Evolution in Public Schools and Creation in Student's Home: What Creationist Can Do (Part I)
by Wendell R. Bird, J.D., Attorney
A boy in a public high school enrolled in a biology course in tenth grade. His textbook taught him that life appeared and man developed through evolution, without mentioning any other theory, and his teacher told him that this was the most reasonable explanation that all scientists believed. The boy did not have firm religious convictions and had great respect for his teacher's knowledge. Through this biology course, and similar chemistry, world history, social studies, and anthropology courses, he came to believe in "theistic evolution," because he did not realize that the Bible taught anything different or that any scientists held any other viewpoint. This particular boy went on to win third place in the International Science Fair with a biology project, and to be named one of the forty top young scientists in the nation by the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, yet he never learned through all this science work of any Biblical or scientific alternative to evolution. This author is ashamed to admit, because…shows his gullibility and ignorance, that he was that boy. How widespread is this problem?
The Problem: The Evolutionary View Is Taught Exclusively in Public Schools
Nearly three million students in public high schools study biology each year. Nearly all of them use textbooks that teach only the theory of evolution and that discuss it from cover to cover. Most public school students also have classes in social studies, world history, chemistry, physics, anthropology, or sociology that teach exclusively the theory of evolution. And nearly all those students come to believe in evolution as the only scientific explanation of origins.
Belief in the general theory of evolution is totally contrary to belief in the doctrine of divine creation. The evolutionary theory teaches that matter has always existed and that the earth evolved to its present form, while Genesis says that there was a beginning and that the earth was specially created by God. Evolution claims that non-living material developed into a living organism and that this simple life developed into fish, then amphibia, then reptiles, then mammals; but the Bible says that God created life from nothing and that he created all living kinds. The public school theory asserts that man evolved from an ape-like ancestor, while the Christian doctrine is that Adam and Eve were created by God. The evolutionary theory requires that continuous natural processes have shaped the face of the earth, while Genesis teaches that a worldwide flood altered the features of the world. In teaching only evolution, public schools effectively undermine the convictions of Christian students and prejudice unbelievers against Christianity.
The origin of the world, life, and man is a vital subject to Christians. If Adam did not literally fall into sin, Christ did not need to shed His blood on the cross, and men do not need to be saved from anything (Romans 5:12, 18; I Corinthians 15:45, 49-50). If the inspired writings of Moses are disbelieved, the gospel words of Jesus Christ will be disbelieved also (John 5:46-47). Jesus Christ taught that God created Adam and Eve, and that God sent a worldwide flood to judge man (Mark 10:6; Luke 17:27). And scripture prophesies that liberal scoffers in these last days will deny the divine creation and the worldwide flood (2 Peter 3:3, 5-6). Creation is fundamental to Christianity, yet public schools are attacking that truth. What has happened to freedom of religion?
The Constitutional Protection: Religious
Freedom Cannot Be
Violated by Public Schools
The First Amendment of the Constitution protects free exercise of an individual's religion from government abridgment. Religious freedom is the most basic of our liberties, and expansion of government activities is bringing encroachment on this freedom.
Abridgment of this constitutional right to religious freedom occurs when a governmental program puts a burden on religious exercise and when no compelling reason justifies that burden. While this legal rule may sound complicated, it applies directly to public school instruction in evolution.
Classroom instruction that presents only evolution without an alternative theory puts a burden on religious freedom. Teaching only one theory of the origin of life and man indoctrinates creationist students in that evolutionary theory, and the Supreme Court has ruled that public schools cannot undermine religious beliefs. Exposing pupils to only hostile instruction prevents creationists from separating from "the unfruitful works of darkness," and courts have held that schools cannot violate separatist practices. Requiring answers in class discussion and on tests that are based on the evolutionary theory requires creationist students to let "corrupt communications proceed out of [their] mouths," and the Supreme Court has stated that public schools cannot require objectionable declarations of belief.
This burden on religious freedom becomes serious because students in elementary and high schools are susceptible to influence, and because they are subjected to many pressures. Coercion against religious exercise results from some courses being required for graduation, and from much course material (other than the evolution sections) being necessary for a solid education. Pressure also comes from teachers having influence over development of religious beliefs, and from classmates demanding conformity with the majority viewpoint. This classroom pressure can greatly influence religious convictions.
This serious burden on religious freedom from instruction in only evolution is not justified by any compelling reason. While government might have a compelling interest in teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, and patriotism, it does not have a very strong interest in teaching only one theory of origins or even in teaching anything about origins. How can public schools remove this burden on religious exercise?
The Remedy: Scientific Creationism Can Be Taught Along With Evolution
Public schools can teach scientific creationism along with evolution to end their violation of religious freedom. The schools can be neutral by presenting scientific evidences for creation when they present arguments for evolution.
Scientific creationism teaches that the universe and the earth were specially created, and that life was specially created, emphasizing that complex plants and animals suddenly appear in the fossil record and that scientific experiments have not produced life. This theory maintains that original kinds of plants and animals have been stable, emphasizing that fossil gaps occur regularly between different kinds and that transitional forms between the original kinds have not been unearthed. The scientific creationist theory also proposes that the second law of thermodynamics (a general tendency toward disorder) applies to the universe and life, preventing the earth from evolving from a disordered universe, or life from evolving from non-living molecules, or complex plants and animals from evolving from simple forms. Scientific creationism also argues that a worldwide flood happened in history, providing the best explanation of the fossil record, and that creation of the earth and life did not occur billions of years ago, pointing out the questionable assumptions of radiometric dating methods while noting the alternate dating methods that give young ages for the earth and life.
Public schools either could teach scientific creationism as a unit within a course that discusses the evolutionary theory, or they could offer it at each point where the course mentions evolution. Text materials that present scientific creationism are available for teachers and students. But how does scientific creationism differ from religious doctrine?
The Criticism: Scientific Creationism Does Not Involve Religious Doctrine
The First Amendment of the Constitution not only protects freedom of religion, but also prohibits establishment of any religion. The Supreme Court has ruled that this provision prohibits public schools from being unneutral among different religions by instituting classroom prayer or Bible reading. Many Christians support the school prayer decision, because they do not believe that public schools should teach that God is the father of all men and hears prayers by nonChristian students by a classroom prayer beginning "Our Father." And many Christians support the Bible reading decision, because they do not believe that non-Christian teachers should be given the opportunity to pervert Biblical truth in classroom Bible reading.
But the Supreme Court has said, on the other hand, that the establishment clause does not prevent schools from teaching non-religious material that is consistent with religious belief, and the Court has noted that the Constitution does prevent schools from being hostile to any religion or favoring a secularistic religion.
Is instruction in scientific creationism an establishment of religion? Scientific creationism is not a religious doctrine, and unlike classroom prayer and Bible reading it can be taught in public schools. Instruction in scientific creationism involves presentation of the scientific evidence for creation rather than use of Genesis in the classroom. For example, it discusses the evidence that man does not have an ape-like ancestor rather than the Biblical statement that God created Adam and Eve; it summarizes the scientific proof that a worldwide flood shaped this planet's geology rather than the scriptural teaching that Noah and his family survived the flood in an ark. As Dr. Henry M. Morris has said so well, "creation is as scientific as evolution and … evolution is as religious as creation."
Scientific creationism indeed is as scientific as evolution. There are many scientists who are creationists: the Institute for Creation Research has seventeen creationists with doctorates in science on its staff and advisory board, and the Creation Research Society includes more than six hundred creationists with postgraduate degrees in science. And there are textbooks that present scientific evidences for creation: for example, Biology: A Search for Order in Complexity was sponsored by the Creation Research Society, and Scientific Creationism (Pub. Sch. Ed.) was sponsored by the Institute for Creation Research.
Evolution is indeed as religious as scientific creationism. It is true that scientific creationism is consistent with religious creationism—but the evolutionary theory is consistent with religious humanism; as in the case of the Fellowship of Religious Humanists, the supporters of the Humanist Manifesto, and Sir Julian Huxley's "religion of evolutionary humanism." And it is true that scientific creationists refer to a Creator or God—but Darwin's Origin of Species, the three B.S.C.S. high school biology textbooks, most other high school biology texts, and the pledge of allegiance also refer to God yet are acceptable in public schools.
Is instruction in scientific creationism a violation of academic freedom? Courts have recognized that school authorities can—and must—decide what subjects will be taught in public schools. A decision to add scientific creationism to the curriculum in the 1970's does not violate academic freedom any more than a decision to add evolution in the 1920's did. Instruction in both theories enhances academic freedom for the student, because it gives him a neutral choice among alternative theories rather than indoctrination in one theory.
Is instruction in scientific creationism the Scopes monkey trial again? No—but the present situation is the Scopes trial in reverse. Just as Tennessee in the 1920's excluded evolution and taught only creation, the states in the 1970's exclude creation and teach only evolution. As Clarence Darrow said in behalf of Mr. Scopes, it is "bigotry for public schools to teach only one theory of origins." How can parents, teachers, and students bring scientific creationism into public schools?
PLEASE NOTE:
This last question will be answered by Mr. Bird in the April issue
of Acts & Facts. "Impact" article No. 70
will provide specific suggestions for creationists to follow in
getting their own school systems to include scientific creationism
in their programs.
