which actually reflect the real controversies and questions in evolutionary theory).

So now we can expect another round of the "teach the controversy" ploy where "nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean?" will be proposed as valid pedagogical policy.

Can you say "two-faced" boys and girls? Good!
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