Foundation for Thought and Ethics
A Texas-based group creating textbooks and articles promoting intelligent design, abstinence, and Christian nationism.
Originally they announced their mission as “proclaiming, publishing, preaching [and] teaching…the Christian Gospel and understanding of the Bible and the light it sheds on the academic and social issues of the day.” However, their website currently hides their religious affiliation, claiming they're "working to restore the freedom to know to young people in the classroom, especially in matters of worldview, morality, and conscience, and to return the right of informed consent to families in the education of their children.” On its 2002 IRS Form 990, the group was more frank, listing its mission as “Promoting & publishing textbooks presenting a Christian perspective of academic studies.”
After such comments were used to argue that their textbooks were religious in nature, the group began to insist that both "the accountant got it wrong and the attorney got it wrong" and that the use of "creationism", to be later replaced by "intelligent design", was simply because creationism was a "placeholder term". [1]
Their domain name contact and academic editor is William Dembski (dembski@discovery.org), a Discovery Institute senior fellow.
Work
In 1992, organized, "in partnership with the C.S. Lewis Society [probably the C.S. Lewis Foundation: "our mission is to advance the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression throughout the world of learning and the culture at large"] and Dallas Christian Leadership" an intelligent design symposium at Southern Methodist University.
Publishes several intelligent design documents, including the textbook Of Pandas and People.
Also publishes the abstinence textbook Sex and Character, whose publication information proudly proclaims 'No anatomical diagrams or instructions in "safe sex"', just lessons in "character-development as an essential basis for teaching abstinence until marriage".
Their textbook Never Before In History, "dispel[s] the common misconception that our founding principles came primarily from Greek, Roman, and Enlightenment thinkers", instead showing "the decisive role that Christianity played...if religion is banned from the public life of the nation, America's history and traditions are unintelligible."
Personnel
- Jon A. Buell, founder and president
- member of the American Scientific Affiliation, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Dallas Independent School District Religious Community Task Force, 1988 White House Conference on Education
- director of International Impact
- Dean A. Anderson, executive VP
- William A. Dembski, academic editor
- senior fellow, Discovery Institute Center for Renewal of Science and Culture
Contact information
Foundation For Thought and Ethics
PO BOX 830721
Richardson, Texas 75083-0721
1.800.669.3410
info@fteonline.com
http://www.fteonline.com
Domain name address is listed as
538 Post Oak Lane
Riesel, TX 76682
US
External links
- Rob Boston, Science Test, Church & State, February 2005.
