Couple Sues Operators of Evolution Site

[__Kratos__]

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- A California couple has sued the operators of a University of California-Berkeley Web site designed to help teachers teach evolution, claiming it improperly strays into religion.

Jeanne and Larry Caldwell of Granite Bay say portions of the Understanding Evolution Web site amount to a government endorsement of certain religious groups over others because the site is partly funded through a public money grant from the National Science Foundation.

In the lawsuit filed last month, the Caldwells contend the site is an effort "to modify the beliefs of public school science students so they will be more willing to accept evolutionary theory as true.''

The plaintiffs are not proponents of "intelligent design'' -- a theory that living organisms are so complex they must have been created by a higher intelligence -- but they object to the teaching of evolution as scientific fact, Jeanne Caldwell said.

The site is run by UC Berkeley's Museum of Paleontology and paid in part by a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Two university scientists and a foundation official were named as defendants.

An attorney representing the Berkeley scientists said the courts have repeatedly rejected the argument that teaching evolution in itself is teaching a religious idea.

Source

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Jeez...

[tcgram]

Okay...

[whoa182]

HAHA

you americans

Edited November 28, 2005 by whoa182

[Lord Umbarger]

Now this is just plain silly.

[Yelekiah]

I wonder how they really feel. Because gaining money seems to be the major principle in this.

[Shai_Hulud]

Americans are such lurvely people, so beautiful it makes me cry.....and they are citizens under the Gouvernator.

[Welsh Shaun]

"to modify the beliefs of public school science students so they will be more willing to accept evolutionary theory as true.''

Their own beliefs cannot be that strong if they have to worry about the evolution theory?

I also agree with Yelekiah, money seems to be a factor here.

[Blizno]

This lawsuit is part of the "Wedge" plan. Creationists have been pretending for quite some time that the theory of natural selection, or Darwinism, is a religion. I wondered why they were doing this bizarre thing until I realized this kind of lawsuit was exactly their plan. If they can pretend that natural selection is a religion and is taught in public school science classes, then their particular religion must be granted the same legal right to be taught in public school science classes. This is just one more bomb dropped in the religious fanatics' war to take the US government away from the citizens and to hand it to their particular priesthood.

By the way, evolution is not a theory. It's a fact, just as the Earth orbiting the sun is a fact. Evolution happened. There's not the slightest doubt that it happened. HOW it happened is not perfectly certain. The best theory to date to explain how evolution happened is the theory of natural selection.

[40nrockinon]

Don't people have anything better to do???

I personally believe in intelligent design, but I can also where evolution has it's place. This is after a great deal of reading & studying up on the subjects.

I tend to agree with Yelekiah. It's all for the money & notoriety. Stooooooopid, if you ask me!!!

40nrockinon

[Blizno]

Don't people have anything better to do???

I personally believe in intelligent design, but I can also where evolution has it's place. This is after a great deal of reading & studying up on the subjects.

I tend to agree with Yelekiah. It's all for the money & notoriety. Stooooooopid, if you ask me!!!

40nrockinon

It's much, much worse than that:

http://www.antievolution.org/features/wedge.html

[Boff]

Moneys money.

[mklsgl]

From the "Tasteful Future" blog:

The US war on intelligence continues

November 28, 2005

As we await the results of the Dover vs. Kitzmiller trial, fundamentalist nutjobs in the United States aren't sitting by idly on their hands. In fact, Eugene over at Le Revue Gauche brought to our attention that a "couple" from California was suing the operators of a University of California-Berkeley Web site which assists teachers teach evolution. They claim the governmentally-funded website wrongfully into religion. While Eugene's comments are dead-on, the AP article he refers to was rather short and bare-bones and does not tell the whole story.

I took it upon myself to Google the name "Larry Caldwell," one of the two people suing the university. Interestingly enough, one of the first links which included this name took me to none other than the Discovery Institute's website.

For those of you who aren't following the intelligent design vs. evolution stuff, the Discovery Institute is a christian conservative think tank which has championed the cause of intelligent design.

Turns out Mr. Caldwell had sought legal action earlier this year against the Roseville Joint Union High School District, of which he resides. The reason? Mr. Caldwell objects to the use of the Holt Biology Textbook as he felt it was not "accurate," "objective," or "current" and that the school board should take under consideration the "minority scientific viewpoint" of:

"[...] professional scientists who are skeptical of the ability of random mutation and natural selection –the center piece of Darwin’s original theory of evolution– to account for the complexity of life, who are of the opinion that there exists valid scientific evidence that poses challenges and limitations to the explanatory power of evolution as a scientific theory, and who are of the opinion that careful examination of the scientific evidence regarding evolution should be encouraged."

The Discovery Institute backed him up on his claims.

You can see where this is going.

The previously mentioned AP article states that the plaintiffs (Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell) are not proponents of "intelligent design."

To quote it textually:

The plaintiffs are not proponents of "intelligent design" - a theory that living organisms are so complex they must have been created by a higher intelligence - but they object to the teaching of evolution as scientific fact, Jeanne Caldwell said.

But, lo and behold, a Wikipedia entry doth surface (emphasis is mine):

Quality Science Education for All (QSEA) is a non-profit creationist foundation focused on challenging evolution as taught in public schools.

Part of the intelligent design movement, QSEA has been involved in legal disputes over science textbooks used in classrooms in several states, including Minnesota, Texas, and California. Other notable actions include Caldwell v. Roseville Joint Union High School District, a case brought "so that citizen proposals to implement 'Quality Science Education' in their local public school will be considered on their scientific and educational merits, rather than on the basis of pre-existing prejudices and bias."

QSEA is operated by the husband and wife team of Larry and Jeanne Caldwell, of Roseville, California. Larry Caldwell lists himself as founder and president.

So no, folks, this isn't mom and dad just looking out for the best interests of their children. These are people with an agenda. These are people who want bogus scientific malarkey to end up in science class to be taught to kids.

They are outright lying. Why would they imply to the media that they are not proponents of ID when they are not only in league with an organisation which champions these causes, but have founded one of their own? It's nothing short of completely and outrageously hypocritical that they want to hide behind a facade of kind, concerned parenting to mask their ulterior motives.

Then again, it just proves to me that even ID proponents know they don't have any legs to stand on. After all, would the Caldwells feel the need to obfuscate their intentions if they weren't afraid to show that intelligent design is science?

Oh, wait, could it be that it's because intelligent design ISN'T SCIENCE?

I'm shocked that this case is even going to court. Every other case like this that went to court has lost, and you can soon add Dover to that list.

[Blizno]

"I'm shocked that this case is even going to court. Every other case like this that went to court has lost, and you can soon add Dover to that list."

Of course it will lose. The fanatics haven't packed the courts with enough of their fellow believers yet to completely ruin the nation. The plan is to keep the name "ID" in the public eye so long that people forget what it is and why the fanatics are pushing it and start to think it actually does belong in public discussion. "The squeaky wheel..."

[Michelle]

And as long as there are more of us that vote people out of office that allow this sort of atrocity things will continue to go the right direction.

[AztecInca]

Americans are such lurvely people, so beautiful it makes me cry.....and they are citizens under the Gouvernator.

These people do not represent the entire popultaion of the United States of America. There is around 300 million people there. Generalisations like this are trully annoying and ignorant.

[Cuda]

I think I am going to go sue some school for teaching English instead of Cajun!