Ball State University’s President Jo Ann Gora recently deemed the theory of intelligent design a religious belief and essentially banned science classes from delving into the notion that an intelligence of some sort helped form the universe and life on Earth.

The College Fix Assistant Editor Jennifer Kabbany reports that the school’s actions prompted a strong response by theory proponents:

Now intelligent design scholars at the Discovery Institute have sent Gora a scathing 10-page letter that lists numerous examples of apparent academic hypocrisy and double standards found at Ball State. Institute officials demand the hypocrisy either be corrected, or the decision against discussions of intelligent design in science classes be reversed.

Gora had made her ruling after the public university received national attention and legal pressure over its “Boundaries of Science” class, taught by Professor Eric Hedin, which included theories of intelligent design, prompting atheists to dub it proselytizing and demand it be axed.

In their letter, Discovery Institute officials say if that’s the case – they want all the secular proselytizing and hypocritical policies found at the Indiana campus removed as well.

For example, its scholars reviewed science courses at Ball State similar to Hedin’s and found “large amounts of nonscientific content.” Here are some examples:

…Not only do Honors 296, 297, and 298 seminars typically have large amounts of nonscience content, a perusal of the official BSU description for these courses reveals that BSU actually requires the seminars to cover non-scientific content. … BSU cannot have it both ways. If it maintains that intelligent design cannot be discussed by Prof. Hedin in Honors 296 because it is non-scientific and therefore outside the scope of a “science course,” then non-science content in all of the other sections of Honors 296, 297, and 298 must be banned as well.”

In a truly scholarly debate, a weighty counterargument might typically be offered.

However, a prominent atheist in academic opted for a less learned approach:

Prominent atheist and University of Chicago professor Jerry Coyne, on his popular pro-evolution blog, called intelligent design proponents “butthurt” whiners for taking on Ball State University’s recent decision to ban intelligent design discussions in science classes.

Coyne’s comments were made in response to the pro-intelligent design think tank Discovery Institute’s sending of a 10-page demand letter to Ball State calling on it to end its hypocrisy and secular proselytizing.

“The DI is butthurt and squalling like an injured child,” wrote Coyne on his popular Why Evolution Is True blog Tuesday. “Their theories have been rejected by mainstream science … and so they’re trying to prohibit anybody from criticizing those theories.”

No matter someone’s personal take the Intelligent Design, Coyne’s name-calling shows the Discovery Institute clearly won this round of the debate.