A FEDERAL judge has thrown out a lawsuit by a creationism “think tank” and school which tried to lumber Texas with dodgy master’s degrees in science education.
In 2008, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rejected the Dallas-based Institute for Creation Research‘s application to offer ludicrous master’s degrees, which taught science from a biblical perspective. The institute’s graduate school sued in 2009, claiming the board violated its constitutional right to free speech and religion.
But US District Judge Sam Sparks of Austin found no merit in the institute’s claims and criticised its legal documents as:
Overly verbose, disjointed, incoherent, maundering and full of irrelevant information.
The same, I guess, could be said of the courses it offers, if this snippet from its website is anything to go by:
While absolute proof of the existence of God cannot be realized by any human being, the great weight of evidence, when rationally evaluated, clearly balances the scales heavily in favor of God. We can demonstrate ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ that ‘He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him’ (Hebrews 11:6).
In an e-mailed statement, school representatives said they were reviewing the court’s decision and may appeal.
The National Center for Science Education, an Oakland, California-based non-profit organisation that defends the teaching of evolution, cheered the decision. Said Glenn Branch, the center’s deputy director:
The Coordinating Board made a principled decision in the first place, and it is good to see it was upheld in a court of law.
The Institute for Creation Research’s graduate school, which is based in California, has been offering master’s degrees in that state since 1981, according to its website. Aimed at aspiring Christian schoolteachers, the curriculum critiques evolution and champions a literal interpretation of the biblical account of creation.
In California, the school is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, an agency that is not recognized in Texas.
To operate its graduate school in Texas, the institute needed preliminary approval from the Coordinating Board and accreditation from a regional body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The institute never got past its first hurdle.
After heated meetings packed with public speakers, board members denied the application. Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes said at the time:
Religious belief is not science. Science and religious belief are surely reconcilable, but they are not the same thing.
According to this report, in his ruling Judge Sparks agreed that:
Much of the course content was outside the realm of science and lacked potential to help students understand the nature of science and the history and nature of the natural world.
The institute rejects the theory of evolution and espouses what is called “Young Earth creationism,” the belief that Earth and life were created by God between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
June 23rd, 2010 at 10:53 pm
well fuck me. If texas can see this …….
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:40 pm
I sincerely hope that they were not even contemplating multiple choice questions. I mean to say, with God did it being the answer in every single case, everyone who entered for the exam would pass with flying colours!
June 24th, 2010 at 12:20 am
Surprising that this could occur in Texas; let’s hope for more rationality. These whackos will probably just move to Kansas or Oklahoma – that would be the real test!
June 24th, 2010 at 2:04 am
An unnamed website was quoted:
“the great weight of evidence, when rationally evaluated, clearly balances the scales heavily in favor of God.”
Even given leeway for that which cannot be scientifically proven at this point in time, all one can make a case for is that chemical science says you never get something for nothing, and that evolution is a purpose driven force. The idea that any purpose driven force has any connection with Jehovah, Allah, Zeus, or any other religious myth is dimented wishful thinking. An assumption rooted in cultural orientation, and nothing to do with evidence.
R. Paredes said:
“Science and religious belief are surely reconcilable, but they are not the same thing.”
What a paradox. A fabrication and fact are reconcilable? Exactly how? The earth is billions of years old and only a few thousand years old, yet both are true. Your fear of death and search for purpose do not make myths true. It makes a theme for an entertaining movie, but not for a belief system. But it does provide a medium in which witchdoctors and fakers become rich feeding like leeches on the blindness of the weak minded.
NeoWolfe
June 24th, 2010 at 5:10 am
I don’t know if I’d consider a few rational individuals in Texass a sign of hope. Have you seen the 2010 Republican State Party Platform?
http://tinyurl.com/27a975c
I really wish they’d just secede already, like they keep claiming they want to, and take Utah with them.
June 24th, 2010 at 6:15 am
What a coincidence, Buffy: I forwarded this to Barry only yesterday!
http://freestudents.blogspot.c.....loons.html
June 24th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Shouldn’t that be “….the great weight of evidence, when rationally evaluated, clearly balances the scales heavily in favo[u]r of [NO] God”.
Not only do the credulous ignore evidence that doesn’t agree with their bible, to suggest they rationally evaluate is laughable.
June 24th, 2010 at 10:06 am
I wonder if a religious person could put for an answer to an exam question that they are praying for the correct answer and are waiting for god to answer them.
Maybe I should keep quiet and not give them ideas.
June 24th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
It certainly is a burden living here with these loons. Of course, the fact that we didn’t let them create a diploma mill is heartening.
As for the secession thing, it really would hurt both us and the rest of the US significantly, and I don’t think it will happen any time in the foreseeable future.
I do despair of ever ending the goddity, but dammit it’s still a nice place to live.
June 24th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Mike: I knew a Christian woman who used to say practically the self-same thing. Whenever there was a controversy over what a particular Bible verse really meant (and it may or may not surprise you to know that the “plain teaching” of the Bible is not plain at all!), she used to “ask the Lord to show me what it means”, then re-read it, and He made it clear to her! Oh, dear!!