We heard the blaring sirens and saw the flashing lights of our Retard-o-tron™, so we rushed to the computer and found it locked onto an article in WorldNetDaily (WND). It’s in their honor that our jolly buffoon logo is displayed above this post.
You may recall our earlier mention of the budding romance between WND and the Discovery Institute. We first described it here, WorldNetDaily Promotes Stephen Meyer’s Book, where we said:
Yes, dear reader, it’s true — WND is jumping on the Discoveroids’ bandwagon with all-out praise for Stephen Meyer’s book, Darwin’s Doubt. They must be thrilled in Seattle. At last, their work is achieving the recognition it deserves.
It seems that we were right. Today the Retard-o-tron™ found an article indicating that the WND-Discoveroid relationship is blossoming. If we were not so gentlemanly, we would describe their steamy affair as the formation of an axis of insanity. But we’ll let the situation speak for itself.
Today’s article is a WND “Exclusive” titled University shuts down science-class discussions. Wow — shutting down discussions!
Despite their twisted title, you know what WND is talking about — it’s the creationism controversy at Indiana’s Ball State University that we’ve been writing about. See Statement from Ball State University’s President, and also Battle of Ball State: Setting the Stage. The Discoveroids had been screeching and squawking about the university’s belated awakening to claims that creationism has been creeping into its science curriculum.
So far, the Discoveroids have been the only ones who are upset about what we all hope is the restoration of sanity at Ball State. But now they are no longer alone. WND is on their side. The Discoveroids must be delighted to have attracted an ally of WND’s high intellectual standing Here are some excerpts from WND’s article:
Officials at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., have decided to censor what their science teachers and instructors say, ordering them not to discuss the evidence of intelligent design during science classes, according to a report from the Discovery Institute, which monitors such battles.
Isn’t this grand? Then WND quotes that highly respected Discoveroid source, John West (whom we affectionately call “Westie”). We already wrote about his Ball State rant in the second of our two articles to which we linked earlier — he called it an Orwellian gag order. After summarizing the situation (from Westie’s point of view) WND says:
The [Discovery] Institute said the [gag] order came from BSU President Jo Ann Gora, who declared ID is a “religious” idea at variance with “the consensus of science scholars” and may not be discussed in science classes, since that would be a violation of “academic integrity.”
Did you love all those scare quotes? Yes, they’re in WND’s article. We don’t need to excerpt anything else. You already know what’s going on at Ball State, and you can easily understand why the Discoveroids are upset. But now you also know that WND is teaming up with the Discoveroids.
It’s thrilling to see this powerful intellectual alliance coming together. The Discoveroids and WND were made for each other. Now that they’re united, we wonder if Ball State can handle the pressure.
Copyright © 2013. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
I’ll admit to being amazed at all of this.
The Ball State administration took what I see to be a reasonably balanced and sane approach to the whole problem. And the ID community seems to have gone into panic, as if they are under siege.
I suspect at this point the Discoveroids feel like they just got a “wedgie”. Ha! Ha!
Discoveroids and WorldNutDaily: a marriage designed in heaven.
WND: “Officials at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., have decided to censor what their science teachers and instructors say, ordering them not to discuss the evidence of intelligent design during science classes…”
Evidence of intelligent design??? What evidence of intelligent design? Perhaps Prof. Hedin at Ball State would publish a peer-reviewed paper in a bona fide science journal that lays out all of the “evidence” he would like to discuss in his science class. Then he’d have something he could actually discuss.
I understand the frustration at dealing with creationists who generally do not obey the generally agreed upon rules of civil debate or logic or engage in any recognizable form of science, but if the best you can do is call them a retard you’re not trying hard enough.
I agree. I’ve told Curm before that comparing creationists to retards is not fair to the mentally challenged.
I’ve never had a mentally challenged person tell me he knows more science than the world’s scientists. That crap is for normies. Retarded people know what they’re good at and what they’re not. Creationists all think they’re frigging Galileo.
— Diogenes
Tell us more about WND. and who funds them.
I see on the sidepanel that they have articoles from Pat Buchanan about international affairs, and from Phyllis Schlafley about “Obama’s supremacist judges.” This last highly ironic if you know about Citizen’s United, and the gutting of the Voting Rights Act.
WND, and the DI, don’t just happen; they link in to the Us Rabid Right. See e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Ahmanson,_Jr.#Political.2C_cultural_and_religious_financing
Paul Braterman notes:
Indeed–and, among the links noted at the Wikipedia article (and readily verified from other sources), the especially egregious one is to The Chalcedon Foundation, a truly whacko “Christian Reconstructionist” outfit openly advocating full-tilt Theocracy.
Diogenes says: “I’ve told Curm before that comparing creationists to retards is not fair to the mentally challenged.”
What’s the matter with you guys? I don’t think I’ve ever called a creationist a retard. Well, maybe some legislators, but only when it seems that they really are. The Retard-o-tron™ is an instrument, an essential part of my equipment. What the radio telescope is to SETI, the Retard-o-tron™ is to me.
Our Curmudgeon reveals
Makes sense. While SETI seeks out Intelligence elsewhere in the cosmos, our SC unveils blathering earth-bound idiocy…
Diogenes says, “I’ve never had a mentally challenged person tell me he knows more science than the world’s scientists.”
Unfortunately, I have. I used to attend a community college that did outreach teaching to Developmentally Impaired folk. And they had their share of outspoken fundamentalists, creationists and conspiracy theorists too.