[Jack]

Well, Kansas will now be teaching ID as science. Story

Kansas on Tuesday became the latest U.S. state to introduce criticism of evolution into teaching standards, a move that critics charge was driven by religious zealotry. In a hearing room packed with high school students, teachers and national media, the Kansas State Board of Education on a 6-4 vote approved a new set of science standards that question the veracity of evolution theory. "This is a great day for education. This is one of the best things that we can do," said board chairman Steve Abrams, who is on record as saying evolutionary theory is incompatible with the Bible's version of God's creation of life on Earth. The new public school standards include several specific challenges to evolution, including statements that there is a lack of evidence or natural explanation for the genetic code, charges that fossil records are inconsistent with evolutionary theory, and a statement that says certain evolutionary explanations "are not based on direct observations ... and often reflect ... inferences from indirect or circumstantial evidence." Although the redrawn teaching standards do not mention religion and Abrams denied the changes were religiously motivated, both local and national science groups charged that the new standards are a product of religious zealotry. Critics said the standards go farther than any other state to date in opening up evolutionary principles to criticism, and said implementation will lead to more aggressive undermining of scientific principles in other states and will ultimately weaken U.S. achievement in scientific arenas. Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, said the decision would encourage school districts in Kansas and elsewhere to make similar moves, distracting and confusing teachers and students. "It will be marketed by the religious right ... as a huge victory for their side," she said. "We can expect more efforts to get creationism in."

Kansas: getting stupid with Jesus!