Templeton Foundation Distances Itself from ID

In both the LA Times and WSJ, we have a smile-evoking letter published today. It regards the scientific vacuity of ID, which isn't new; the source of the letter and their connection to ID is what is eyebrow-raising. (HT: Ed)

Letters to the Editor
We Don't Support 'Intelligent Design'
167 words, 5 February 2007
The Wall Street Journal
B6, English
(Copyright (c) 2007, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

In the past, the John Templeton Foundation has given grants to scientists who have gone on to identify themselves as members of the Intelligent Design community. We understand that this could be misconstrued by some to suggest that we implicitly support the Intelligent Design movement, but this wasn't our intention at the time nor is it today ("Doing Good Leads to Doing Well, Just Ask Mom or Watch Monkeys," Informed Reader, Jan. 22).

The foundation doesn't support the political movement known as "Intelligent Design." This is for three reasons: We don't believe the science underpinning the "Intelligent Design" movement is sound, we don't support research or programs that deny large areas of well-documented scientific knowledge and the foundation is a non-political entity and does not engage in, or support, political movements.

Pamela Thompson, Vice President for Communications
John Templeton Foundation, West Conshohocken, Pa

Sweet.
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Technorati tags: Intelligent Design, Evolution, Creationism

Pat Boone Lies; WingNutDaily Spreads

**UPDATE: WingNutDaily removes the bullshit paragraph, leaves the rest of the bullshit article up, and allows Boone to replace one bullshit with another:

With his "The Origin of Species" about to be released, he wrote to fellow British biologist George Bentham, "Thank you heartily for what you say about my book; but you will be greatly disappointed; it will be grievously too hypothetical. It will very likely be of no other service than collocating some facts; though I myself think I see my way approximately on the origin of species. But, alas, how frequent, how almost universal it is in an author to persuade himself of the truth of his own dogmas. My only hope is that I certainly see very many difficulties of gigantic stature."

Problem is, this quote is a classic quote mine (#2.2), and Boone is too fu*%ing stupid to do real research YET AGAIN! This letter was written before the Origin of the Species was even published! All of his correspondence with Bentham was on the breeding of plants. Stupid bastards did it again.**

Pat Boone breathlessly repeats the old "Darwin recanted on his deathbed" canard in the latest WingNutDaily. Are we surprised? Even other creationists admit this is a fraudulent story, and have the lie included in their "arguments not to use" list (the very first one on the list, in fact), but here we have WingNutDaily's complete lack of integrity shining through. Any wingnuts out there who claim this paper has one ounce of journalistic worth are self-deluded morons.

Write them or call them and ask them why they published this bullshit story:

WorldNetDaily
PO Box 1087
Grants Pass, OR 97528
Customer Service: 800-496-3266
(541) 474-1776
FAX: (541) 474-1770
corrections@worldnetdaily.com
letters@worldnetdaily.com
news@worldnetdaily.com

(HT: PZ)
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Technorati tags: God, Evolution, Creationism

COTG #59

The 59^th edition of the Carnival of the Godless is up at Aardvarchaeology.

(I said I wouldn't be writing much [any] for 2-3 weeks, I didn't say I wouldn't throw up a link now and again.)
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Technorati tags: God, Religion, Atheism, COTG

Next Time I Hear, 'the liberal MSM'...

...I may have to spit on someone.
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Technorati tags: God, Religion, Atheism, Church-state

Brian Sapient on "Nightline" re "Blasphemy Challenge"

Brian Sapient, of Rational Responders (the site is temporarily down from the flood of traffic generated by this media appearance) was on "Nightline" talking about the "Blasphemy Challenge" on Jan. 30. ABC News was even kind enough to post a video of the entire segment of the interview, as well as videos of people taking the blasphemy challenge and the URL of the site online. Read their article here. I think they were somewhat fair, but the whole, "taking on God" and "fighting God" rhetoric is a little thick. Go Digg the story.

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Technorati tags: God, Religion, Atheism