Hello Booz,
Originally posted by Booz
Did you guys miss the trial transcripts where the Intelligent Design "Scientific Expert" darling Michael Behe himself admits under oath that ID is no more science than astrology???
Yes, I did miss it, because as far as I can tell, despite Mr. Rothschild's best attempts at getting him to say that, using lawyerese he never did. Rothschild was the one who brought up astrology and attempted dilligently to get Behe to say that ID was the same kind of outmoded superstition. Throughout, you can tell both the Judge and Mr. Rothschild had "Inherit the Wind" going through their minds.
See, now in this cross I am Spencer Tracey confusing the stupid bible thumper in humorous fashion:
Q And using your definition, intelligent design is a
16 scientific theory, correct?
17 A Yes.
18 Q Under that same definition astrology is a
19 scientific theory under your definition, correct?
20 A Under my definition, a scientific theory is a
21 proposed explanation which focuses or points to physical,
22 observable data and logical inferences.
There are many
23 things throughout the history of science which we now think
24 to be incorrect which nonetheless would fit that -- which
25 would fit that definition. Yes, astrology is in fact one,39
1 and so is the ether theory of the propagation of light, and
2 many other -- many other theories as well.
3 Q The ether theory of light has been discarded,
4 correct?
5 A That is correct.
6 Q But you are clear, under your definition, the
7 definition that sweeps in intelligent design, astrology is
8 also a scientific theory, correct?
9 A Yes, that s correct. And let me explain under my
10 definition of the word "theory," it is -- a sense of the
11 word "theory" does not include the theory being true, it
12 means a proposition based on physical evidence to explain
13 some facts by logical inferences. There have been many
14 theories throughout the history of science which looked good
15 at the time which further progress has shown to be
16 incorrect. Nonetheless, we can t go back and say that
17 because they were incorrect they were not theories.
So many
18 many things that we now realized to be incorrect, incorrect
19 theories, are nonetheless theories.20 Q Has there ever been a time when astrology has been
21 accepted as a correct or valid scientific theory, Professor
22 Behe?
23 A Well, I am not a historian of science. And
24 certainly nobody -- well, not nobody, but certainly the
25 educated community has not accepted astrology as a science
1 for a long long time. But if you go back, you know, Middle
2 Ages and before that, when people were struggling to
3 describe the natural world, some people might indeed think
4 that it is not a priori -- a priori ruled out that what
5 we -- that motions in the earth could affect things on the
6 earth, or motions in the sky could affect things on the
7 earth.
Behe's point: ID is a theory, Evolution is a theory, some theories are wrong.
Rothchild's point: Teaching ID is as stupid as teaching Astrology.
What really is the point of continuing the inquisition in any event?
The "gubment" skools are going to teach Neo-Darwinism long after every hope of finding evidence to support it has disappeared. Long after palentologists have given up on the hunt for non-existent transitional lifeforms, long after biochemists have accepted that chemical reactions do not create information, and long after astronomers have accepted that we are in fact in an enormously "privilleged position" in the galaxy, high school biology teachers will be trotting out the outdated and outmoded theories of Darwin and performing the yearly ritual of dogmatically teaching were we came from in accordance with their roles as the new priesthood of the reigning paradigm - Darwinian Fundamentalism. Meanwhile those schools will continue to decline, to become more and more toxic to kids, until anyone with a shred of sanity and enough money, will have moved their children to private schools or started homeschooling. That is if the NEA hasn't managed to legally end both of those practices by then.
Have fun in your brave new world. Having grown up there, I can honestly say I just wish it were somehow possible to keep my kids from having to interact with it.
