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An Inside Look at the Dover Intelligent Design Case and What it Means for Ohio
I was able to make it to this event after all!!
See the flyer.
As I said in my last post, this was held at Tifereth Israel in downtown Columbus, and it was a really nice place. Yamikas were provided at the door for the men.
This event was sponsored by Ohio Citizens for Science and the National Council for Jewish Women. I learned that “NCJW believes that religious liberty and the separation of religion and state are constitutional principles that must be protected and preserved in order to maintain a democratic society.”
Kicking things off was Dr. Hillel J. Chiel of Case Western Reserve University. He was speaking on Religion vs Evolution: An Unnecessary Struggle for Survival. He talked about how evolution is the conceptual framework for biology. He covered a little bit about Evolutionary Algorithms, which I will quickly admit is way over my head. He spoke about how science is responsible for the “how” questions and religion is responsible for the “why.”
Dr. Chiel talked about the common thought that evolution leaves no room for God. Of course, his thoughts were that evolution does leave room for God and that it absolutely does not lead to atheism. He discussed the idea that evolution implies “Social Darwinism.” He suggested that yes, there are those that have the ideas that Social Darwinism would be a good thing, but no, evolution does not imply Social Darwinism, nor does it endorse it.
He talked about the question, “Why not teach ID?” His answer for that was “because ID does not provide material explanation for natural phenomena and it does not generate testable hypotheses.”
He then covered the “why not teach the controversy” question. He brought up a good analogy: There are those who deny that the Holocaust occured. Should there be a critical analysis lesson plan designed on that topic? Should that controversy be taught to our children? I would think not…
Dr. Chiel said that America values and encourages creativity, tolerance, skepticism, ingenuity and the rights of individuals to think independantly.
He then took a few questions and the first question asked was, “Doesn’t teaching only evolution promote atheism?” I heard a gasp, but I think it was me. He looked at her and said, “No…” in a tone that said, “have you been listening to me at all?” He again told her no, it does not lead to atheism and then a man from Ohio Citizens for Science took the mike and told her that thinking that evolution leads to atheism would be the same as plumbing leading to atheism. He said that it wouldn’t matter to him what religion his plumber was, as long as he could work with the pipes. Religion shouldn’t be a factor in this. This is about science.
So then they got set up for Eric Rothschild. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it because he got stuck in the snow, as did Tammy Kitzmiller. Luckily, they had his presentation there and we had him on speaker phone!!
He completely explained how the lawsuit came about. I’m not going to get too into that, but it was very interesting hearing it first hand from Mr. Rothschild. Here’s a link to some really good info on the case if you’re interested.
He talked about the book Of Pandas and People brought to us by the Foundation for Thoughts and Ethics, and how it clearly went from a Creationism book back in 1986 to an Intelligent Design book in 1993. All they did was change a few words (creationism to intelligent design).
So that’s a good summary of what was discussed. He answered a few questions, one from a woman who began, “With all due respect, have you even read our lesson plan on the ‘Critical Analysis of Evolution?’” She also pointed out that it was not teaching ID, it was just suggesting that the students “critically analyze” the theory of evolution. The people in the room began to stir… He said that he had read it, and pretty much said that it was the same thing (I can’t quote him word for word here). I honestly thought for a second there that a debate was going to break out. She was armed with paperwork and tried to tell him he was mistaken. I wasn’t very close to the action, but I believe she was told that she had already asked her question and to take her seat - can’t be sure about this though because I couldn’t really hear what was being said.
After all of the other questions were asked, I learned that a few Ohio State Board of Education members were there to address the group. First was Sam Schloemer who represents Hamilton and Warren counties. He was appointed in 2002 but was elected in 2003 to a 4 year term. This is a good man. His bottom line was that this whole situation was an agenda by fundamentalists and that it needed to be stopped. He got a great applause.
The other board member that was present was Rob Hovis from Millersburg.
Unfortunately, that’s when I had to go. So if anyone knows what he had to say, I’d love to hear it!!
Sorry about all of the links. I was trying to be thorough and I hope they’re useful! I wish that the pictures had come a bit clearer, but that’s alright. I was mainly there to listen and learn. I consider the pictures a bonus.
Thanks for reading!
on February 12th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
Cassie - You are my hero and many others, I know, even if they’re silent. Thank you SO much for reporting on this. Fabulous job. A lot of people complain that blogs do no firsthand reporting but I think that an entry like this demonstrates the immediacy that blogs bring to absolutely positively newsworthy events - newsworthy as determined by people who care, not necessarily by the editors or publishers of print newspapers.
Thanks - and I give you HUGE kudos for going yourself - given your Atheism. You are living proof of just because an individual chooses to adhere to certain tenets, that doesn’t mean that they never listen to anyone else or anything else. I’m Jewish and went to a Catholic university and I learned something there from Jesuits that I’d never heard before - they believe that we never stop learning, so when we graduated, we didn’t move our tassles. I still think about that.
Thank you - very very much. I hope we get to meet sometime!
on February 12th, 2006 at 10:38 pm
Thank you so much for your comments, Jill. I’m thrilled that it was useful to you and hopefully others. I had a great time attending and “reporting.” :-)
on February 12th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
See this site for more information about Israel.
on February 13th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Many thanks for posting all this infomration for those of us who weren’t able to attend!
“Yamikas were provided at the door for the men.”
Oh?? So, if I had attended, would I have been required to don one of these??? I think I would have had a big problem with this!
on February 13th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
Dan said: Oh?? So, if I had attended, would I have been required to don one of these??? I think I would have had a big problem with this!
It’s funny you say that. There was a couple sitting in right in front of me. The man didn’t have a yamika on. Suddenly a woman came up to him with a bag of brand new, silky yamikas (black and purple) and gave one to him. Well, he put it in his lap. A few minutes later, another woman approached him, handed one to him and said, “Men need to cover their head.” He then told her no, that it’s agaist his beliefs. She said something to him but I’m not sure what it was. I *think* that she told him that he needed to leave because he stood up and quickly walked out. Well, his wife (I’m assuming it was his wife) got up and followed him but looked a bit annoyed.
About a minute later they both came back in, he still looked irritated, and they sat down. He didn’t ever put a yamika on. I noticed 3 other men without thier heads covered too.
on February 14th, 2006 at 1:55 am
Thanks for the report, Cassandra. I recorded the audio of the whole thing, but what with having to fool with the telephone and microphone for Rothschild’s talk I couldn’t keep track of the recorder and it got bumped around a fair amount. I’m going to try to clean up the digital recording some and post a link later this week, if I can figure out my voice editing software. I’ll also try to get Rothschild’s powerpoints up on the Web. It won’t be for a few days — tomorrow I’m at the Board meeting all day along with the Citizens for Science people and other folks. Keep your fingers, toes, eyes, and other appendages crossed!
The couple you wrote of are fundamentalist Christians. She had a sheaf of old newspaper clippings she wanted to read when she was supposedly asking a question of Rothschild, which is why I cut her off some.
I’m sorry you had to leave early — we had a birthday cake, appropriately decorated, for Charles Darwin’s birthday at the reception. And brownies! Woohoo!
Again, thanks for the summary here and for linking it from Panda’s Thumb — http://tinyurl.com/cb3m7 — because the more of us there are, the better we can fight this stuff.
(And you’re right: I don’t care if my plumber is an atheist or an evangelical: I just want the pipes fixed! LOL!)
RBH
on February 14th, 2006 at 2:04 am
By the way, on wearing the head gear, I’m an atheist but I regarded wearing it as a courtesy to my hosts, not a religious statement. Simple courtesy doesn’t hurt at all, as far as I’m concerned, when one is a guest in someone else’s space as we were. Recall that the National Council of Jewish Women–Columbus Section was a co-sponsor of the event and it was held in the sanctuary of the synagogue. So, as I say, I regarded wearing it as simple courtesy to my hosts.
(And they brought brownies! (chuckle))
RBH
on February 14th, 2006 at 7:58 am
Thanks for coming by, and your comments RBH! I’m glad that you have a recording of the presentations!
It’s great to have different perspectives. Of course, I’m not a scientist or an educator. Hell, I didn’t even go to college. But I am an American, and I’m a mother and I care about our Constitutional rights. I think that I represent a large number of people out there.
About the yamika - of course, I didn’t have to form an opinion on it, but it did make me think a bit when I saw the man in front of me refuse to wear it.
I guess I just kind of saw it like taking off my shoes before going into someones house.
on February 14th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Thanks for the additional information.
I discussed the yamika issue with my Significant Other and we both agree that it would have been a Very Bad Thing had we shown up and been blindsided by this issue. I’d go so far as to compare it to going to a Christian church and being expected to don a crucifix as a sign of “respect” for the hosts. My refusal to do so is not a sign of disrespect; imposing one’s rituals on one’s guests, on the other hand, seems *very* disrespectful to me.
on February 14th, 2006 at 2:22 pm
Being asked to take your shoes off is a bit different since there can be good, empirical reasons behind the request. Maybe the hosts fear carpet damage. Maybe they have a child who’s allergic to yard pesticides. If it’s important enough to insist on, however, it’s important enough to let people know about ahead of time so they’re prepared. Not doing so, but then insisting that shoes be removed, can easily create a very uncomfortable situation….
on February 14th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
What especially bothers me in this case is that the event was billed as a public meeting on a public issue. I always assume that such meetings are held in a neutral place, even if that place may be used for religious services at other times. Since I can no longer make this assumption, I’ll now have to think twice before going to any public meeting. I certainly will not be going to any such meetings scheduled for a synogogue.
on February 14th, 2006 at 2:31 pm
Dan said:
I’d go so far as to compare it to going to a Christian church and being expected to don a crucifix as a sign of “respect” for the hosts.
Now this is a very good point. There is no way that I would agree to genuflect upon entering a pew at a Catholic church (I’m not sure which religions require this, but I know that the Catholic church does).
Great point Dan, thanks for another point of view!!
Dan said:
Not doing so, but then insisting that shoes be removed, can easily create a very uncomfortable situation….
This reminds me of a party that my mother went to a few years ago. The hosts required the shoes be taken off at the door, and no one knew or expected it. There were men in suits with holes in their socks, there were women wearing knee-hi’s with runs, there were people wearing funky colored socks… Talk about an uncomfortable situation!!