AMONG the more obscure celebrations touted by fringe groups is one being promoted by the neo-theocrats at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture (a/k/a the Discoveroids).
At the Discoveroid blog we read: Discovery Institute Announces 2nd Annual Academic Freedom Day on Charles Darwin’s Birthday. Here are some excerpts, with bold added by us:
Fresh on the heels of Darwin Year, Discovery Institute announces the launch of the 2nd Annual Academic Freedom Day in honor of Charles Darwin’s birthday, February 12, 2010.
Yes, it’s that time of year again, and Discovery Institute is gearing up for the celebration by supporting what Darwin supported: academic freedom.
This is a great idea! If the creationists can push their nonsense on Darwin’s birthday, all kinds of possibilities come to mind. We can’t wait for comparable events to be announced.
Maybe on Martin Luther King’s birthday some group will celebrate Jim Crow Day. Yeah! And on Columbus’ birthday we can celebrate Flat Earth Day. How about a partial-birth abortion festival on Mother’s Day?
Let’s read on:
It’s time like these when Darwin’s own words should instruct everyone on how to have an open and honest debate over evolution and intelligent design.
Brace yourself for some quote mining. Here it comes:
In On the Origin of Species, Darwin wrote, “A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question.” This quote is the cornerstone of the Institute’s Academic Freedom Day efforts.
Glorious! We continue:
The [Discovery] Institute’s Center for Science and Culture is sponsoring Academic Freedom Day 2010, assisting student groups, clubs, and individual students to organize Academic Freedom Day Events centered on Darwin’s birthday and his fair-minded approach to freedom of inquiry.
Okay, that’s enough.
All that remains is for the toilet bathing fetishists to demand that their side of the public health controversy should be presented whenever schools teach personal hygiene. Academic freedom requires that all sides should be taught. Let the children make up their own minds!
Copyright © 2010. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
Uggh… dishonest stunts like this by the Discovery Institute just piss me off. These slime-bags couldn’t care less for academic freedom or where open inquiry leads a person, they just want to be free to teach religion as if it were science.
They’re free to believe whatever they want, but that doesn’t give them the right to pass off lies like this.
Relax, Dan. We’re used to it around here.
So when should we expect Wall Street to celebrate Marx’s birthday?
Check out the “Show Up” page at the associated Academic Freedom Day website. They are still trolling for a venue. They said they are teaming up with the IDEA clubs, but I believe Allen MacNeill found that just about all the IDEA clubs were defunct.
I always thought “Academic Freedom” included the freedom to reject nonsense.
How about the academic freedom of the teachers to teach evidence based subjects?
Tundra Boy asks: “How about the academic freedom of the teachers to teach evidence based subjects?”
Noooooo! That’s what the Darwin lobby wants.
Virginia still celebrates Lee Jackson King day, referring to Robert E. and Stonewall, respectively. I think its safe to say that in this case, also, the placement makes it clear that an additional celebration is not the goal, rather its an attempt to downplay/protest the recognition of a person the organizers dislike.
Albanaeon asks,
“So when should we expect Wall Street to celebrate Marx’s birthday?”
Probably the same time Obama proposes celebrating the Enlightenment.
Albanaeon and retiredsciguy: Wall Street celebrating Marx’s birthday, Obama celebrating the Enlightenment … You guys are truly moved by the Discoveroid spirit.
Moved to some rather unpleasant restroom experience?
Have they discovered yet that they’re a bunch of MORONS???????
A more accurate name for their intent would be, “Academic Licentiousness Day” — a celebration of ‘my opinion trumps yours on my say-so’, and festival of pick ‘n match philosophy…
In keeping with the example set by Illustrious Discoveroid Dr Dr Dembski, comments on this post should now be disabled.
Since 12 Feb is also Lincoln’s birthday, how about “freedom to keep slaves” day? 😉
Amadan says:
A true Discoveroid doesn’t permit comments at all. Alas, I fall short of that goal.
Surely it’s ‘Discoverrhoids’?
Geoff says:
A painful and incurable disorder.
The Curmudgeon proclaimed “Discoverrhoids” to be a
Not entirely so. Plunging the head of the afflicted Discoverrhoid into a bucket full of Preparation H for an hour is said to give some relief…
Thank you megalonyx.
I suppose one could only be sure that some relief was given only to those in the near vicinity.
Relief to the sufferer is a matter for theology.
Indeed, Darwin stated, “A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question” but this was not the end of his sentence.
This is what he actually stated, “A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question; and this cannot possibly be here done.”