Happily, Judge Jones did not- he called them on their bluff- that ID is Creationism in a lab coat. And even better, he demonstrated ID to be the hollow argument it truly is- after all, the object of 'The Wedge' is to create controversy that chips away at the edifice of non-supernatural scientific inquiry.

Scratch that 'controversy' and you'll find religion and supernatural/sectarian 'humbug', with pretty modern language hiding under it like bad wrapping paper.

It was an interview in today's Wired News with the creator of the "Flying Spaghetti Monster", Bobby Henderson, which got me thinking about the very devastating element of laughter and ridicule in eroding ID's chokehold on popular culture:

Wired News: Why do you think so many people have responded to this (The Flying Spaghetti Monster and Pastafarianism), so many scientists?

Henderson: I think it's just because they have a better understanding of what the ID nuts are trying to do. I think part of it is that the science community, itself, is pretty quiet about the issue. Their strategy is to ignore the "debate" so that the ID people don't get the forum.

WN: Do you think that's a mistake?

Henderson: Yeah, totally. They need to be out there calling these people retarded all the time. Nonstop. The ID people are winning because the scientists think if they ignore the issue, it will go away. Plus, I'm sure it would be therapeutic to make fun of the ID people. I think it's pretty amazing that these people without scientific backgrounds -- or really any education at all -- think they have the right to decide the science curriculum. And it blows my mind that they are getting away with it. [Emphasis mine]

WN: What do you think about the impact this all has on the education a student will get?

Henderson: I would be skeptical of anyone with a supernatural science education.

Consider this: All serious study and understanding of extraterrestrial phenomena (and some very interesting military experiments with various kinds of experimental aircraft) were totally derailed by a concentrated and deliberate campaign of ridicule on the part of the government. No one can talk seriously about the subject of UFOs today without experiencing some sort of squeamish response or outright laughter if the subject is brought up in any kind of educated company. That is how devastating a well directed cannon of laughter can be.  

The bottom line: ID has no place in a science class. It might squeak by in a philosophy or social studies course, but it should be laughed out of scientific circles for the 'humbug' that it is.