The press is claiming that U. California is being sued over/by creationism/ists, but it's the well-funded and well-organized forces behind the Intelligent Design agenda that are sponsoring this vendetta. There is a difference. The ID forces learned their lessons well from the defeat of creationism, which is why the new name and all. But it's not just semantics. It's a whole new set of tactics - including things like suing universities for being discriminatory to Christians.
"Teach the debate!" is the rallying cry of the ID forces across the nation. The ID folks are positing themselves as the very essence of rationality and defenders of open inquiry, while painting the scientific establishment as a close-minded, defensive, discriminatory, elitist institution that is afraid of The Truth. And they are wildly successful at their efforts.
It doesn't really matter, ultimately, if they lose court cases like the one against the University of California, because they are winning in the court of public opinion. Every public battle gathers more supporters to their cause, more people who are affronted by Science's arrogance and gall, more people who have decided to Do Something About It, By God. They run for the school board and are elected. And they make it difficult, if not impossible, for science teachers to teach evolution, even if it is not outright banned, even if they don't impose measures like stickers on textbooks or changing the state science standards.
This is a national campaign, and it is as well-planned and paid for as a presidential campaign. Anybody who thinks we shouldn't pay attention to the ID folks because it's just giving them legitimacy is out of their mind. It's not up to "us" to grant them legitimacy or not. They have it already, in the minds and hearts of their followers. And it's a nicely bankrolled legitimacy, too.
12:56:14 PM 
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