SCOTUS Opens Door to Teaching Creationism

...At least in private schools that are corporate persons and enjoy corporate freedom of religion. As put by Justice Alito in the 5-4 majority opinion in Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al., v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., et al.

According to their religious beliefs the four contraceptive methods at issue are abortifacients.

This misguided statement has the potential to allow all sorts of nonsense. A private school may teach that Adam and Eve played polo riding on the backs of dinosaurs, if that is their religious belief. Science be damned; if their religious belief says so, they can teach that the Earth is 6,000 years old. If consistent with their religious belief, demon-created earthquakes and  devil-guided tornadoes might find their way into the curiculum. 

Jay Michaelson at The Daily Beast got it exactly right, saying 

"The four contraceptive methods at issue are abortifacients." That should be a statement of fact, not faith.

Whenever someone tries to justify religious notions with a scientific basis, they usually run into trouble, most especially if they completely lack any understanding of the science.

One man, two votes?

One of the things that bothers me about the recent Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. FEC, is that in essence it gives multiple votes to individuals who control large corporations. Such an individual casts his own vote and may argue in favor of his favorite candidates. He can also devote his corporation's resources to convincing others to vote his way. Some have suggested limiting a corporation's ability to influence votes by requiring a vote of shareholders; but the majority of shares may be held by a limited, unrepresentative group.

Anyway, it looks like the floodgates have been opened.