Missouri has yet another Bill pending in the House which “Specifies that the State Board of Education and other public school entities must encourage students to explore scientific questions and assist teaching strengths and weaknesses of scientific theories of biological or chemical evolution.”
It also states that
“This section only protects the teaching of scientific information and this section shall not be construed to promote any religious or nonreligious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs or nonbeliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion. Scientific information includes physical evidence and logical inferences based upon evidence.”
The ONLY alternative to Darwin’s Natural Selection come the people who wish to to invade science with Creationism and Intelligent Design.
Remember that ID was called “unconstitutional” when taught in public schools by US District Judge James Jones III in Tammy Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al. (400 F. Supp. 2d 707, Docket no. 4cv2688). He also stated clearly that Intelligent Design is NOT science.
This and other attempts to introduce creationism or Intelligent Design also do not meet the Supreme Court’s ruling written by chief Justice Warren Berger, the “Lemon tests (Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971).” here Justice Berger wrote,
“First, the statute must have a secular legislative purpose; second, its principal or primary effect must be one that neither advances nor inhibits religion; finally, the statute must not foster ‘excessive entanglement with religion.’”
I ask that you email the elementary and Secondary Education Committee and demand that this proposed bill is in fact a violation of the Uited States Constitution’s First Amendment and Missouri constitutional Article 1, section 5, “Religious freedom–liberty of conscience and belief–limitations,” which reads “ that the state shall ensure public school students their right to free exercise of religious expression without interference.”
Here is the URL to the Committee’s site. Write the two co-chairs. Write the other members. It is of the utmost importance that HB 179, as well as HB 291, are halted in their tracks.
Thank you,
David Rosman
Assistant Missouri State Director.