“In the battle over how to teach evolution in public schools, Thomas Jefferson’s demand for a ’separation between church and state’ has been cited countless times. Many argue that the controversial alternative to Darwinian evolution, intelligent design, is an exclusively religious idea and therefore cannot be discussed under the Constitution. By invoking Jefferson’s principle of separation, many critics of intelligent design assume that this visionary Founding Father would agree with them. But would he? … In 1823, when materialist evolutionary ideas had long been circulating, Jefferson wrote to John Adams and insisted that the scientific evidence of design in nature was clear. … It was on empirical grounds, not religious ones, that he took this view.” [editor’s note: The insanity involved in calling this a plea for “intelligent design” is just beyond discussion; I happen to think there IS some structure in the universe, and that we “godlings” are part of that grand design … but this twit expects us to buy it as an advocacy for “creation science!” - SAT] (07/14/09)