Bill introduced in Texas House banning discrimination against intelligent design research

[alp227]

(sigh) As if passing that abortion ultrasound requirement wasn't bad enough now HB 2454 intro'd by State Rep. Bill Zedler (R-Arlington) states:

PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RESEARCH RELATED TO INTELLIGENT DESIGN. An institution of higher education may not discriminate against or penalize in any manner, especially with regard to employment or academic support, a faculty member or student based on the faculty member’s or student’s conduct of research relating to the theory of intelligent design or other alternate theories of the origination and development of organisms.

Texas Freedom Network comments:

The implications of such a law are alarming. Would, for example, a university be forced to support (financially or otherwise) “research” into junk science attacking evolution? Would a biology professor be forced to look the other way when a creationist student presents work that simply ignores (or distorts) the overwhelming evidence supporting evolutionary science?

This kind of anti-science state legislation is nothing new: such as Utah's resolution dismissing the validity of global warming, and Texas State Rep. Leo Berman's . PZ Myers eloquently put it: "...I'd like to move to Texas for a few months, open a free daycare, and issue doctoral degrees to every toddler who can go a day without pooping his pants. I'd have the diplomas printed on diapers, too. That's about what a degree from a Texas university would be worth if Berman had his way."

[hlthe2b]

1. Gawd.. this relentless assault on reason, rationality, common sense

is driving me off the metaphorical cliff.

Every day another absolutely insane or abhorrent new assault on science, or civil rights, or rationality. I fear for our country.

[truebrit71]

3. +1 Teh stoopid burnssssss...

What crass ignorance...

[bluestateguy]

2. In other words, any criticism of intelligent design will be branded as "discrimination"

Fundamentalist so called Christians are remarkably thin skinned.

[Botany]

4. Troglodytes

Definition of TROGLODYTE


: a member of any of various peoples (as in antiquity) who lived or were reputed to live chiefly in caves


: a person characterized by reclusive habits or outmoded or reactionary attitudes

[Dawson Leery]

5. There is a reason why America is falling behind in academics.

[xxqqqzme]

6. 'Research' and

'intelligent design' used in the same sentence?

GMFB! There are waaaay toooo many loonies running the various state legislative asylums.

[laconicsax]

7. What research?

Saying, "this looks designed...God did it." isn't actual research.

[Johonny]

15. +1

aren't they generally fired not for their research, but the fact that there is no productive research from them. They thus don't produce journal papers, bring in research grants etc... I mean they get fired not for their beliefs, but because they are crappy and unproductive. The law does nothing to stop them from getting fired for why they get fired. However it will mean MORE pointless lawsuits. So much for conservative TORT reform. L O L :)

[d_r]

8. here's a scenario

a young ph.d. wants to get tenure. The ph.d. isn't very good at publishing. At the end of their tenure clock, they "publish" a bunch of stuff about "intelligent design" on internet-based journals. If this bill passed, that would suggest his department would be forced to give this ph.d. tenure - even though another ph.d. might be judged by the quality of the outlets published in.

[Loki]

9. I hope by the end of this year

I will no longer live in this backward fucking abyss of a shit hole state.

[LongTomH]

10. More on this on the National Center for Science Education website

"Intelligent design" legislation in Texas

[sakabatou]

11. *facedesk*

[DetlefK]

12. You can easily get around this:

First question: What is the definition of the scientific method?
Second question: How would you design an experiment to verify the validity of "intelligent design"?

Oops, sorry. There is no correct answer to number two:
A scientist will realize it's trick question and point to that.
An ID proponent will give a lengthy explanation, that will always be flawed in the end.

[dimbear]

13. Proud to see Utah remains a leader in this area of human experience. Would

expect no less from a state with a county named.......Carbon County.

:)

[WatsonT]

14. Beliefs should be subject to discrimination

unlike gender, skin color, orientation, place of origin, age, disability, and so on beliefs are chosen.

[pokerfan]

16. I have only one response