The Insecure Faith of ACLU

How in the name of Free Inquiry can the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) justify filing a lawsuit against a school district requiring to be taught, as an alternative theory to straight up evolution, that the universe seems to have developed according to an intelligent design?

Evolution, after all, is only a theory. Highly popular, no doubt. Often taught as the gospel truth. (Just try to help your kids with their science homework and you will soon learn just how passionately their instructors have passed on this evolutionary "faith".)

When we last heard from the self-annointed heroes of the ACLU there was an assumption that they merely wish to allow each and every student to have the facts presented to them in school. Theories, by definition, are suspected facts not yet proven. Theories await further discoveries that will either consign them to the ashheap of history or to the highest pantheon of science fact.

Intelligent design is not a theory. It is the description of what observing scientists have found at every macro and micro level of the universe. You can call it order, design, symmetry, logic, beauty, regularity, predictability, repetition of theme, mathematical precision, balance of design, complexity, functionality, inter-relatedness ... but it all boils down to the easily perceived notion: whatever you think of the possibility of a Grand Designer, the universe sure looks like it was crafted by One super intellect who enjoys unity within diversity.

Intelligent design does not kill the theory of evolution, although it does heavily testify against random chance being purely responsible for the beginning and modification of things. As has been said by many philosophers, order does not arise out of chaos without some force acting upon it in a manner of design. Then the problem is that you have to decide whether the design of the force is accidental or intentional. Intelligent design facts argue for a directed evolution of the universe, and that is not contrary to the revealed truth of Judaism or Christianity. Only without intelligent design facts can you argue for designer-free (or God-less) evolution.

By choosing to support Theory over Fact, the ACLU is serving notice (doubtlessly without a thought) that it no longer supports unfettered free inquiry for students but requires public schools to avoid facts that can threaten godless evolution theory. By supporting Theory over Fact, the ACLU is demonstrating that it has greater Faith in godless evolution, and that any Doubt seeded by Intelligent Design facts must be avoided at all costs.

Sounds an awful lot like a religious position to us.

If the ACLU wishes to maintain its religious pogrom against the Intelligent Design heresy, it will certainly be kept busy. The movement is catching on, and the news that science's foremost atheist has apostacized and accepted God ("Famous Atheist Now Believes in God") will not help its crusade. We speak of British scientist Antony Flew who has capitulated to the facts and logic of intelligent design:

Flew told The Associated Press his current ideas have some similarity with American ``intelligent design'' theorists, who see evidence for a guiding force in the construction of the universe. He accepts Darwinian evolution but doubts it can explain the ultimate origins of life.

... but if his belief upsets people, well ``that's too bad,'' Flew said. ``My whole life has been guided by the principle of Plato's Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever it leads.''

That is not the position of the ACLU and their pals at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. As noted by The Associated Press:

The ACLU has said intelligent design is a more secular form of creationism, a Biblical-based view that credits the origin of species to God, and may violate the constitutional separation of church and state.

Or, as we imagine them saying in the back room, "Never mind the facts, boys. We gotta defend our godless universe."