Intelligent Design, REJECTED!
The ruling of U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III of Pennsylvania has come down - Intelligent Design shall not be taught in the Dover, PA public school district; It's unconstitutional.
This case is being compared to the 1925 Scopes Trial and has drawn the national attention of both the Religious Right as well as the secularists. Pat Robertson made more inflammatory remarks in November when he told the citizens of Dover:
Earlier this year, Robertson suggested assassination as a better way of dealing with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. This remark is equally irresponsible and nonsensical. Robertson sounds more like the pre-cross disciples:
I imagine there will be more radical statements issued by the Religious Right in the days to come. This battle is far from over. The Discovery Institute has already posted their response to today's decision; and they are arguing in a manner consistent with their Christian convictions. In other words, they aren't using threats of judgment. I don't believe others will be so cool-headed.
For Chalcedon, Intelligent Design (ID) is moot because we believe a Christian child should not participate in the humanistic institution of public education. Parents and churches must work together to raise godly children that can discount the theory of evolution as scientifically and philosophically untenable.
My prayer is that Christian parents will respond to the Dover case as a further confirmation that their child's education is their responsibility, not that of the state. Groups like the Discovery Institute could be of great benefit to Christian parents by creating resources to be used by homeschoolers and Christian academies. Let the Christian community work to create alternatives.
The future prosperity of the Kingdom of God is not contingent upon public schools teaching ID. After all, were Judge Jones to rule in favor of ID would Christian families begin sending their children BACK to public schools?
The Christian world view is a system and must be taught as such. Prayer in school to the god of your choice, or science classes that grant equal time for ID as well as evolution, are not solutions. In fact, they are hinderances. Uninformed Christian parents may leave their children in the public school system simply because of 60 seconds of silent prayer to the "marvelous upstairs person."
They will not be taught that the Triune God created the world by His powerful Word in the space of six days and declared all, very good. They will not be instructed in the application of God's law to every area of life and thought. Even worse, they will grasp the ungodly concept of neutrality -- that 2+2=4 even if God doesn't exist.
They will lose sight of the centrality of the church and the family; and will likely send their future children to the same godless institution. Education is the responsibility of parents. And parents do not control the public school system. The state controls education; and in doing so, they control the future. Let's take that power back. Let's use what's left of our liberties and resign from this system. Millions of Christians have already done so. Millions more should. Choose ye this day whom you will serve, God or the state?
This case is being compared to the 1925 Scopes Trial and has drawn the national attention of both the Religious Right as well as the secularists. Pat Robertson made more inflammatory remarks in November when he told the citizens of Dover:
"If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God. You just rejected him from your city."
Earlier this year, Robertson suggested assassination as a better way of dealing with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. This remark is equally irresponsible and nonsensical. Robertson sounds more like the pre-cross disciples:
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. (Luke 9:51-55)
I imagine there will be more radical statements issued by the Religious Right in the days to come. This battle is far from over. The Discovery Institute has already posted their response to today's decision; and they are arguing in a manner consistent with their Christian convictions. In other words, they aren't using threats of judgment. I don't believe others will be so cool-headed.
For Chalcedon, Intelligent Design (ID) is moot because we believe a Christian child should not participate in the humanistic institution of public education. Parents and churches must work together to raise godly children that can discount the theory of evolution as scientifically and philosophically untenable.
My prayer is that Christian parents will respond to the Dover case as a further confirmation that their child's education is their responsibility, not that of the state. Groups like the Discovery Institute could be of great benefit to Christian parents by creating resources to be used by homeschoolers and Christian academies. Let the Christian community work to create alternatives.
The future prosperity of the Kingdom of God is not contingent upon public schools teaching ID. After all, were Judge Jones to rule in favor of ID would Christian families begin sending their children BACK to public schools?
The Christian world view is a system and must be taught as such. Prayer in school to the god of your choice, or science classes that grant equal time for ID as well as evolution, are not solutions. In fact, they are hinderances. Uninformed Christian parents may leave their children in the public school system simply because of 60 seconds of silent prayer to the "marvelous upstairs person."
They will not be taught that the Triune God created the world by His powerful Word in the space of six days and declared all, very good. They will not be instructed in the application of God's law to every area of life and thought. Even worse, they will grasp the ungodly concept of neutrality -- that 2+2=4 even if God doesn't exist.
They will lose sight of the centrality of the church and the family; and will likely send their future children to the same godless institution. Education is the responsibility of parents. And parents do not control the public school system. The state controls education; and in doing so, they control the future. Let's take that power back. Let's use what's left of our liberties and resign from this system. Millions of Christians have already done so. Millions more should. Choose ye this day whom you will serve, God or the state?
