Intelligence Resigned

State science curriculum director Chris Comer says she was forced to resign today according to the Austin-American Statesman. She walked away from her nine-year career with the Texas Education Agency amid accusations of insubordination and misconduct, both of which appear to be connected with her apparent bias against the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to the theory of evolution.

The senior adviser on statewide initiatives, Lizzette Reynolds, who previously served as deputy legislative director for Gov. George W. Bush and was new to the agency as of January, led the call for Comers termination. The offending action cited? Comers forwarded an e-mail about a presentation by Barbara Forrest, author of Inside Creationism's Trojan Horse, a book arguing creationist politics are behind the movement to get intelligent design taught in public schools.

The intelligent design argument boils down to the idea that our universe and life on our planet is far too complex to have come about by the blind, nonpurposeful processes of Darwinian evolution. That theory depends on environmental change and accidents of mutation to explain the emergence of new species, including mankind. Proponents of intelligent design say it would be simpler to believe that a great mind or intelligence--but not aliens--has planned and created everything around us.

Scientists, using the scientific method and calculated reasoning, disagree.

Interestingly, if not ominously, Comer's resignation comes just months before the State Board of Education is to begin a review of the statewide curriculum that will be used to determine what should be taught in Texas classrooms and which textbooks are bought.

If intelligent design does make it into the statewide curriculum, it may constitute a violation of the Establishment Cause of the First Amendment.

Scopes Monkey Trial, anyone?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Joel Nihlean in News on November 29, 2007 3:00 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

Tom 6

"a great mind or intelligence--but not aliens--has planned and created everything"

Why the proviso? What is an alien? Who or what is God? If God is not alien then is He human? Clearly not, that would be heresy - hence the question. Sorry am i being too black and white? If alien means 'not human' then are cows aliens? If alien means 'not of this Earth' and God is not alien then does that mean that God is only an Earthly 'being', in which case who created stuff that isn't on Earth or is God limited to the Earth but able to extend his influence? Personally i can't believe that God is so limited as to be Earth-bound.

JUBCHA

HAHAHAH. MAN, THAT IS AWESOME. "MY UNCLE AIN'T A MONKEY"...I DO THINK MY SISTER IS THOUGH. SHE HAS SOME HAIRY ARMS AND YOU SHOULD SEE HER BUTTCRACK TOO. IT IS A ZOO IN THERE.

unclebusty

for your edification: Flock of Dodos: Behind Modern Creationism, Intelligent Design and the Easter Bunny by Barrett Brown, a former Austinite is half satire and half factual account of the intelligent design battle. It rips the designers to shreds.

http://www.amazon.com/Flock-Dodos-Behind-Creationism-Intelligent/dp/0978721306

mdahmus

Sam,

Texas isn't Pennsylvania. And that's a very low bar to meet, considering Pennsylvania is aptly described as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Kentucky in between.

kenneth1

Yes, Intelligent Design is science and should be taught in all our public schools. In fact, there should be an entire chapter on the scientific explanation of how our bearded sky god went around planting billions of fossils and dinosaur skeletons in the ground to delude 21st-century scientists into believing the Earth is more than 6,000 years old.

What a prankster! Good one, God, you mischievous little skamp.

sam_miller

Yeah, good luck with that, State Board of Education. Guess they didn't read about the Dover, PA School Board debacle on the subject of teaching intelligent design. Perhaps it would interest them to know that every Dover, PA school board member who supported teaching intelligent design along with evolution was voted out of office at the next election and the board had to pay over $1M in legal fees after they lost their court challenge.