John Freshwater roundup

Pharyngula links today to a very able summary of all the John Freshwater business.  John Freshwater, in case you don’t recall, is the lovable middle school science teacher who posts the Ten Commandments in his classroom, teaches creationism, and, at least once, burned a cross into a student’s forearm. 

Read the summary, if only for one thing: you get to see a picture of the cross-shaped burn mark.  I had envisioned a little thing, but this is the whole length of the students’ forearm!  You’ll also learn of a shrill religious right organization that is largely responsible for the movement to support Mr. Freshwater.

In any case, Mr. Freshwater is scheduled to be fired on July 7, unless he asks for a hearing.  Great news, although by all accounts it was eleven years too late.

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I think we should get a trial separation

Did you like that clever play on “trial” and “separation?”  As in “separation of church and state?”

No? Oh.

Anyway, this week UC Berkeley will be taken to court over a webpage they host that provides resources to teachers of evolution. According to the Pacific Justice Institute, this website contains an egregious crime against the secular government guaranteed by the Constitution, an unspeakable assault on the Wall of Separation erected by the great Thomas Jefferson.

The crime?

They said that most religions don’t have a problem with evolution.