stand up for REAL science

Maybe you remember one of the great smoking guns of the Kitzmiller v. Dover trial: the documented evolution of the anti-evolution textbook "Of Pandas and People." Nick Matzke, intrepid researcher and fellow obsessive, uncovered different versions of the text in which the terms "creationism" and "creationists" were replaced with the terms "intelligent design" and "design proponents." This switch was made after the June 1987 decision in Edwards v Aguillard outlawing the teaching of creationism as science in public schools. The transitional term "cdesign proponentsists" was unearthed as a hallmark of this bait-and-switch tactic.

The Texas Freedom Network has dug into documents helpfully provided by the Free Market Foundation, the Texas affiliate of the rabidly anti-evolution Focus on the Family. (More about the FMF's contradictory stances.) These documents show that "an intelligent design proponent is just a creationist with a thesaurus."

To wit:
In 2002, the FMF lauded Texas State Board of Education candidates who "Strongly Favor"

Creationism: Present scientific evidence supporting intelligent design, and not just evolution, and treat both theories as viable ones on the origin of life.

Jump forward to 2006, when the survey noted those TSBE candidates who "Strongly Favor"

Intelligent Design: Present scientific evidence in our public schools supporting intelligent design, and not just evolution, and treat both theories as viable ones on the origin of life.

Most recently, in 2008 the FMF survey noted those TSBE candidates who "Strongly Favor"

Evolution Weaknesses: Biology textbooks which do not teach both the strengths and weaknesses of the theory of evolution must be rejected by the Board.

Go read the whole story at TFN for more details, but the money quote is:

Bottom line: An "intelligent design" supporter today is a creationist with a thesaurus. And a backer of "weaknesses of evolution" is an "intelligent design" supporter who has read the Kitzmiller v. Dover decision. Same motives. Same end game. Same politicians who "Strongly Favor."