Date: Wed Jan 11 2006 - 12:20:45 EST
At 11:22 AM 1/11/2006, Robert Schneider wrote:
>This NYT article refers to the El Tejon school issue presented
>earlier on the list by Pim and also my comments.
>
>Bob
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:rjschn39@bellsouth.net>rjschn39@bellsouth.net
>Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 10:55 AM
>Subject: NYTimes.com: California Parents File Suit Over Origins of Life Course
>[]
>
><http://www.nytimes.com/>
>The New York Times
>
>NATIONAL | January 11, 2006
><http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/11/national/11design.html?emc=eta1>California
>Parents File Suit Over Origins of Life Course By
><http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?ppds=bylL&v1=LAURIE
>GOODSTEIN&fdq=19960101&td=sysdate&sort=newest&ac=LAURIE
>GOODSTEIN&inline=nyt-per>LAURIE GOODSTEIN Published: January 11, 2006
>
>A group of parents are suing their small
><http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/national/usstatesterritoriesandpossessions/california/index.html?inline=nyt-geo>California
>school district to force it to cancel a four-week high school
>elective .... The 11 parents are seeking a temporary restraining
>order to stop the course, which is being held during the session
>that ends on Feb. 3.
>
>Last month, a Federal District Court in Pennsylvania ruled that it
>was unconstitutional to teach intelligent design in a public school
>science class because it promoted a particular religious belief.
>After the ruling, people on both sides of the debate suggested that
>it might be constitutionally permissible to examine intelligent
>design in a philosophy, comparative religion or social studies class.
>
>But the parents, represented by lawyers with Americans United for
>Separation of Church and State, contend that the teacher is
>advocating intelligent design and "young earth creationism" and is
>not examining those ideas in a neutral way alongside evolution.
>... The school principal referred inquiries to the superintendent,
>John W. Wright, who was in Washington and did not respond to an
>interview request. But Mr. Wright said in a letter on Jan. 6 in
>response to a complaint from Americans United, "Our legal advisers
>have pointed out that they are unaware of any court or California
>statute which has forbidden public schools to explore cultural
>phenomena, including history, religion or creation myths."
>
>Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, said, "This
>is apparently the next wave of efforts to bring creationism to
>schools, and that's why we want to dry it up immediately."
>
>The school district, with 1,425 students, serves several towns in a
>mountain area where many students are home schooled. ...The parents
>who brought the lawsuit said 13 students were enrolled in the class. ..."
### Ahhhh yes ... Barry Lynn :)
November 16, 2005
<http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1523119/posts>Speaker
blasts religious right (Barry Lynn was in town)
<http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1523119//^http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4241851,00.html>Rocky
Mountain Snooze ^ | 11-16-05 | Jean Torkelson
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1523119/posts
The voting bloc known as the religious right must be stopped before
it destroys the country, the head of the Americans United for the
Separation of Church and State told a Denver audience Tuesday.
"We can't possibly let them win," the Rev. Barry Lynn told about 400
people attending the annual regional luncheon of the Anti-Defamation
League. It was held at the Grand Hyatt downtown.
Lynn urged the audience to flood the voting booths to blunt the
influence of a group that backs abortion restrictions, intelligent
design arguments and faith-based initiatives.
"The religious right has become more intrusive than ever and their
schemes more encompassing," Lynn said. "They have incredible
influence in Washington."
Lynn got laughs and applause during a breezy, 30-minute address in
which he mocked the conservative majority in the House ("You can't
tell the difference between the Cartoon Network and the House of
Representatives on C-Span"), skewered conservatives such as Focus on
the Family's James Dobson ("He has a few problems"), and dismissed
President Bush's Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito, as not having
done "one courageous thing for civil rights or civil liberties."
To applause, Lynn added, "Perhaps he doesn't deserve a promotion (to
the court)."
Tom Minnery, vice president of Focus on the Family, said: "I'm
surprised that this hateful message resonated at an Anti-Defamation
League luncheon. The best friends Israel has are conservative Christians."
Lynn, a lawyer and an ordained minister in the United Church of
Christ, has led Americans United for 14 years. The organization was
founded in 1947 to educate about separation-of-church-and-state issues.
Lynn spoke at the Society of Fellows Donors Luncheon, an annual event
at the ADL's Mountain States regional office. Organizers said it drew
one of the largest crowds in the regional office's 64-year history.
