You know that argument that Sam Harris et al. put forward about how the 'moderates' enable the fundamentalists? Well, here is a prime example of that - the Church of England now wants to teach ID in science. Only history of science, mind. But why ID? Is the last five years 'history of science'? Of course not. Is there any connection between the ID of Johnson and Behe and any meaningful conception of science? No, there isn't. 
I propose we ought to have a new class called "history of bad ideas". It would show children a number of bad ideas that people have had throughout the centuries. Of course, religious ideas like creationism and ID could be explained, along with astrology, psychoanalysis, phrenology, racism, Lysenkoism and other "wishes before evidence" theories of the world around us.
The problem with these 'history of ideas' type courses is that they can become propaganda tools. Look at how Newton's scientific credibility is pounced upon by religionists. How much of Newton's mysticism does anyone pay any attention to today? If Newton had spent his time only working on mysticism and religion, he'd be forgotten - it's his science which makes him a respectable figure within intellectual history.
The 'requirement' of Christianity for scientific advance is also absurd - some academics have suggested that Christianity was one of the conditions required for the scientific revolution to happen. Historically, that is probably so, but science and technology has happened all over the world. Christianity wasn't required for scientific advance in ancient China - in fact, it couldn't have been required because Christianity didn't exist at that point. The argument can be put on the other side for the scientific revolution, too. Why was it that in the early Middle Ages, science didn't happen at nearly the rate it did during the Enlightenment? Might it not have something to do with the strength of the Church and the dearth of non-clerical positions open to the educated populace (to say nothing of the fact that most people weren't actually educated)?
Still, the Church of England has got itself in the papers again. Congratulations. I'm really looking forward to the end of this absurd institution. When is that finally going to happen?
