Texas judge prohibits Creationist institution from handing out scientific degrees

Cartoon: “Billy wins his first Creation Science fair” [click for full size [300×305]]

My oh my, with all the wackaloonery going on down in Texas, especially with the Texas State Board of Education and its infestation of history-distorting theocrats, it’s always a wonderful breath of fresh air when science and reason actually prevails over nonsense and ignorance every now and again. In what’s sure to be a bruising blow to Creationists, a federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit by the Institute for Creation Research, a Creationist group that promotes Biblical literalism, that demanded to allow it to pass out degrees in science education. The court wasn’t kind (and nor should it be):

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks of Austin found no merit in the institute's claims and criticized its legal documents as "overly verbose, disjointed, incoherent, maundering and full of irrelevant information."

In an e-mailed statement, school representatives said they were reviewing the decision and may appeal.

[…]

The Institute for Creation Research's graduate school, which is based in California, has been offering master's degrees in that state since 1981, according to its website. Aimed at aspiring Christian schoolteachers, the curriculum critiques evolution and champions a literal interpretation of the biblical account of creation.

There’s nothing wrong with Christian schoolteachers, nor with Muslim teachers or educators of any religious branch, just so long as they keep their faith to themselves and out of the classroom. But when they choose to push their unscientific worldview over actual science, their forfeit their right to claim to provide adequate scientific education. Of course, by no means does this spell the end of the IfCR’s attempts at pushing superstitious nonsense into schools, so all we can do is hope that the courts keep fighting the good fight and making the right decisions regarding these education-distorting loons.

(via @todayspolitics)