Kansas Scraps Science In Favor of Religion

Kansas beat Indiana to the punch in replacing science with religion as the curriculum for public schools in explaining the origins of human species. The Kansas Board of Education, in a divided vote, approved new standards incorporating the teaching of “intelligent design” and casting doubts on the long-accepted scientific theory of evolution.

The Associated Press reported that the 6-4 vote for “intelligent design” risked “nation-wide ridicule” for the entire state. "This is a sad day. We're becoming a laughingstock of not only the nation, but of the world, and I hate that," said board member Janet Waugh, a Kansas City Democrat. One critic likened it to teaching American history without Lincoln. All six of the members voting for the new standards were Republicans, while two other Republicans joined one Democrat in voting against the new standards.

The board actually rewrote the definition of science, so that it is no longer limited to the search for natural explanations or phenomena according to the AP report. This marks the third time in the last six years the standards have been changed. Earlier ID standards were dumped after the state’s voters replaced several pro-ID board members. But advocates for the Christian right managed to change the make-up of the board in the last election to secure a majority vote for ID standards today.

So it looks like House Speaker Brian Bosma and his GOP colleagues in the Indiana House will have to settle for second place in the race to the bottom.      

United Methodist Church Doing Some Damage Control

The United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops, just days after the church’s Judicial Council defrocked a lesbian minister and reinstated a suspended minister who barred church membership to gays and lesbians, reaffirmed the church’s long-standing policy of opening its membership to homosexuals. The seemingly contradictory statement from the bishops is an apparent effort to quash unrest in the church and the negative publicity it has received over its two recent anti-gay decisions. It could also be viewed as an attempt to rebuff Senator Pat Miller (R-Indianapolis) and her Confessing Movement’s anti-gay agenda, which is proving to be a divisive force within the church.

In a pastoral letter to the church’s members, the bishops unanimously said: “While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier . . .With the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church, we affirm 'that God's grace is available to all, and we will seek to live together in Christian community' (quoting from the Social Principles in the Book of Discipline). We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons. We also affirm our Wesleyan practice that pastors are accountable to the bishop, superintendent and the clergy on matters of ministry and membership.”  

In their pastoral letter, the bishops said they "uphold and affirm" that the church's top legislative body, the General Conference, "has clearly spoken through the denomination's Constitution on inclusiveness and justice for all as it relates to church membership." According to the United Methodist news service, the recent anti-gay rulings had caused considerable consternation among pastors and lay members, resulting in calls and e-mails to the church’s bishops.

Senator Miller can be comforted by the fact that the Methodist Church has not abandoned its Book of Discipline which states that the “practice of homosexuality” is “incompatible with Christian teaching,” but it also affirms that homosexuals are people of “sacred worth.” Senator Miller and the influence her Confessing Movement has had on her legislative agenda in Indiana was front-page news in this past Saturday’s Indianapolis Star, a topic Advance Indiana first reported on more than a week ago.  

Peterson Extends Indianapolis' EEO Policy to Cover Transgender Workers

A change in the City of Indianapolis’ EEO Policy and a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court came as twin victories today for the transgender community. Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson expanded his executive order concerning non-discrimination for city workers to include gender identity, in addition to sexual orientation. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court denied cert for a case brought by the City of Cincinnati, seeking to deny Title VII protection to transgender workers.

The City of Indianapolis’ policy is now consistent with the State of Indiana’s EEO policy for its workers, as well as the language of Indianapolis’ proposed Human Rights Ordinance, which is still awaiting a favorable vote of the council. Peterson’s decision to expand coverage in the city’s EEO policy to include transgender workers did not come in the form of an official statement from his office. Rather, the new policy came in announcements made by several GLBT organizations today, including Indiana’s Stonewall Democrats, Indiana Equality and Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance. Governor Mitch Daniels’ EEO policy was similarly announced last April through the GLBT community rather than an official press release from his office.

"INTRAA would like to thank Mayor Peterson for taking this important step towards making Indianapolis a truly progressive, world-class city," said Leigh Anne Richards, President of the Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance (INTRAA). "Changes such as this have been needed for a very long time and will make a real difference in the lives of so many people who are simply trying to make a living, support their families, and contribute to the community." According to the INTRAA statement, Bloomington’s Equal Opportunity Commission has made a similar recommendation to the City of Bloomington which is awaiting council action.

In a big decision for transgender workers, the U.S. Supreme Court denied cert for a case brought by the City of Cincinnati which urged the court to shield employers from Title VII discrimination lawsuits asserted by transsexuals. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals had earlier upheld a jury award of $320,000, plus $550,000 in attorney’s fees, in a case originally brought against the City of Cincinnati by a transgender police officer. The 24-year veteran of the city’s police department, Philecia Barnes (formerly Philip), charged that he was discriminated against by the department because he failed to conform to sex stereotypes. The City of Cincinnati had urged, among other things, on appeal an interpretation of Title VII discrimination cases that its protections did not extend to transgender workers. The 6th Circuit decision, which is in accord with decisions in several other circuits, will continue as the law of the land until the Supreme Court says otherwise.

HRC's Solmonese Welcomed By Indy's GLBT Community

Nearly 200 supporters and leaders of Indianapolis' GLBT community gathered this evening at Agio' Restaurant to meet Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. The gay civil rights leader mingled with guests before delivering a 20-minute speech to the group followed by questions from the audience.

Solmonese is no stranger to Indianapolis. He spent the better part of the year living in Indianapolis in 1996 while working for the election of Rep. Julia Carson (D-Indianapolis). He quipped that he had become very familiar with the city speeding around in Carson's trademark black Park Avenue Buick.

Solmonese told the group that he has devoted a great deal of time during his inaugural year as HRC's president traveling to dozens of cities and states to get in touch with issues of local concern, and to build grassroots support for the organization's lobbying efforts, primarily at the national level. Solmonese pledged additional attention and support for Indiana in the future.

Part of HRC's efforts, according to Solmonese, has been to strengthen relationships with America's business community, where HRC's efforts at achieving equality have proven more successful in recent years than legislative efforts in Congress. However, Solmonese noted this year's success in passing hate crimes legislation in the House of Representatives for the first time. That measure is currently pending in the Senate, where it is being co-sponsored by Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR).

In response to a questioned posed by Advance Indiana editor, Gary R. Welsh, Solmonese agreed that bipartisan support for gay civil rights is essential to success, and that HRC is making a concerted effort to reach out more to Republicans in Congress. He noted that the hate crimes legislation would not have been possible without the critical support and leadership of Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), who helped garner support from 30 of his Republican colleagues to give the measure the requisite number of votes needed to amend it to the Children's Safety Act bill.

Solmonese contended with criticism from one questioner about HRC's past support of hate crimes legislation and other civil rights measures which lacked coverage for transgender Americans. Solmonese assured the questioner of HRC's commitment to the transgender community. He indicated that their legislative supporters had warned HRC that the inclusion of the transgender community in the hate crimes legislation would cause the measure to lose Republican support. In fact, no Republican support was lost according to Solmonese with transgender inclusion. He indicated that HRC is supporting transgender inclusion in the Senate.

Several GLBT organizations were recognized for their participation in the HRC-sponsored event, including Indianapolis Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Equality and Indiana Action Network. Indianapolis Republican councilor Scott Keller was also recognized for his work on behalf of the community.

Pulliam's Predictable Defense of Intelligent Design

When the Christian right is under attack for attempting to impose their fundamentalist religious beliefs on the rest of us through public policy enactments, such as their recent announced intent to mandate the teaching of intelligent design in our public schools, it can count on the Indianapolis Star’s Russ Pulliam to rush to their defense. And that’s what he does in his column today, “Poking holes in evolution.”

To begin with, Pulliam argues that Darwin’s theory of evolution goes beyond science “into matters of philosophy and science.” According to Pulliam, “That is why some Indiana Republican lawmakers are working on legislation to require equal time in the classroom for the intelligent design theory of origins along with evolutionary theory . . . Republicans are on the right track in calling for an end to a monopoly for evolutionary theory in teaching on origins.” Pulliam asserts that the theory of evolution requires “big leaps of faith” . . . that can’t be observed or tested in the lab.”

Pulliam then goes on to explain that intelligent design is really not “creationism”, which assumes a young Earth and a worldwide flood according to Pulliam. Intelligent design Pulliam assures us “makes more modest claims, that the creation of life came from an intelligent cause.” Advocates of evolution Pulliam tells us “are hardly neutral in [philosophical and theological] matters . . .”

While evolutionist scientists have their differences, all scientists accept it as legitimate scientific theory. Contrary to Pulliam’s assertion, evolution is a model of the world from which “falsifiable hypothesis” can be generated and tested through controlled experiments, or be verified through empirical observation. It is a near- universally accepted scientific theory explaining the origins of all species on Earth.

In sharp contrast, the scientific community does not accept creationism as a scientific theory. It should be observed at the outset that some modern religions accept evolution, while still believing in divine creation. Creation science begins with the desired answer and attempts to interpret all evidence to fit in with this predetermined conclusion. Pure science works by using a scientific method to formulate theories and predictions based on solid evidence, as is the case with the theory of evolution.

Pulliam's attempt to distinguish intelligent design from creationism is completely disingenuous. The reality is that there are varying views of creationism depending upon one’s particular religious beliefs. The fact is that intelligent design is nothing more than a creationist pseudoscience intended to reintroduce Biblical teachings on the origins of man based upon fundamentalist Christian beliefs. The National Academy of Sciences, the National Science Center for Science Education and the biological science field in general all agree that intelligent design is not based on any accepted scientific theory.

The intelligent design movement was hatched entirely within the Christian right community and touted for the purpose of defeating the “materialist world view” it believes is represented by evolution. Ironically, the movement has become just another money-making tool for Christian right’s “non-profit” groups to further enrich their coffers and to provide exorbitant lifestyles for their “moralistic” leaders.

Pulliam is right about one thing. The intelligent design movement in Indiana will find support in the Democrat Party as well as the Republican Party. To be sure, he cites support from Rep. Peggy Welch (D-Bloomington), who said: “There is plenty of evidence of evidence that evolution is theory, and yet it is taught as fact . . . Why is there only one way of thinking taught.” A sad product of our dismal public schools could help explain Welch’s shaky reasoning. It is also further evidence of just how far we still have to go to remake Indiana’s image as something other than a backwater, hill-jack state it is today with this kind of thinking dominating our state’s public policy debates.

Star Lays Bare Miller's Extremist Religous Agenda

Score another one for the Indianapolis Star. Today’s edition features a front-page expose by Robert King on Senator Pat Miller’s anti-gay agenda, which is fueled by her extremist religious beliefs. The story opens by recounting Miller’s recent appearance before the League of Women Voters where she was asked whether she would introduce her assisted reproduction bill. King wrote, “Now the questioner was pointing to what had become one of the most glaring miscalculations of Miller’s political life . . . Critics, including conservatives, said it smacked of an Orwellian bid to dictate who has the right to reproduce. Some gay rights organizations accused Miller of being on a ‘witch hunt.’ Having sparked a firestorm of protest that reverberated across the state [and the nation], Miller ended up retracting her proposal.”

King’s article draws attention to Miller’s role as Executive Director of the Confessing Movement, an extremist element within the United Methodist Church, which advocates a decisively Christian fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible, and which is distinctly anti-gay. Advance Indiana last week featured a report on the influence Miller’s role in the Confessing Movement has had on her legislative agenda, and the efforts of Rock Indiana’s Pepper Partin to expose Miller’s extremist views to her constituents at a protest she staged last week at Irvington’s Halloween Fest, dubbed, “Indiana’s Witch Hunt.” Miller failed to show at the annual event she co-sponsors after word of Partin’s protest spread throughout the community. The story gave good play to Partin’s organized opposition to Miller.

Miller complained to King about her Confessing Movement being defined by its stand against homosexuality. “Instead, she says those who chose to stray from the church’s teaching forced the fight over homosexuality.” Rev. Kent Millard of St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Indianapolis disagreed, arguing that the movement has been a divisive influence on the church. “He said its followers tend to view their interpretations of Scripture as the only correct reading of the Bible. Their strict stance on homosexuality . . . doesn’t adequately emphasize the ‘sacred worth’ of gays.” Rev. Kathryn Johnson of the Methodist Federation for Social Action was more blunt: “She described adherents of the Confessing Movement as ‘narrow in their theological understanding’ and outside the United Methodist mainstream.”

Returning to Miller’s appearance before the League of Women Voters, King described Miller struggling to find a common ground with the women attendees. “Probably everyone in the room is a Christian,” Miller said. King noted that someone from the audience quickly corrected her on that point, forcing an apology from Miller. Miller continued, “I think that most people want their elected officials to be people of integrity, or moral conviction. I don’t think they want us to blow in the wind with the first person who offers us something, that we’ll waffle around. I think people want us to be people of integrity . . . My religious views do impact my position on issues of what I think are moral, theological integrity for me.”

As Miller concluded her remarks, King said the room fell silent. “She had flung wide open the doors to her political soul. She had laid herself bare and left no doubt what she stands for.” And that’s why Senator Miller is such a dangerous influence in the Indiana legislature.

Star Gives Thumbs Down To Intelligent Design

The Indianapolis Star editorializes today against House Speaker Brian Bosma’s legislative plan to mandate the teaching of intelligent design alongside scientific theories such as evolution. The Star said, “A broader question, one raised by Gov. Mitch Daniels on Thursday, has to be answered first: Should the state legislature dictate specific topics to be discussed in schools across Indiana? We would vote to leave the decision-making in the hands of local boards and administrators as often as possible.” And let Eric Miller go from school to school and lobby for an intelligent design curriculum, which he no doubt will do if he does not succeed, just as he does with regard to sex education curriculum now.

In a follow-up story to the Star’s front-page story yesterday, Brian Bosma wanted to make it clear that he did not participate in the meeting with Trinity Broadcasting Network host Carl Baugh to discuss the intelligent design legislation; however, we learn that the meeting did take place in Bosma’s office on September 29, 2005, and that his chief of staff, Leslie Hiner, participated in the meeting. And that regular church-going guy Bosma also attended a worship service at Zion Unity Missionary Baptist Church the day before the meeting to meet Baugh. Doesn’t that make all the difference?

As to whether the intelligent design legislation is a priority for the 2006 session, Bosma told the Star he wouldn’t say that intelligent design is a legislative priority, but then again, he wouldn’t say it isn’t a priority. He said he supports the teaching of intelligent design and would consider mandating it. “I think it’s fair to allow and perhaps require students to be taught that there may be more than one explanation for the creation of the world,” Bosma said. What would we do without guys like Rev. Bosma telling us what to think and how to act? He is such a role model after all. Just ask his interns.

Daniels Skeptical of Intelligent Design, But . . .

Governor Mitch Daniels reacted with less than enthusiasm to planned legislation by House Speaker Brian Bosma and his GOP colleagues to mandate the teaching of intelligent design in the state’s public schools. Daniels told the Indianapolis Star, "I would have to think hard about a bill that would require any particular curriculum or assignment," he said. Instead, Daniels would prefer to leave decisions concerning school curriculum to local authorities. Mainstream Republicans in Indiana awakened to alarm and complete embarrassment after reading the front page headlines of today’s Star, which blared the headline, “GOP lawmakers want schools to teach 'intelligent design'. Daniels did, however, parse his words carefully, telling the Star he would want students “exposed to conflicting points of view.” That’s just in case he decides to be the Cowardly Lion and capitulate to the demands of the Christian right.

Bosma and GOP To Mandate Intelligent Design In Schools

In another step towards turning our public schools into Christian schools, House Speaker Brian Bosma and his fellow GOP lawmakers intend to introduce legislation which will require the theory of “intelligent design” to be taught alongside other science-based theories of the earth’s origin according to a report by the Indianapolis Star today. In a disturbing revelation, the Star reports that Bosma and his colleagues met privately with Christian broadcasting giant, Trinity Broadcasting Network, formerly run by Jim and Tammie Faye Bakker, and the host of its show, Creationism in the 21st Century, to discuss mandating the teaching of intelligent design in Indiana classrooms. According to the report, the show’s host, Carl Baugh, said Bosma and other GOP lawmakers consulted him on how to create the legislation.

The strikingly similar comparison to the period of the 1920s during which the Indiana General Assembly and the Indiana Republican Party were under the control of the Ku Klux Klax and its Grand Dragon D.C Stephenson is indeed frightening for all liberty loving Hoosiers. Instead of the KKK and Stephenson calling the shots, we now have Advance American and Eric Miller. Like the KKK and Stephenson, they are pursuing a legislative agenda to write into state law fundamentalist Christian beliefs. In the 1920s, an anti-Catholic legislative agenda was actively pursued to discourage Catholic immigrants from Europe from moving to Indiana, which even included an attempt to outlaw parochial schools.

Today, the agenda is to require the recitation of the “Pledge of Allegiance” with the words “Under God”, mandated moments of silent prayer and now the Christian teaching on creationism as a legitimate scientific theory. Each is a step closer to turning our public schools into Christian schools. If Indiana were to adopt the intelligent design legislation, it would become the first state in the country to do so. Last week, Advance Indiana reported on the negative reaction in Illinois to GOP gubernatorial candidates support for intelligent design and the embarrassment it was causing the Illinois Republican Party.

Rep. Bruce Borders (R-Jasonville) assured the Star that he would introduce the legislation if no other lawmakers did. As is typically the case, Democrat support for the idea exists as well. Rep. Jerry Denbo (D-French Lick) told the Star, “I really think that should be taught-that there is a master. We didn’t just come about by accident.” The report said that the more moderate Senate President Pro Tempore Bob Garton (R-Columbus) was “lukewarm” to the idea, but with the increasing domination of his caucus by the extremist conservatives like Senator Pat Miller, he may have no other choice than to go along with the idea.