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\G»V\ Science and the Bible by Bolton Davidheiser, Ph.D.
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T e n n e s s e e has repealed its law which forbade the teaching of evolution in schools supported by public funds. The impetus for this seems to have been the desire to avoid “ embarrassment” though pub- licity resulting from a law suit. A teacher was expelled recently for teaching evolution but later was re instated, apparently to avoid a sec ond “ Scopes trial.” The teacher then filed a suit against the state, charging that the law interfered with academic freedom. In popular accounts of the Scopes trial it is commonly said that Mr. Scopes agreed to break the law as a test case. This is not true. With the consent and approval of the county superintendent of schools and the head of the county board of educa tion, he quite reluctantly agreed to admit that he already had broken the law, and to submit to arrest on this basis. He later summed up the situation by saying that “ it was just a drugstore discussion that got past control.” At the conclusion of the trial Mr. Scopes told a reporter that during the trial he was worried because he feared he might be called to the wit ness stand, where, under oath, he would have had to admit that he never had taught evolution. Since that time he has admitted in a popu- lar magazine, on television, and in his book (Center o f the Storm) that to the best of his knowledge he nev er taught evolution. The recently adopted and highly slanted 8th grade textbook Land of the Free goes further in misrepre senting the basic facts about the Scopes trial than any other account which has come to the attention of this writer. The textbook says: “ Then in 1925, a courageous teacher in Tennessee took a stand against the anti-evolution law. John Thomas Scopes, a teacher of science in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, de fiantly told his class about Darwin’s theory. He was arrested and put on trial.” Mr. Scopes was not in any sense a crusader for a cause. For the Ameri can Civil Liberties Union, which in stigated and engineered the case, the issue was academic freedom and, apparently, a desire to discredit fundamentalism. Mr. Scope’s attor ney, Clarence Darrow, requested the SEPTEMBER, 1967
jury to find his client guilty. The reason for this was the desire of the ACLU to carry the case to the Su preme Court in order to obtain as much publicity as possible for the cause of academic freedom. (The next court reversed the verdict on a technicality — the judge had im posed the minimum fine, when in this case it was the jury and not the judge which should have imposed the fine!) The state of Arkansas has an anti evolution law which was declared unconstitutional not long ago. Again, the issue was academic freedom, and during the court proceedings the judge would not permit discus sion of the matter on any grounds other than academic freedom. The state Supreme Court has reversed this decision! In the spring of 1967 a seminar on creation was held in Arkansas. Tele vision time was graciously given for brief appearances by the seminar speakers, but when a station which was broadcasting a series of evolu tionary lectures was asked for time, the reply was that broadcast time could be given but that there would be no time to prepare the required videotape. The manager of the sta tion was told that this would be no problem because the backers of the seminar would have a tape prepared commercially. He than said he could not broadcast it because it was re ligious. He was informed that the lecture would not be religious at all but a purely scientific presentation of the anti-evolutionary point of view. The manager then said he would have to consult someone high er up in his organization, and this man in turn found he would have to consult others, who would not be able to meet for some time. At the time of the Scopes trial the ACLU allegedly was greatly concerned lest fundamentalists cur tail academic freedom in the public schools. The situation is now re versed. Evolution is taught even in the second grade, while simple pray ers are forbidden. While fundamen talists tried to prohibit the teaching of evolution in public schools, those who oppose Christian faith are suc ceeding in prohibiting or curtailing everything which gives recognition to God. g¥1
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