Shelley on Dembski, Judge Jones, and loving the friends you've got

"How many honorary doctorates does Judge Jones have now?" So begins a fine piece of investigative journalism by William Dembski, posted today at his blog Uncommon Descent. Judge Jones, of course, levelled a mighty judicial blow at Dembski and fellow intelligent design propagators with his infamous Dover decision in December '05.

Clearly lacking a more intelligent strategy to get ID into public schools, Dembski and friends have spent the better part of a year throwing stones at Jones and other allies of science education. Verbal bashing of evolution sympathizers has become a hot pasttime over at the Discovery Institute. But is this a reasonable and meaningful strategy, given an increasing general disinterest in ID? When you're loosing the few friends you've got, do you really want to put energy into pumelling your enemies?

Dembski summed up his frustration about the growing lack of support that's been nipping ID at the heels:

ID is often presented as a “conservative thing.” But conservatives and liberals alike are intent on pleasing and being rewarded by the pro-Darwin lobby (witness the Republican Judge Jones — I expect the biggest worry weighing on him in Kitzmiller was how to justify a pro-ID decision to his golf buddies at the country club).....

Ron Numbers informs me that over 100 professional societies have weighed in officially against ID. (Again, I’d like to see this confirmed.) Don’t expect people with a finger in the wind to help ID. ID is the intellectual elite’s equivalent of leprosy. In the present circumstances, we are better off being opposed by liberals and conservatives alike.

My advice to you, William, is to forget about those guys, find the friends you've got, and shower them with some care and attention.


posted by Shelley Greene sgreene@evominute.com