Proof ID is a sham

I've posted a couple of things about the happenings in Livingston Parish, La, ("Dover -- Redux", "South Carolina's Textbook Controversy Redux" and , "Livingston -- Wait 'til Nezt Year!") and one of the readers directed me to a post by Barbara Forrest, over at the Louisiana Coalition for Science website, which lays bare the whole idea of Intelligent Design not being Creationism.

In one of my posts I had wondered that Livingston seemed to completely bypass Intelligent Design and were heading right to Creationism -- and not any old form of Creationism, the pro-Christian version (based on comments by Livingston Board member David Tate and the write-up in the local paper). I also wondered how the Discovery Institute would react. Foolish me thought that since Livingston was not re-treading the specific path chosen by the late Dover School Board, the DI might be out of the loop. My mistake! Not only are they in the loop, they are one of the ropes that I think will hang the Livingston School Board in the future.

I should have known better. I mean who helped craft the Louisiana Science Act? Well those less-than-stalwart fellows at the Discovery Institute, along with that very conservative Christian Louisiana Family Forum (LFF). Who helped gut the enforcement provisions implemented by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE)? The DI and LFF again. Who has crowed about ever success, real and imaginary in Louisiana? The DI that's who! I think that's what put me off. Livingston Parish comes out and says they are considering bring back that ol' Time Religion and the DI doesn't say a word. It should have made me suspicious.

I guess sometimes I need a 2x4 to get my attention. It's another tactic, a ploy. They want people to forget about their involvement because of the anticipated lawsuit. So when the parish loses, they can say, with a straight face, that the parish didn't get their ideas from them, after all -- they are ID and ID has nothing to do with Creationism . I think it's also an attempt to distance Livinston from Dover. I mean the Dover decisions dealt with ID, not Creationism.

I, as usual, completely disagree with their tactics and methods. I think they were in it up to their beady little eyeballs. I think they are opening champagne over the apparent success. I think they are hoping that any complaints get tied up in the bureaucracy that they helped establish. I think that any legal challenges will take so long and be so expensive that no one will want to attempt them. I mean look at it. Not only do you have the support of a State Law, but you have the law that specifically state 'not to be used for a religion', so how can teaching Creationism be construed as a religion? One final 'I think', I think they are screwed up in the head.

My crystal ball says there will be complaints and the 'system' in place will not be able to deal with them. I see a lawsuit in their future and one that everyone, up to and including the present Governor, are already prepping for it. They are going to make it as hard as possible to simply make it to a Federal Court, but in the long run, I think they are looking at another defeat . . . which the DI will whine a great deal about. Will they wind up back in front of the Supreme Court? I don't see that. I mean the Court already ruled against them in 1987. Nothing new has been added but a bit of the waters being muddied up. But this is one mudbuggy in for a short ride in the swamps of Louisiana.

This could all be headed off if one of two things would happen. The easy one would be for the committee looking into it to realize that it is a lost cause and recommends to drop the whole issue. The other is if the people in Livinston Parish tell the School Board that they are screwing up! Of course since the committee is made up of school board members, I doubt they will come back with anything less than cautious support -- unless Tate is on the committee and then it will be wildly enthusiastic support, as long as they are talking Evangelical Christian Creationism. The real wild card is whether or not the people of Livinston really want to support this measure. David Tate certainly doesn't represent everyone in the Parish, I hope they start attending Board meetings and making their feelings clear.

My final point is also the title of this post. The Discovery Institute, in supporting these activities, have finally taken the sheet off ID and you can see the Creationism underpinnings. They really don't give a damn about ID, as long as their version of Creationism can wedge its way into the science classroom. This type of bait-and-switch is worthy of the most stereotypical used car salesman! That's exactly what the DI is a used car salesman, the they are about to cast aside the used car that has outlived it's usefulness and an even older car that got put on blocks in 1987. The sportier ID is giving way . . . as always intended by the DI . . . to the clunkness of Creationism. I hope the folks in La hold them accountable for their tactics and give them the answer they so richly deserve, another resounding defeat!