World Press Eyes Kansas Evolution Battle

The “Un-Scopes” trial of the decade is underway in Kansas, and the world press is watching.  Unlike the 1925 Scopes trial, this time evolution is the leader and intelligent design is the contender: actually, not even that – the leaders of the ID movement are not asking for ID to be taught, but only for criticisms of Darwinism to be permitted in the classroom.  With a majority on the board favoring changes to the science standards that would allow a “teach the controversy” approach, the Darwinians are on edge about a near-certain defeat.  They are boycotting the hearings which resemble a court trial with lawyers for and against.
    Here are some of the stories in the news so far.  Stay tuned for the outcome of this debate that will probably influence the positions of other state school boards.

• New York Times article (as analyzed by Discovery Institute)
• Wichita Eagle: Evolution players set out positions.
• Kansas City Star: Intelligent design theory argues for a designer of life.
• MSNBC: Witnesses criticize how evolution is taught.
• MSNBC: The evolution of a fight to the end.
• CNN: Evolution hearings open in Kansas.
• Science Daily: Teachers, scientists lead evolution fight.
• Lawrence Journal-World: Scientists: Board of education can’t determine evolution issue.
• Washington Times op-ed: Debating Darwinism.
• World Net Daily editorial: Explosive memo reveals Darwinist strategy for Kansas.
• Insight on the News (UPI): Evolution dispute continues.

In addition, more news outlets are reporting related stories about creation vs. evolution, such as:

• California Agee: Intelligent Design theorist [Behe] challenges Darwinism
• Agape Press: Parent Sues Evolutionist, Claiming She Defames Him in Anti-Creationist Article.
• MSNBC: The stirring on the mount (how a creationist is using Mt. St. Helens to support Biblical geology)
• Kentucky Post: Creationism facility here on a mission (Answers in Genesis creation museum)

All the proposed changes to the science standards, along with other news and related articles, can be found at the Kansas Science 2005 website.

Things are shaping up for a battle of wits, facts and propaganda to engage the national attention.  Best be well armed: get out that Baloney Detector and recharge the batteries.  Notice what is not said as much as what is said.  Try to look long and hard for the Darwinists to answer the claims about fossils and molecular machines – not with bluffing and redefinition of science, but with real, hard evidence.  It looks like they’re not up to it, so they are going to stick to their tactic of scaring citizens with the big lie that anything other than 100% pure Darwinism is bad for the economy (see 04/21/2005 and 04/29/2005 stories).  Don’t believe it.  Families will probably flock to a state that doesn’t cram Darwin down their children’s intelligently designed throats, and will bring their dollars with them.  Industry wants young people with “analytical thinking” skills, they say?  Good: teach them to analyze the controversy over Darwin.  ID arguments are “faith-based” they say?  No faith is as diehard as Charlie worship (see 04/30/2005 commentary).
    It’s noteworthy that more and more news sources that were previously hostile are starting to take a second look at ID and creation science and giving them serious consideration.  Can the monolithic liberal Darwin Party Big Science Empire stand up to all this scrutiny?  No matter how big the Goliath, it had better beware any stripling who knows his weapon, knows his target, and knows how to connect them.  That’s all the majority any intellectual battle needs.