Sometimes the immature pettiness of Republicans amazes me.  I guess if they were honoring Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, or Bruce Willis — all of whom are proud Republicans — their actions might be different.

It’s been interesting to see many Conservative Catholics backing away from the idea of Intelligent Design and whether or not it should be taught in schools.  Now, the Vatican’s chief astronomer, Reverend George Coyne, is saying Intelligent Design is not science and should not be taught in science classes.  Like me, he sees no problem with Intelligent Design being taught in schools, just that it doesn’t belong in a science class. 

"Intelligent design isn’t science even though it pretends to be," the ANSA news agency quoted Coyne as saying on the sidelines of a conference in Florence. "If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not science."

That’s an interesting stance to take for a Catholic priest, especially when you consider his boss is even more conservative than John Paul II.  It’s also courageous.