Posted on 05/16/2006 10:20:14 AM PDT by PatrickHenry
In an attempt to better define science, evolution and intelligent design, filmmakers are preparing a documentary that reviews lessons delivered last year in U.S. Middle District Court in Harrisburg.
Crews from "NOVA," a popular PBS science television series, will be in Dover, York and Harrisburg this summer conducting interviews and obtaining footage for a two-hour show centered on Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District. [Link to text of opinion: Kitzmiller et al. v Dover Area School District et al.]
Barbara Moran, senior researcher for Boston-based "NOVA," said crews paid attention to the trial and interest grew with each testimony. Scientists and theologians alike dissected and defined science, evolution and origin theories.
While District Court Judge John E. Jones III grappled with First Amendment issues and whether religious intent was behind the former board's decision, filmmakers saw the potential to clarify scientific theory and help the public determine whether science and religion complement the other.
"People said (the trial) was like the biology class you wish you would have taken," said Barbara Moran, senior researcher for "NOVA." "(Documentary) seems like a good way to get at the tough scientific issues."
'Make up their own minds': In recent months, Moran has culled excerpts from court transcripts for the documentary. That information will be forwarded to a director who, with "NOVA" senior executive producer Paula Apsell, will determine what portions will be used, and re-enacted.
"The idea is to allow viewers to walk away and make up their own minds," Moran said. "There seems to be a false dichotomy between evolution and religion, and we're hoping this show can make it clear."
Apsell said there is a lot of controversy when science meets politics and religion. She added that many people separate science from religion, seeing each as pitted against the other.
Test case: Dover became the first school district in the nation to require mentioning intelligent design as an alternative theory to evolution when the school board approved a statement to make students "aware of gaps/problems in Darwin's Theory of Evolution and other theories including, but not limited to, intelligent design. Note: Origins of life will not be taught."
Eleven parents of students subsequently filed suit in December 2004 against the district and its board. On Dec. 20, 2005, Jones issued a 139-page ruling that ended Dover's yearlong debate. He said such teaching in that forum violated the Constitution's First Amendment Establishment Clause, which states that governments can't establish or inhibit the free exercise of religion.
Now in its 34th season, "NOVA" is produced at WGBH in Boston for PBS. Production of this documentary begins in July; it is expected to air next spring.
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NB4HITLER
I know this will be fun but I'm kind busy on the immigration threads right now. LOL
Good. When you are finished there you might try the
Duke rape case threads.
To that end, I suggest they consider re-enacting the following testimony from the trial:
Behe Cross-X Day 12[emphasis added]
http://www.aclupa.org/downloads/Day12AM.pdfp22 line 25 [plaintiffs' attorney]:
Q. "And in fact there are no peer reviewed articles by anyone advocating for intelligent design supported by pertinent experiments or calculations which provide detailed rigorous accounts of how intelligent design of any biological system occurred, is that correct?"[defendants' expert witness]:
A. "That is correct, yes."
I've said it before and I reiterate it again: "Dover will be ID's Waterloo"....
So many threads - so little time!
I don't need the foul stench that comes from PBS, backing my side of this issue. I am a evolutionist and proud of it, but it has become impossible to watch anything on PBS.
Evolutionary Bump.
O horrible man!
They did do a nice documentary on Elvis singing gospel.
I have not watched anything on the local PBS station since they stopped airing Doctor Who.
Speaking of TV, did anyone here watch this week's Simpsons, which took on the creationism-in-school issue? I missed the rest of it after the first commercial break, but there was a pretty funny dig at Al Sharpton, as well as a reference to Lamarckism, indicating the writers understood the science quite well. Robert Smigel's "Darwin" cartoon on SNL a while back failed utterly because 1)Smigel didn't demonstrate any actual knowledge of Darwin or evolution 2)It wasn't half as goofy as the actual Jack Chick cartoons and 3)It just plain wasn't funny.
Don't forget the public breastfeeding threads. Or anti smoking threads.
Dang! I wish I had seen that.
Finally, although Buckingham, Bonsell, and other defense witnesses denied the reports in the news media and contradicted the great weight of the evidence about what transpired at the June 2004 Board meetings, the record reflects that these witnesses either testified inconsistently, or lied outright under oath on several occasions, and are accordingly not credible on these points. P. 105[emphasis added]
Source:
Kitzmiller et al. v Dover Area School District et al..
This would be most enlightening to the public.
Lately one usually really does need to get in as early as possible for that. This must be some kind of troll holiday.
I'm in favor of them.
Perhaps they could do the one where the Creationist Witness claimed that he lied but it was due to his drug addiction. Congressman Kennedy later adopted this very same strategy.
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