Re: ID/ Evolution: most Americans reject judicial activism


stephenj wrote:
> Jon Enslin wrote:
> > stephenj wrote:
> >
> >>From a September 2005 Pew Research Poll:
> >>
> >>"Support for teaching creationism along with evolution is quite
> >>broad-based, with majority support even among seculars, liberal
> >>Democrats and those who accept natural selection theory."
> >>
> >>Favor teaching Creationism along with Evolution:
> >>
> >>Yes: 64%
> >>No: 26%
> >>
> >>IMO, the 64% who favor teaching forms of creationism like ID along with
> >>evolution are stupid or misguided or somewhere in between. Creationism
> >>lacks intellectual content and therefore shouldn't be taught as a
> >>credible alternative to evolution, anymore than the Hindu story that the
> >>earth was created when Brahma split a giant lotus tree into the heavens,
> >>the earth, and the sky.
> >>
> >>But that's really a side-issue here. The important issue is "who should
> >>be deciding whether creationism is or isn't taught in public schools"?
> >>Sadly, the federal courts have made it their business to make those
> >>decisions - which are properly made by state and local education
> >>officials. How? By applying a liberal-activist reading to the
> >>'establishment clause' of the first amendment.
> >>
> >>Remember that at that the time the Bill of Rights was passed, 5 states
> >>actually had official religions, and A1 wasn't construed by *anyone* at
> >>that time to outlaw them. It banned Congress from establishing a
> >>national religion, nothing more. It didn't apply to the states at all.
> >>Yet we're now asked to believe that if a loacl school board votes to
> >>teach creationism alongside evolution that violates the constitutional
> >>'establishment clause'? Preposterous.
> >
> >
> >
> > Way to skip over that the 1st Amendment now applies to the states via
> > the 14th Amendment.
>
> How does it "now apply"? There's nothing in A14 that makes the
> 'establishment clause' apply to the states. That was an interpretation
> made up by activitist judges in 1947.
>
> And even if it did, properly construed it would only prevent states from
> doing what it prevents the congress from doing - actually establishing
> an official religion, like declaring a "church of illinois" or somesuch.
> stuff like whether religion can be taught in schools, prayer in schools,
> prayer at graduation ceremonies, "in god we trust" on coins, nativity
> scenes on public land, etc. doesn't come anywhere close to establishing
> a religion in the sense the founders of these amendments intended.
>
> > This was a fantastic decision, made by a Bush appointee BTW. If the
> > 64% wants to teach creationism it should be done in their households,
> > at their Church, or in a private school. Personally, I want my kids
> > taught hard science at schools, with the religious debates on the
> > origins of humanity happening around the dinner table.
>
> So do i. But neither of us should want our minority opinion to prevail
> over that of the majority by activist judicial fiat. if we can't win
> elections, then we should accept losing.

You imply that the majority can determine what is a fact and what is
not. Thank Ras Tafari that this doesn't generally determine school
curriculum.

.

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