Check out the new kid on the anti-theocracy block, as of September 29, 2005: DefCon, whose mission is “Defending the Constitution from the Religious Right”.

DefCon’s issues are : Federal Courts, Stem Cell Research, Right to Privacy, Separation of Church & State,
End of Life Decisions, Defending Science

Below is an excerpt from a letter DefCon sent to the governors of all 50 states, imploring them to keep religious ideology out of the science classroom. Many clergymen and scientists signed the letter. You can visit the link, and you will see another link to download a PDF of the Letter with signatures of Clergy Members, Nobel Laureates, and Scientists.

Letter To Governors Asking Them To Defend Science Education

Letter To Governors Asking Them To Defend Science Education

To All Fifty State Governors:

As scientists and clergy, we write to express our deep concern about the education of our children. Specifically, we are concerned about efforts to supplement or replace the teaching of evolution in our public schools with religious dogma or unscientific speculation. Science classes should help provide our children with the tools and scientific literacy they need to succeed in a 21st century economy.

We are well aware of studies showing American children falling behind those of other nations in their knowledge and understanding of science. We certainly will not be able to close this gap if we substitute ideology for fact in our science classrooms, limiting students’ understanding of a scientific concept as critical as evolution for ideological reasons.

We do not oppose exposing our children to philosophical and spiritual discussion around the origin and meaning of life. There are appropriate venues for such discussion, but not in the context of teaching science in a public school science classroom.

. . .