(Before starting this blog entry, we at the Newsdesk would like to say that we understand that the ultra-conservative Houston Area Pastor Council does not speak for everyone in Houston, most Christians, or even all Houston pastors.)

In their latest newsletter, the council rankles at the fact that Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board has rejected a request from Dallas-based creationists the Institute in Creation Research to be able to offer a master’s degree in science education. Well, isn’t that just typical, say the Houston Area Pastors. After all, “cross-species micro-evolution is the nerve center of the faith of liberalism.” And there was those crazy liberals thinking it was something to do with human rights.

And their priority? “It’s time to take this issue seriously or admit that we don’t care whether our children, our society and our nation are trained and dominated by Baal.” Yes, Baal. Presumably they don’t mean the Bertolt Brecht play.

This is in between some desperate schilling for Ben Stein’s Expelled, which they call “an incredible documentary”, but the New York Times called “one of the sleaziest documentaries to arrive in a very long time”, and our own Mark Savlov called “propaganda that’d do Leni Riefenstahl proud.” But isn’t that what those pesky liberals would say?

This article appears in April 25 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.