Liars for Jesus

Here's an interesting aspect of the Dover, PA intelligent design lawsuit. In sworn depositions, three school board members and the school superintendant have either denied or said they don't recall any discussion of creationism or Christianity during the school board meetings at which the ID policy was debated. But those comments were reported by two different newspapers, and one of the school board members repeated those sentiments in a television interview after one of those school board meetings. At issue is whether the board was motivated by a desire to get creationism or Christianity into the science classroom, something that the courts long ago ruled unconstitutional. At issue are numerous statements that have been widely reported, particularly statements by Bill Buckingham.

When attorneys asked Buckingham whether he said at a school board meeting that all he wants is a book that offers balance between what he said are the "Christian view of creationism and evolution," Buckingham stated, "Never said it."

But a taped television interview at the time shows Buckingham, the board's chief proponent of intelligent design, talking about teaching creationism in science class...

In June, Buckingham voiced concerns that the biology book included references to Darwinism. But in their depositions, three school board members said they don't remember any discussion of creationism at board meetings.

One week after the June 14 meeting, Buckingham, in a taped interview with a Fox television reporter regarding the biology textbook, said, "My opinion, it's OK to teach Darwin, but you have to balance it with something else such as creationism."

In addition, two of the board members, Buckingham and Hankins, deny that Buckingham had said at the June 14th meeting, "Two thousand years ago, someone died on a cross. Can't someone take a stand for him?", but both admitted that he had said that the fall before that during a debate on the pledge of allegiance. But the fact is that both local newspapers, in their reports the following day, quoted Buckingham making that statement and the other school board members have sworn in depositions that they heard it too. Clearly, Buckingham and Hankins are lying.

The irony, of course, is that creationists are continually telling us that if evolution is true then morality is dead and we have no way of knowing right from wrong anymore. They further assert that only the bible provides a genuine morality. And yet here they are telling convenient lies in the service of their agenda. But hey, they're telling lies for Jesus, and that makes it okay, right?