A Major Religion Election Victory

While the election last night has many Democrats smiling, the biggest story from that night (for a religion blogger at any rate) is that the entire Dover school board has been booted out of office.

“All eight Dover, Pennsylvania school board members up for re-election have been booted out after introducing intelligent design to the science classroom. In their place are a number of those who campaigned against the policy. The original school board ruled that intelligent design could be taught alongside Darwinian evolution, in science classes. A group of 11 parents decided to challenge the decision in court, on the grounds that intelligent design is merely creationism in disguise, and is therefore unconstitutional.”

Dover has been one of the flashpoints in the ID/evolution debates with a highly-publicized trial over the teaching of “intelligent design” alongside evolution in science classes. The incoming Democratic majority has promised to deal with ID in the manner more appropriate to the subject.

“It should be noted that the incoming board members from the Dover CARES campaign have a platform plank saying that “intelligent design” will be discussed in Dover public schools. However, the venue of such instruction will not be the science classrooms, where it was out-of-place, but rather an elective course on comparative religion, where it fits perfectly.“

This is a major win for those worried about the insertion of religious dogma into science classes. It is also a major win for religious minorities, especially those with children who are worried about Christian theology entering evolutionary teaching under the guise of “ID”. The battle in our country isn’t over, Kansas has approved the teaching of ID alongside evolution clearing the way for more lawsuits and perhaps another election-day sweep from parents on the right and left who don’t want divine intervention in the science class. The question now for the Dover, Pennsylvania school board is which faiths will be taught in that comparative religion class?

Tags: Neopaganism