In the News

In ENV, Casey Luskin takes Barbara Forrest to task.

Opponents of academic freedom in Louisiana have been putting out a smokescreen of misinformation in their effort to kill legislation to protect the rights of Louisiana's science teachers. Rather than discuss the real issues at stake, they are trying to get their way through misrepresentations, scare tactics, and the demonization of those who support honest discussion of scientific controversies.

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ENV reports that after the clock ran out in Florida and Alabama, it seems that Louisiana might actually take a big step forward and send an evolution academic freedom act to the governor.

A state legislative committee unanimously has passed to the full state house a bill that will protect the rights of teachers to present scientific evidence both for and against modern evolutionary theory. A slew of local scientists were on hand to support the bill, along with educators and students. It's not hard to understand why when you know what the bill actually says:

"teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories pertinent to the course being taught."

The next step is for the House side of the legislature to vote on the bill, which has already passed the Senate with a 35-0 vote, and that could happen as early as next week. Because of a new amendment allowing for the state board of education to have final say on supplemental texts used the bill will still have to go back to the Senate for final ratification.

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Casey Luskin, on the IDtheFuture podcast, talks with videogame artist Dennis DeMercer about his recent work on the Nintendo DS version of the forthcoming game Spore. Working with Amaze Entertainment, DeMercer was responsible for animating 3-D creatures ranging from single-celled organisms to advanced intergalactic civilizations in a game that centers around players evolving creatures from one species into another in order to climb the evolutionary ladder.

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A total of forty seven entertaining "Just So Stories" gleaned from Science writers on the internet since February 2007 are on the blogspot...

darwinstories

In ENV...John West talked at length with a Washington Post editorial writer named Jo-Ann Armao. Ms. Armao said she was working on a possible editorial about the academic freedom bills on evolution currently being considered by legislatures of various states.

Predictably, the Post asserts that the academic freedom bills are about "inviting creationism back into the classroom." Except that they aren't.

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Seems the editorial was mostly written in advance, with the predictable "macros" inserted.

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There are literally scores of letters to the editor across the country each week on the Evolution - Intelligent Design. There are also hundreds of blogs.

A recent opinion piece in the Eugene (OR) Herald-Guard by Norm Fox, a Springfield, Oregon resident and retired Christian school administrator, is a great example of clear-thinking. He easily shows the embarrassingly shallow thought of Richard Dawkins.

He rightly points out that Richard Dawkins is indeed positing a self-creating cosmos, and is trumpeting intelligent design, just as long as the designers are evolved creatures in the cosmos. But, how did life spontaneously come forth in another part of the cosmos and evolve? On that question, silence from Dr. D.

Dawkins, in "Expelled", asks the naive question, "Who created God?"

Fox rightly points out that "Something is eternal". Either matter, energy, space, and time is eternal (either in this cosmos or in the unknowable, untouchable multiverse)...or a necessary, self-existent personal being is eternal. Since something exists rather than absolutely nothing, the necessary, eternal entity is either material stuff or an immaterial personal being. This ultimate reality is a metaphysical matter, beyond science. Can impersonal stuff create itself out of absolutely nothing, or did stuff come about from a personal, self-existent intelligent designer? It takes a lot more faith to be an atheist.

More...from Fox...

Legislatures in three states - Louisiana, Michigan and Missouri - are considering academic freedom bills that would give teachers greater protection and freedom in teaching the strengths and weaknesses of Darwinian evolution.

"There has definitely been a raising of consciousness among people that there is a problem of censoring scientific information that challenges evolution," the Discovery Institute's Casey Luskin told Baptist Press.

The language of the bills in Louisiana, Michigan and Missouri does not allow for ID to be taught.

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Science Teachers and Professors...

You are invited to attend Biola's 2008 Science Teacher Symposium: Intelligent Design after "Expelled"

Presented by Biola University's M.A. Program in Science and Religion
Thursday July 17, 2008, 8:00 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Biola University
Friday, July 18, 2008, 8:30 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Biola University

Cost: $99 ($109 if postmarked after July 1).

What will it be like to teach about Intelligent Design in the wake of the movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed". Internationally known design theorist Dr. Paul Nelson, who appeared in "Expelled", will give us an answer. Dr. John Bloom and Dr. Mike Keas of Biola's M.A. Program in Science and Religion will also contribute to the program. The symposium grants teachers with ACSI (Christian) Continuing Education Units. Public and home school educators are also welcomed.

Symposium Topics Important to all Science Teachers
- Introduction to Science and Religion
- Resources for Teaching about Intelligent Design
- Human Origins: Issues in Physical Science and Biology

Parallel Sessions
- Physical Sciences
- Inferring Design from Anthropic Correspondences
- Biochemistry: The Biochemical Prerequisites for Life
- Life Sciences
- Recent Advances in Biological Intelligent Design Research
- Using the "Explore Evolution" Curriculum (going beyond topics in our
2007 Symposium)

NOTE: We do not favor mandating (as public policy) the teaching of intelligent design (ID) in schools. Even so, many teachers will want to know more about ID as an exciting new scientific research agenda. After "Expelled" more students will be asking about ID than every before. Be prepared to respond to student curiosity!

To get more information and register, click HERE.

A new Web site covers the problem of discrimination against Darwin skeptics. The Web site will document each case learned of and give advice on how to survive in academia. The Web site will also respond to the common false charges against individuals, such as the claim that there was no evidence that Dr. Gonzalez (Iowa State University) was denied tenure due to his support of intelligent design.

On the Web site, there is a form at the bottom of the page, which will give you a free chapter of an upcoming book. You will also get updates on what is going on with this projects.

Click HERE for the Web site.

Tim Woods, of the Waco-Tribune Herald, reports that the school's faculty senate passed a "failure of shared governance" resolution, complaining that Lilley and Provost Randall O'Brien exercised their own judgment in denying tenure to 12 of 30 candidates this spring, in at least some cases overruling University Tenure Committee recommendations.

The resolution goes on to state that "standards in academia provide that the President and Provost should 'concur with the faculty judgment except in rare instances and for compelling reasons which should be stated in detail.' "

The faculty senate also complains there are other university matters where the faculty's voice isn't heard or its recommendations aren't followed.

President John Lilley has not been friendly to ID at BU, and an upcoming Board of Regents meeting could mean he's out.

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For a limited time only save over 50% when you buy this 3-DVD package

One of the criticisms of Ben Stein's movie Expelled is that very little time was spent on the scientific evidence for intelligent design. Of course this was not the purpose of the movie, which instead focused on the need for free inquiry and the rights of scientists, educators and the media to critique prevailing theories of origins and explore scientific alternatives. But for those of you who felt like the little old lady in the old Wendy's commercial wanting to know "Where's the Beef?" we've put together a package of three of our best selling science documentaries on ID at an unbelievable price. Normally these DVDs sell for $25 each, but for a limited time you can get all three for only $35 including shipping--a savings of over 50%. This impressive 3-DVD documentary set by Illustra Media presents a comprehensive, visually stunning and intellectually compelling argument for intelligent design. You can watch samples clips or place your order here.

The critical reviews of the movie Expelled are almost more instructive than the movie itself in demonstrating the absurd lengths to which champions of Darwinism will go to silence, discredit and destroy those who challenge their cherished theory. Perhaps the most stellar example is John Derbyshire's recent review in which he accuses Expelled of being creationist porn that includes dishonest interviews with scientists, and uses stolen video and music clips. Those are pretty heavy charges. Especially for a man who admits he hasn't even seen the film!

Some of Derbyshire's cheap shots are aimed at David Berlinski, who not only has seen the film, but is featured in it. Berlinski is not about to take these charges lying down and delivers Derbyshire the tongue lashing he deserves while setting the record straight in this National Review Online commentary: The Dang Thing: John Derbyshire and the movie he hasn't seen.

Seems a librarian was motivated to gen up a compenhensive index to ID materials. "Consider Intelligent Design" also has blogs. Consider checking out this Web site...

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There is a pretty funny guy at www.whatyououghttoknow.com that has entertaining opinions about lots of stuff like Richard Dawkins and Al Gore. Someone needs to straighten him out on the definition of intelligent design, but other than that, we find him pretty well informed on stuff you ought to know (at least regarding evolution and global warming...we haven't watched all of his stuff). Apparently his goal is to irritate everyone, no matter what your position on origins, and he does a pretty good job of that. We think he's ready for a monologue on the Jay Leno show.

The standard media definition he uses is "Intelligent design is so complex it must have been designed." The actual definition of intelligent design is "The study of patterns in nature that are best explained as the result of intelligence" which is further elaborated in The New World Encylopedia.

The Wall Street Journal reported today (5/2/08, pg A10) on the academic freedom bills sweeping the nation that would protect teachers who want to teach scientific evidence for and against neo-Darwinian evolution. Bills are currently being considered by legislators in Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Alabama and Michigan. Some legislative efforts have included private screenings of the documentary Expelled.

The story includes this quote from John West of Discovery Institute:

"It shouldn't be a crime for teachers to give the best evidence for evolutionary theory and then, if they want, spend a day saying, 'Some people are raising questions,'"

and then this curious statement from the opponents of the academic freedom bills:

Evolution's defenders respond that there are no credible scientific critiques of evolution, any more than there are credible alternatives to the theory of gravity.

In a related online article(subscription required), The Wall Street Journal asked the Discovery Institute's John West, a prominent advocate of intelligent design, to list several critiques of evolution that he'd like to see teachers present in class. Then we sought responses from Eric Meikle, who promotes evolution instruction through the National Center for Science Education.

The Fair Use Project of Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society today announced that it is signing on to defend Premise Media's right to use a clip of John Lennon's song "Imagine" in its documentary, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," [www.expelledthemovie.com] for the purposes of commentary and criticism.

The film, released in the United States on April 18, 2008, is about alleged discrimination against people who support alternative theories of evolution such as intelligent design. The song is played for roughly 15 seconds to illustrate and criticize the ideas suggested in it - that the world might be a better place without religion.

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