I'll Defend To The Death Your Right To Not Disagree With Me

Editor Explains Reasons For 'Intelligent Design' Article isn't the best hed for this generally well-written story; it could have been Scientists Stone Apostate :

... As editor of the hitherto obscure Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, [evolutionary biologist Richard] Sternberg decided to publish a paper making the case for "intelligent design," a controversial theory that holds that the machinery of life is so complex as to require the hand -- subtle or not -- of an intelligent creator.

Within hours of publication, senior scientists at the Smithsonian Institution -- which has helped fund and run the journal -- lashed out at Sternberg as a shoddy scientist and a closet Bible thumper.

"They were saying I accepted money under the table, that I was a crypto-priest, that I was a sleeper cell operative for the creationists," said Steinberg, 42 , who is a Smithsonian research associate. "I was basically run out of there."

An independent agency has come to the same conclusion, accusing top scientists at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History of retaliating against Sternberg by investigating his religion and smearing him as a "creationist."...

"The rumor mill became so infected," James McVay, the principal legal adviser in the Office of Special Counsel, wrote to Sternberg, "that one of your colleagues had to circulate [your résumé] simply to dispel the rumor that you were not a scientist."

You can't blame them, though; it simply isn't part of the "science culture" to challenge accepted orthodoxy with new insights. Leave that to American Catholics.

A "B+" to reporter Michael Powell, who nevertheless reflects the culture referred to in my previous post by uncritically repeating some of the hysterical language of the scientists, such as  "Bible thumper."  A large part of America suspects that's an insult.

Okay, they don't suspect.

Original post revised to increase snark index.