Santorum "I'm not comfortable with intelligent design being taught in the science classroom"

Sen. Rick Santorum is either a very complicated man, or a very simple one that happens to be a total poll whore lacking any convictions of his own. You decide.

Only one thing is certain; much like Stem Cell Flip-Flopping Frist, Rick Santorum wants to be President.

Leading Republicans Differ With Bush on Evolution
Washington Post

A leading Republican senator allied with the religious right differed on Thursday with President Bush's support for teaching an alternative to the theory of evolution known as "intelligent design."

Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, a possible 2008 presidential contender who faces a tough re-election fight next year in Pennsylvania, said intelligent design, which is backed by many religious conservatives, lacked scientific credibility and should not be taught in science classes.

Bush told reporters from Texas on Monday that "both sides" in the debate over intelligent design and evolution should be taught in schools "so people can understand what the debate is about."

"I think I would probably tailor that a little more than what the president has suggested," Santorum, the third-ranking Republican member of the U.S. Senate, told National Public Radio. "I'm not comfortable with intelligent design being taught in the science classroom."

Santorum differs now not only with Bush but his very support base, Evangelical Christians, which have launched campaigns in at least 18 states to make public schools teach intelligent design alongside Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

The strangest part of Santorum's evolution perhaps has been his solid involvement in both advocating the teaching of religious context in science courses as well as attacking the theory of evolution itself.

In 2001 he slipped a successful amendment into the No Child Left Behind Act to guide the implementation of education policy to include what they now call "social context" as follows: “that good science education should prepare students to distinguish the data or testable theories of science from philosophical or religious claims that are made in the name of science. Where biological evolution is taught, the curriculum should help students to understand why this subject generates so much continuing controversy, and prepare them to be informed participants in public discussions.”

Confusing enough, and an obvious attempt to be so, as both his amendment and subsequent articles (some as recent as this year) have been published and used by Pro-ID "Institutes" to support their efforts to teach ID in schools.

But as even Bush has since backed away from his earlier support to teach "both theories" as science...

Bush's science adviser, John Marburger, was quoted in The New York Times this week as saying intelligent design was not a scientific concept, and that Bush's remarks should be interpreted to mean he thinks the concept should be taught as part of the "social context" in science classes.

It turns out this has all just been a big fat "Just Kidding" on behalf of the Republicans to the fundamental religious community.

In a matter of months, Rick Santorum has gone from saying "Teach The Controversy!" to "I'm not comfortable with intelligent design being taught in the science classroom."

At least it proves conservatives can evolve.

[edit on 6-8-2005 by RANT]

This is not surprise not politician, not matter how “Extremist Conservative” he or she is do not want to be seen as an under educated, anti-science fundamentalist.

Why the targeting of schools?

Because it all comes to the agenda of creationist and fundamentalist, even if you are Christian you have to see what creation in the science curriculum is going to do.

No politician wants to be tag with the introducing of “Anti-Scientific, Anti-Intellectual movement in the school systems when politicians know that this will be damaging to Society and later on more damaging to the teaching of science properly in college.

The fundamentalist idea is to use Creationism so students can go on to Colleges full with prejudices and bias ready to challenge science without even trying to understand Science. These future students will become a bigger group of citizens with degrees that regardless of the years of schools will remain uneducated.

So yes we as a nation better start to pay more attention of what is going on with the government and fundamentalist groups their aim is to substitute science with none sense.

We have to keep an eye on these politicians they are now making themselves look like they care.

But to me they are nothing more that "Extremist fundamentalist" in disguise as "Republican Extremist conservative" to me they have prove to be nothing more than Religious pushers.