Pinellas County School Board supports Intelligent Design

Published by Bobby Henderson December 19th, 2007 in Intelligent Design and General FSM news.

A majority of the Pinellas County, Florida, School Board supports the inclusion of Intelligent Design in the science curriculum, reports the St. Petersburg Times.

Four members of the school board, including the chairperson and vice-chairperson, have made statements in support of Intelligent Design.

“The entire theory of evolution is not scientific fact. Intelligent design balances it out.” — Nancy Bostock, Chairperson

“I’d probably ideally like to keep it all [evolution and Intelligent Design] out of the classroom. If it’s going to create this much controversy, how important is it?” — Peggy O’Shea, Vice Chairperson

“I think that students should be given the opportunity to view all theories on how man evolved and let their science background and their religious background take over as to which one they believe in.” — Jane Gallucci, Member

“To teach one [evolution] as if nothing else existed, I think we’re doing our students a disservice.” — Carol Cook, Member

You can read the news article here.

The PCSB website states: “The public is encouraged to contact the School Board members on any issue.”

I suggest we contact the school board and let them know there are more than two theories of our origins. Pastafarianism is built on similar tenets as Intelligent Design, and has much greater support from the academic community. If you decide to write, please be respectful.

Contact Info:

Office: (727) 588-6300
E-mail: Board@pcsb.org

Individual E-mail addresses:
Nancy Bostock: bostockn@pcsb.org
Peggy O’Shea: osheap@pcsb.org
Jane Gallucci: galluccij@pcsb.org
Carol Cook: cookc@pcsb.org

194 Responses to “Pinellas County School Board supports Intelligent Design”

1. 181 - June 4th, 2008 at - TheFewTheProudTheMarinara Says:
   
   

   Secondary schools (and religion) are only the beginning! If we are to open our minds
   to all possibilities, despite the absence of ANY proof, why are medical students not exposed
   to the idea that “humours” in the blood are to blame for mental deficiencies? Think how much
   we could save by shuttering insane asylums! Just slap some leeches to the temples of the
   mentally feeble and let ‘em go!

2. 182 - June 5th, 2008 at - Ciaochowbella Says:
   
   

   Question to just any old body…..

   Why can’t evolution be the TOOL of the creator(s)? For many years I’ve pondered why it has to be so black/white.

   There are religious beliefs to back up the IDEA that evolution COULD BE the tool of the creator(s). For example, Christianity teaches that it is impossible to measure the length of Jehovah’s day. If this is so, then why is it not possible that Jehovah has a 8 billion year long day? If this HYPOTHESIS is possible, then it is possible that Jehovah used evolution as the tool of creation.

   The Hindu belief of the Universe being an never ending cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth can also be observed in the big bang theory.

   As far as being descended from pirates, this is not only likely, but DOCUMENTED. In which case, it’s just as valid a belief system as any other.

   I now consider myself an eclectic Pagan Pastafarian.

   RAmen.

3. 183 - June 9th, 2008 at - Benny The Ball Says:
   
   

   To the members of Pinellas County School Board. Europe is laughing at you. It is people such as yourselves that are responsible for the reputation Americans have of being stupid. Shame on you. It is no wonder so many US citizens have aquired this unenviable reputation if Americas educational establishments are run by the like of yourselves. Quite frankly, it is disturbing. Long live the FSM.

4. 184 - June 12th, 2008 at - Ex-Pope Benedict XVI Says:
   
   

   I preach infallibly of a new religion. Pastafarianism. The Flying Spaghetti Monster, not Jesus, is the true God. I will convert the Catholic Church immediately to Pastafarianism. Those who do not believe are to be excommunicated. I dedicate the world, the saints, and the Holy Church to the Sacred Sauce of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Ramen.

5. 185 - June 12th, 2008 at - Benny The Ball Says:
   
   

   This is a case for da dara da da daaaa The Flying Spaghetti Monster. Let’s blow another school board away.

6. 186 - June 13th, 2008 at - Royce Says:
   
   

   Dear Pinellas County, Ms. Bostock, Ms. O’Shea, Ms. Gallicco and Ms. Cook,

   Intelligent Design or any variation of it is not part of science.

   Evolution is part of science. It can be tested. What can we conclude from the evidence is science.

   Yet “Intelligent Design” states, here is the conclusion, and it’s complex, therefore it must have been done by a supreme god.

   It is shocking that you would classify “beliefs” such as in gods and devils as part of science.

   Learn what science is before you put your myths into the mix.

   If you still believe that evolution needs to be challenged, with “belief” aka “a supreme god”, then provide the answer, just how many “supreme gods” created everything? For how do you know it’s only one god?

   If you mix “Intelligent Design” into the class, then why is your “belief” being used? Because I hear that “SCIENTOLOGY” holds up better in a science class than the Christian-Judo god.

7. 187 - June 13th, 2008 at - TheFewTheProudTheMarinara Says:
   
   

   Kids have it so easy these days! If they can get away with teaching ID in science classes because
   “humans are so complex there must be some supernatural intervention here”, then what’s to stop
   someone in say a math class stating that they TRULY believe the answer to an absurdly complex equation MUST be 7.4 and they would be truly offended if anyone said otherwise. Then refute any
   “proof” the instructor proposed as the work of the devil.

8. 188 - June 17th, 2008 at - Stephen Morse Says:
   
   

   Suppose we were all robots without free will. I suppose we could be programmed to never “sin,” but nor could you take pride in your accomplishments any more than a Dodge Viper can claim superiority over it’s engineers. We all have choices in life, and unfortunately we don’t always make the right ones, but when we do, Man! does it feel good! You know what I’m talking about, when you take a risk and it pays off. Well, God made us to love him, but if we are to really have the opportunity to love him we must also have the opportunity to not love him. Follow me here. So you say that a loving creator would not allow so much evil in the world, but he does just because he loves us. He respects us enough to let us make our own decisions cause he knows we’re capable. His love for us is especially shown by God manifesting himself as Jesus and suffering through all men’s decisions not to love and dying for our sins. Yes, there is suffering and tons of crap in the world, but there is also great beauty and comfort. If you have experienced more of the former than the latter, then I am sorry, life can be hard. But please consider this advice that a Counselor/Psychologist friend once gave me. Stop worrying about what you can’t control (the crap that you experience day in and day out) and start worrying about what you change, the way you act towards others. Return love for hate, turn the other cheek, go two miles when only forced to go one! See if it doesn’t change your outlook on life! If you want to keep worshiping the FSM, feel free to, but I know Jesus died for my sins and that’s why I worship him. If you want to as well, feel free, but be warned, he will change your life!

   So anyway, any of you that really think ID is so erroneous, I challenge you to read/see some literature or a video by an ID scientist. Then read something by a leading evolutionist. Challenge everything!

9. 189 - June 17th, 2008 at - Stephen Morse Says:
   
   

   could you please post my last comment as just being written by Steve and not Stephen Morse, please, thanks.

10. 190 - June 18th, 2008 at - Benny The Ball Says:
    
    

    I understand what you are saying Stephen/Steve but I already do all of those things without the need to worship Jesus. I also believe that any intelligent person realises that those traits are the best to exercise throughout life and should not need to worship anyone in order to do so. I’m sure you must have known that too before seeing a psychologist. What you have unwittingly have done here though is state that you must have been going through a hard time and therefore feeling a little weak. This is precisely what the Church and religion feed on. They snap up the vunerable who are struggling with life. If worshipping Jesus however makes you feel good then that is fine and I have no problem with that. You should not try, however, to push your beliefs onto anybody else.

    As for Intelligent Design, I’m sorry but it is nothing but Creationism by another name. I challenge you to watch a video on the Creationist Museum and afterwards still think it is science or indeed sense. I find it hilarious. P.S Keep a look out for the vegetarian T-Rex standing behind Adam. He’s my favourite. Glad you are feeling better though. Take care.

11. 191 - June 18th, 2008 at - Benny The Ball Says:
    
    

    This page is set out in such a way that members of the school board will be able to understand the difference between the ‘Theory’ of Evolution and Intelligent Design.

    http://www.kobrascorner.info/opine/evolution-is-a-fact.php

12. 192 - June 18th, 2008 at - Cappy Caine Says:
    
    

    @ Stephen Morse:
    .
    You are right in your assertion that we each need to challenge our realities and learn for ourselves what truth is. The problem is that the debate of creationism vs. evolution has been fought so many times, the evidence is so overwhelming, nay, damningly in favor of evolution, that the study of human origin becomes one of an economy of speculation. If something has a .000000000000001 percent probability of being accurate, then why would I spend my entire life so vehemently trying to prove it is truth (answer: wishful thinking)? Creationists fail to study the record and in turn seek out new explanations (usually recycled - ID is just the latest iteration of this fallacious thinking) for why god created us in his image. It is time for you to move on. It is time for this debate to move on. The only thing creationists have come up with in the last 200 years is an appeal to emotion (God loves us, you will be rewarded, you are going to hell if you don’t believe this, etc.) to counter very rational, logical and evidentiary arguments in favor of evolution. The Theory of Evolution is validated time and again by various fields of study: anthropological, psychological, biological, geological. The mere fact that there are still large gaps - portions of the record that we have yet to discover - in no way gives you the right to arbitrarily insert your ill-fitting god. I assure you that if you continue to do so, this will only prolong your ignorance and guarantee the day where you will yet again have to pick up and move your god into a different, dark corner of human ignorance as we are enlightened by scientific knowledge. I appeal to you to have the mental discipline to recognize your own intransigence and take some of your own advice that you so imploringly dish out.
    -
    RAmen

13. 193 - June 18th, 2008 at - BlackBard Says:
    
    

    Stephen, Stephen, Stephen. I hardly know where to start. For the sake of argument, I am going to grant that some entity named ‘God’ exists, even though we all know that to be false. The FSM is the only one and true living creator. But, I digress……
    .
    Your notion that God made us to love him is so confused! Let me try to help you think this through. You said “God made us to love him, but if we are to really have the opportunity to love him we must also have the opportunity to not love him.” If God gave us the opportunity to either love him or not, then we were not made to love him. We were created (made) to decide for ourselves. Since God gave us free well to decide for ourselves, then whichever way we decide is in accordance with the will of God because we would be performing according to his purpose. If we make a choice that God does not like, that is his fault, not ours. No harm, no foul. No “sin” here.
    .
    You said, “Follow me here. So you say that a loving creator would not allow so much evil in the world, but he does just because he loves us. He respects us enough to let us make our own decisions cause he knows we’re capable.” I know just how you feel. I can feel the love now, as thousands of children starve in Africa. When that earth quake struck China, I could just feel the love when all those people died. I am sure they all felt the love, too.
    .
    Now you follow me here. If any parent treated his or her children the way your God treats his, any clear thinking human being would condemn that behavior. Children have free will, too, but no loving parent would allow his or her child to run out into traffic. Clearly, your God does not care about his children.
    .
    I strongly recommend that you read “The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.” You will find a much tastier religion than the one you now have. And, in case you do not find that it suits you, we have a 30 day no obligation guarantee. You can quit the Church of the FSM and go back to your old time religion. They will take you back.
    .
    RAmen

14. 194 - June 23rd, 2008 at - Clayy93 Says:
    
    

    Wow, I remember back in June of 07 when I used to follow this websites articles daily. Now, one year later, I’m looking at what has been posted since then and I am just now learning that my home town (county) was being criticized! Thank You! I moved from that awful place last August and now I’m really happy I did. And now just hearing this makes me even more glad I moved from there. Amazing!So screw you Pinellas County!

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