EVERYONE has heard of Wedge Document, the grand plan of the neo-theocrats at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture (a/k/a the Discoveroids). Here’s a copy of it from the website of the National Center for Science Education: The Wedge Document. There’s also an informative article in Wikipedia: Wedge strategy.
The Wedge Document was a key piece of evidence in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. That Wikipedia article about the case has a great deal of worthwhile background information. The court’s website with the 139 page opinion (pdf file) is here: TAMMY KITZMILLER, et al., Plaintiffs, v. DOVER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al., Defendants.
We wrote this article: Kitzmiller v. Dover: What’s the Wedge Document?, which quotes extensively from Judge Jones’ well-crafted opinion. Here are a few excerpts which quote the opinion itself, with color added by us for emphasis:
Dramatic evidence of ID’s [ID = Intelligent Design] religious nature and aspirations is found in what is referred to as the “Wedge Document.” The Wedge Document, developed by the Discovery Institute’s Center for Renewal of Science and Culture (hereinafter “CRSC”), represents from an institutional standpoint, the IDM’s [IDM = intelligent design movement] goals and objectives, much as writings from the Institute for Creation Research did for the earlier creation-science movement, as discussed in McLean. [transcript reference]; McLean, 529 F. Supp. at 1255.
The Wedge Document states in its “Five Year Strategic Plan Summary” that the IDM’s goal is to replace science as currently practiced with “theistic and Christian science.” [transcript reference]. As posited in the Wedge Document, the IDM’s “Governing Goals” are to “defeat scientific materialism and its destructive moral, cultural, and political legacies” and “to replace materialistic explanations with the theistic understanding that nature and human beings are created by God.” Id. at 4. The CSRC expressly announces, in the Wedge Document, a program of Christian apologetics to promote ID.
A careful review of the Wedge Document’s goals and language throughout the document reveals cultural and religious goals, as opposed to scientific ones. [transcript reference]. ID aspires to change the ground rules of science to make room for religion, specifically, beliefs consonant with a particular version of Christianity.
Those were the court’s findings, after hearing witness from both sides under oath. But now that Kitzmiller has been decided, what’s the position of the Discoveroids? They’re following the same old strategy we described here: Deny, Deny, Deny! You know how it goes: “Admit nothing, deny everything, and make counter-accusations.”
Shortly after the Kitzmiller decision, they posted a 19-page pdf file at their website: The “Wedge Document”: “So What?” It’s difficult reading — quite painful, actually. They selectively go through the Wedge Document and attempt to spin it so that it doesn’t say what it clearly says.
We’d like to give you a few excerpts so you can appreciate their efforts, but their tract appears to be copy-protected. We can’t quote from it without painstakingly re-typing their prose, and that’s too much work. If you want to see their primitive attempt at new-age apologetics, click over to the Discoveroid site and read their statement — as much as you can endure. We’ve read it. We think Judge Jones got it right.
And speaking of Judge Jones, don’t forget — Kitzmiller was decided on 20 December 2005. That means Kitzmas is only one week away.
Copyright © 2009. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
I find it funny that the DI has to use an encrypted pdf file for there new “wedge” document. You can’t save it or copy and paste it. I did take a series of screen shots, saved as jpeg files, and converted to pdf. E-mail me for a copy if your want it.
Biokid says: “… converted to pdf. E-mail me for a copy if your want it.”
Thanks, but I guess I’ll pass. I was kinda glad I couldn’t copy any of it. That saved me from spending time thinking about and commenting on a worthless document.
“Admit nothing, deny everything, and make counter-accusations.”
Don’t forget the addenda to that: “Demand proof, discredit witnesses, blame society.”
Gary says:
And then announce that you’re going into rehab.
Wow. Why does this sound so familiar? Let’s see. A document that they say says only good positive things when people who read it critically get an altogether different impression. Oh and of course, the critically reading people are the ones who are reading it all wrong and assigning all sorts of nefarious purposes to it, not them. They only have the BESTEST of intentions… I don’t know, but I think their creationism is showing…
A very, very merry Kitzmas to all, and especially to our humble Curmudgeon, who doggedly wades through huge amounts of slimy drivel put out by the likes of Casey Luskin, John West, Jonathan Wells, Michael Behe, Robert Crowther, and the other Discoveroid drones. Our Curmudgeon does the slogging so that we can laugh and mock those purveyors of stupidity.
Okay, I realize that this thread is now the third (as of this writing) old. But I was able to download the encrypted, all-secure, MC-Hammer-“Can’t-Touch-This-We-Want-To-Give-The-World-A-Wedgie” document and, in the span of five minutes, make it into a normal document. Unfortunately, in the process of doing that, I had to read it. All of it. Fortunately, my mental fortitude is buoyed by the good grade of my latest masters class, so I perservered. And here’s my main comment, which has probably already been said. By their own admission, they’re not using the scientific method. The scientific method starts with the assumption of the null hypothesis. That means you start by saying, “I don’t know s___.” Instead, they state, time and again that they want to prove a “theistic” causation for… everything. THAT means they’ve already violated Rule #1 of the scientific method.
Frankly, fellas, if that document is the best you can do, go home.
Gary says to the Discoveroids: “Frankly, fellas, if that document is the best you can do, go home.”
They’ll quit, as soon as their money dries up. As long as they have the contributors they do, it’s an easy way to make a living.