OUR FUTURE LEADERS

Congratulations to the winners of this year's science fair at Pawleys Island Christian Academy in South Carolina. The school expects excellence from its students, and they have apparently met that expectation.

According to this account in the Georgetown Times:

Brian Benson, an eighth-grade student who won first place in the Life Science/Biology category for his project “Creation Wins!!!,” says he disproved part of the theory of evolution. Using a rolled-up paper towel suspended between two glasses of water with Epsom Salts, the paper towel formed stalactites. He states that the theory that they take millions of years to develop is incorrect.

“Scientists say it takes millions of years to form stalactites,” Benson said. “However, in only a couple of hours, I have formed stalactites just by using paper towel and Epsom Salts.”

Finally, proof that we did not evolve from stalactites.

ROMNEY DUCKS, WEAVES (AGAIN)

Mitt Romney is, oddly, a lot like Bill Clinton -- handsome, charming, undeniably charismatic. And too glib for his own good.

Like Clinton, Romney has a knack for flip-flopping, especially if it can get him votes. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney was all about choice and inclusion. Now that he's running for president, his positions on abortion and gay rights have "modified," to use a polite word.

Last week, the 10 GOP candidates for president were asked about evolution. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas all signaled that they don't believe in evolution.

Romney gave no such sign.

Religious conservatives pounced. David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network seems intent on making Romney squirm. He asked Romney's camp about the candidate and evolution and got this response:

"Governor Romney believes both science and faith can help inform us about the origins of life in this world."

Not good enough for religious conservatives. Brody delivers the warning shot:

With all due respect, what does that mean exactly? It leaves me with more questions. I have asked for further clarification which I assume will be forthcoming here at the Brody File. I have now asked the Romney campaign specifically if he believes in Darwin's theory of Evolution or does he take the Creationist view? The answer above suggests that he may believe in both. I'm not saying he does. I'm just saying I'm a tad bit confused by the answer.

Here's the key point. The majority of Born Again Evangelicals take the Creationist viewpoint. Some Evangelicals already have concerns about Romney's Mormon faith. He needs support from Evangelicals to win. That's why this issue is an important one that needs to be cleared up. I don't think this is an issue that Romney can avoid. I believe his views need to be clear.

Question: Is it true that most evangelicals are creationists?

UNINTELLIGENT, BY DESIGN

Opponents of evolution keep kicking, even after the licking they took in Dover, Penn. Despite the fact that a federal judge ruled "intelligent design" is nothing more than reheated creationism, IDers still insist they be taken seriously by the scientific community.

This week, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Missouri-Columbia became the latest whiner to his cause. John Marshall complained about ID being kicked "off the playing field of science." The Columbia Tribune quotes Marshall:

"[Intelligent Design is] as much science as Darwinian evolution is science. And as a theory, I believe that intelligent design fits the evidence of biology better than Darwinian evolution."

About 100 people attended the forum. Unfortunately for Marshall, many were scientists trained in chemistry and biology. Frank Schmidt, a biochem professor, decided to dispense with pussyfooting. He asked Marshall why "intelligent design" should be considered science when it doesn't even offer a single testable prediction.

The Tribune reported that "Marshall would not directly answer the question."

He couldn't, of course. There is no science in "intelligent design." Instead of knowledge it relies on ignorance. If something in the natural world is too difficult to immediately understand, the ID answer is supernatural: "God did it."

No wonder Schmidt said Marshall's presentation "really hacks me off." It should hack off anyone who uses a brain to think.

NO WAY, FEDERAL WAY

We thank the gods or whatever for not putting us on the path of the Federal Way school district in Washington State. There, the citizens with juice seem to be a little goofy in the head.

The skinny: A teacher wanted to show "An Inconvenient Truth" to a class. A parent who supports creationism in schools complained, loudly. The school board says the Al Gore film can only be shown only with permission from the principal and superintendent, and only if a "credible, legitimate opposing view" is presented.

It's not a fight over truth; it's a war about politics, religion and political correctness. A story in the Post-Intelligencer illustrates the power of screwed-up thinking:

"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."

Hardison is apparently the one who does the thinking around the house:

Hardison and his wife, Gayla, said they would prefer that the movie not be shown at all in schools.

"From what I've seen (of the movie) and what my husband has expressed to me, if (the movie) is going to take the approach of 'bad America, bad America,' I don't think it should be shown at all," Gayle Hardison said. "If you're going to come in and just say America is creating the rotten ruin of the world, I don't think the video should be shown."

People with common sense would listen politely to the Hardisons, allow them to remove their child from the class, and go ahead with the movie. But that would be asking too much of the Federal Way school district. Hardison's e-mail to David Larson, a school board member, sparked Larson to call for a moratorium on "An Inconvenient Truth." Larson explains, poorly:

"Somebody could say you're killing free speech, and my retort to them would be we're encouraging free speech," said Larson, a lawyer. "The beauty of our society is we allow debate."

School Board members adopted a three-point policy that says teachers who want to show the movie must ensure that a "credible, legitimate opposing view will be presented," that they must get the OK of the principal and the superintendent, and that any teachers who have shown the film must now present an "opposing view."

Hardison has an opposing view. Is it credible or legitimate? Not unless he has scientific evidence to bolster his own young-Earth claims and to dispute the film's contentions. That's a debate. Otherwise, the district must allow everyone with a crackpot view to make his or her case.

A guy named Curt Brown used to be the general manager of KTTS radio in Springfield. Brown would voice his own editorials; a sly tagline said "opposing views will be considered." The Federal Way school district should have taken a lesson from Brown and stood up against a blowhard.

THE 'BIG FISH' STILL TEACHES, PREACHES IN KEARNEY, N.J.

We made note last week of a Kearny, N.J., teacher who apparently believes his history class is a good place to do some fundamentalist preaching.

David Paszkiewicz, who also serves as a minister in a conservative Baptist church, denied the allegations made by student Matthew LaClair -- flat-out denied them during a meeting he and LaClair had with the principal. That's when LaClair revealed that he had recorded the remarks.

Paszkiewicz, the teacher, reportedly replied: "You got the big fish ... you got the big Christian guy who is a teacher!" Then he said he wouldn't say anything else until he'd talked to his union representative.

Despite proof that Paszkiewicz has violated the Establishment Clause, he's still teaching -- and his defenders seem determined to blame the student for the teacher's mistake.

The Arlington Observer, a weekly New Jersey newspaper, has published excerpts from the Paszkiewicz recording. Priceless gems, these.

Asked what should happen to a kid who doesn't have faith in Jesus Christ, Paszkiewicz replied:

"Until you're 18 years old, you have to. At 18, I'll still love you, but I won't agree with you. If a kid is 12 and says 'Dad, I don't want to go to church with you,' after I break his backside, we'll look to have a little attitude adjustment, you know?"

Yeah, sadly, we know.

During a discussion of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and comments made about the mainstream media being Nazi supporters, Paszkiewicz said:

"I agree with him. Members of the media are (Nazi supporters). I mean, just look at Geraldo Rivera, and Alan Colmes."

And just in case there's any sliver of a doubt whether Paszkiewicz belongs in a public-school classroom, check out this history-class statement on whether public schools should teach Scripture:

"It’s not about teaching my point of view. It's not about teaching religion. These issues will come up when we get to the 1920s (in class). The public schools shouldn't teach a religion, but the scriptures aren't a religion. (Instead), the scriptures are the foundation of the world’s religions. And yes, the Bible. We should be able to bring the Bible into the classroom and read it."

We suspect he does not feel such affection for the Koran or the Tripitaka being brought to school. We're not surprised; Paszkiewicz also believes (or at least said in class) that the generation prior to 1962 "did not have terrorism, did not have race aggression and all of that."

Blogger Jim Lippard has aggressively reported the story from the get-go, and in doing so has riled up many Paszkiewicz defenders, including some Kearny High School students. Most disturbing is the method of defense being used by these alleged Christians; they condemn LaClair, the student, for making a big deal out of what they insist is nothing (as one put it, "f--k the little bitch ass who recorded this s--t").

The teacher's supporters also show off an appalling, almost-complete ignorance of why it's wrong for a high-school history teacher to be spouting religious fundamentalism in school. He may be a minister, a righteous man, a decent fella, but when he's at Kearny High School, he's an employee and representative of the school district.

Tip of the pinhead to Lippard and his blog. Check out the mayhem yourself, and remember -- this is happening in the 21st century.

DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY

David Paszkiewicz is a history teacher at Kearney High School in New Jersey. His version of history, however, is distinctly different.

Chew on this riff of his:

"He (God) did everything in his power to make sure that you could go to heaven, so much so that he took your sin on his own body, suffered your pains for you and he's saying, 'Please accept me, believe me.'"

"If you reject that, you belong in hell. The outcome is your prerogative. But the way I see it, God himself sent his only son to die for David Paszkiewicz on that cross ... And if you reject that, then it really is to hell with you."

What the hell? The Star-Ledger reports that Paszkiewicz is still teaching, despite audio recordings that seem to prove the teacher is a liar and a hypocrite.

Matthew LaClair, the 16-year-old student, taped Paszkiewicz. The teacher said the theories of evolution and the "Big Bang" were bogus, and that dinosaurs were hanging out on Noah's ark.

The student complained to the school principal. The teacher denied every allegation. The student unveiled his audio proof.

Paszkiewicz is also a Baptist preacher. He should stick with that calling and leave the teaching of history to others.