See What You Can Learn When You Read?

The damned-to-hell by Pat Robertson Dover, PA school board officially killed the controversial ID policy today. Two parting facts:

1) Guess who opposed the Dover school board's "ID" policy? The leading organ of Intelligent Design theory, The Discovery Institute. From a press release prior to the judge's ruling (emphasis mine):

Discovery Institute strongly opposes the ACLU's effort to make discussions of intelligent design illegal. At the same time, we disagree with efforts to get the government to require the teaching of intelligent design. Misguided policies like the one adopted by the Dover School District are likely to be politically divisive and hinder a fair and open discussion of the merits of intelligent design among scholars and within the scientific community, points we have made repeatedly since we first learned about the Dover policy in 2004. Furthermore, most teachers currently do not know enough about intelligent design or have sufficient curriculum materials to teach about it accurately and objectively. Rather than require students to learn about intelligent design, what we recommend is that teachers and students study more about Darwinian evolution, not only the evidence that supports the theory, but also scientific criticisms of the theory.

2) You might be interested to know what precisely constitutes an establishment of religion according to the judge in the case (who overturned a policy legally enacted by an entire community on the basis of a suit brought by 8 families). The now-rescinded law called for this statement to be read to high school students:

The Pennsylvania Academic Standards require students to learn about Darwin's theory of evolution and eventually to take a standardized test of which evolution is a part.

Because Darwin's theory is a theory, it continues to be tested as new evidence is discovered. The theory is not a fact. Gaps in the theory exist for which there is no evidence. A theory is defined as a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations.

Intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view. The reference book, 'Of Pandas and People,' is available in the library along with other resources for students who might be interested in gaining an understanding of what intelligent design actually involves.

With respect to any theory, students are encouraged to keep an open mind. The school leaves the discussion of the origins of life to individual students and their families. As a standards-driven district, class instruction focuses upon preparing students to achieve proficiency on standards-based assessments.

Stilted? Yes. An establishment of religion? Spare me. Do you begin to see, Dear Reader, why I say it's clear that no one commenting on this case has ever bothered to read a dang thing about it? Commentators just hear "Intelligent Design" or "creation" or "evolution" and go off for nice comfortable rides on their hobby-horses.