Evolution Controversy

New Horizons for Learning has been increasingly concerned about the attacks by religious extremists on science teachers who include the Theory of Evolution in their curriculum, and would prefer that "creationism" and "intelligent design" take its place. We contacted Dr. Robert Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches to ask if they were responding to this issue, and his response follows:

You may want to know that we are on record on this issue. Several years ago, the National Council of Churches and many other religious organizations endorsed a statement on Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law. The statement reflects our convictions and included a clear section on the teaching of evolution. It says: "Schools may teach about explanations of life on earth, including religious ones (such as "creationism"), in comparative religion or social studies classes. In science class,however, they may present only genuinely scientific critiques of, or evidence for, any explanation of life on earth, but not religious critiques (beliefs unverifiable by scientific methodology). Schools may not refuse to teach evolutionary theory in order to avoid giving offense to religion nor may they circumvent these rules by labeling as science an article of religious faith. Public schools must not teach as scientific fact or theory any religious doctrine, including "creationism," although any genuinely scientific evidence for or against any explanation of life may be taught. Just as they may neither advance nor inhibit any religious doctrine, teachers should not ridicule, for example, a student's religious explanation for life on earth."

We are monitoring this issue

Bob Edgar
General Secretary
National Council of Churches USA
http://www.ncccusa.org
http://www.FaithfulAmerica.org

Also see the policy statement of the National Science Teachers Association at http://www.nsta.org/position, the AAAS Board Resolution on Intelligent Design Theory http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2002/1106id2.shtml, and http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/opinion/28dennett.html?incamp=article_popular.

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