Tipping his hand

It seems that Pat Robertson has demonstrated once again why he is the second-biggest buffoon in America. Turning his wrath on the town of Dover, PA (which voted out it's entire "Intelligent Design"-supporting school board in Tuesday's election), the Spokesman For A Vengeful Almighty declared yesterday,

"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God. You just rejected him from your city."

Besides my revulsion at the fact that this madman claims to speak for Christians everywhere (a fact which they'd be well advised to address, and soon), I find Perilous Pat's outburst additionally interesting for what it has to say about Intelligent Design itself.

ID's supporters have vehemently insisted that it is not Creationism in a different wrapper, is not an attempt to inject religion into our public schools, is not about passing off stories of faith as verifiable science. So why, then, would voting out board members who've proposed it as a curriculum qualify as "rejecting God"? If Intelligent Design really is on equal footing with, and just a scientific alternative to, the teaching of evolution, then why would the rejection of Darwinism be any less of an affront to the Almighty?

Don't get me wrong. I've stated many times that I respect the need for most members of our species to seek comfort and meaning through faith. Our right to worship as we choose - or choose not to - is one of our most fundamental freedoms.

But because that choice is so personal, and therefore so incredibly varied, it is not something to be introduced into the generic lesson plan of our children's classrooms. There are many venues already protected and available for the expression of our loyalty to the Big Guy - and that must remain separate from the secular education based on fact that is the responsibility of our public school system.

You've tipped your hand, Pat. Thanks for confirming what we've known about Intelligent Design all along.