DOCUMENT RESUME ED 207 904 SO 013 631 AUTHOR Parker, Franklin TITLE Why the Evolution/Creation Battle Rages: What Educators Can Do. .PUB DATE 1 Oct 81 NOTE 66p.; Some pages may not reproduce clearly from EDRS in paper copy or microfiche due to variations in ink density. EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Biology; *Conflict; court Litigation; *Creationism; *Educational History; Educational Needs; *Evolution; History; Organizations (Groups) ABSTRACT The author explores the evolution/creation conflict and sug gests what educators might do to fulfill their responsibilities with the least offense to the religious beliefsof creationists an4 with respect for studentss right to understind their Western _scientific heritage. The paper begins with a history of the confict between creationists and those who believe in evolution. The author explores the movement of evangelical fundamentalistg who in the 1920s sought to dislodge evolution and in the 1980s seek equal time for creation science alongside evolution theorI: Going back before Darwin to the early church, this dispute is ldng rangeover the origin, nature, and future of man, and the universe. It has often been expressed in clashes between religion and science, fundamentalism and modernism, and now born again evangelism and secular humanism. Court cases are described. Creationist organizations and strategies are discussed.- Recolutions and policy statements of various.groupS are included and arguments for and against evolution, scientific .creation, and equal timeare presented. The last part of the paper talks about What educators cu do. School districts should anticipate and prepare early for problems likelyto arise. A "Procedures Committee's charged with dealing with conflict situations should_be organized. This_cOmmittee should assemble, maintain, and make available a library of information On evolution/treation'and gauge community feelings. Cleaf`procedures to reduce conflict, such as having complaints written,and signed, should be articulated. (Author /RN) ******************4************!**************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the oiiginal document. * *********************************************************4.************ - - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EOUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CEVTER (ERIC, ,Pr \iiThis document has been reproduced -as ..e received hom the person or organization ongmating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality ---- Points of view or opinions stated m this docu- ment do not necessarily represent off ecral-NIE position or policy 4N "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN NTED BY ,,, . ThrniCliriarke4, I e TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." R WHY THE EVOLUTION/CREATION BATTLE RAGES: WHAT EDUCATORS CAN DO By Franklin Parker IF October 1, 1981 ex e, Franklin Parker Bendum Professor of Education 14. 602 Allen Hall, Evansdale Campus West Viriginia University Morgantown, WV 26506 ; a Office: (304) 293-3441/2 Nome: (304) 599-1935 Cs ,c, 2, ti t..t , Franklin Parker October 1, 1981 Benedum Professor of Education 602 Allen Ha1,1, Evansdale Campus Office: (304) 293-3441/2 West Virginia University Home: (304) 599-1935 Morgantown, West Virginia26506 `Why the ¶volution /Creation Battle ,Rages: What Educators Can Do. By Franklin Parker TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations Introduction BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EVOLUTION/CREATION CONFLICT Before Darwin Darwin American Reaction 1920 Scopes Trial, 1925 High School Biology Textbooks, 1920s-1963 Tennessee, 1967 Epperson v. Arkansas, 1968 CREATIONIST' ORIGINS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND STRATEGIES Modern Origins American Scientific Affiliation (ASA), 1914.1. Creation Research Society-(CRS)--,--1963 Creation Science Research Center (CSRC), 1970 Institute for Creation Research (ICR),,1972 Other Creationist Organizations Creationists' Characteristics EVENTS SINCE THE 1960S, California, 1962-72 Tennessee, 1973 West Virginia Textbook Case, 1974-75 MACOS, 1975 3 2 Segraves v. California, 1981 Arkansas, 1981 Louisiana, 1981 RESOLUTIONS AND POLICY STATEMENTS Science and Education _Associations State Departments of Education' ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST Evolution Scientific Creation .clual Time 01. WHY IS SECULAR HUMANISM THE ENEMY?' WHAT EDUCATORS CAN DO Anticipate and Prepare Early Legal Directives Collect Information Procedures Committee Committees of Correspondence Strengthening _Science_Teaching CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES t t 4 O lb 3 Abbreviations ABT American Biology Teacher (journal) ACLU American Civil Liberties Union ASA American Scientific Affiliation BSA Bible Science Association BSCS Biological Sciences Curriculum Study CRS .Creation Research Society CSRC Creation Science Reearch Center ICR Institute for Creation Research `"N. KKK Ku Klux Klan NACOS Man: A t,ourse of Study NABT .National Association of Biology Teachers NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NEA -Nat-i-onal-Educatiorr-Associati-On-- NSF , National Science Foundation. WCFA World's Christian Fundamentals Association 5 4 Introduction The formation in 198x0of the MoralsMajority with the Rev. JerryFalwell of Lypchburg, Va.,,as president marked the significant emergenceof the evangelical right anda renewal of fundamentalist religious thought inAmerica. Directly related were three legal events in1981 in which creationistsl-who believe in a literalGenesis account of the origin of man, theearth, and the universe--want creationtaught along with evolution in publicschools. On March 6 in Segravesv. California creationists gained nationalattention when a state SuperiorCourt judge' equired wider distributionof a 1973 Cali-44011' fornia Department ofEducation ruling that evolution is a theoryabout which scientists only hypothesize.Arkansas on March 23 and Louisianaon July 21 adopted laws requiringequal time for the teaching of "evolutiontheory" and "creation science." Similar bills being considered in 21 statesare based nn a model reportedly developed . by Institute for Creation 1 Research (ICR)lawyerWendell R. Bird and promoted nationally by SouthCarolinian Paul Ellwanger's.CitizensAgainst Federal Establishment of EvolutionaryDogma. The model equal timeevolution[ creation teachingbill carefully omits reference to religionand God in order to withstand 41 constitutional challengeof churdkand state separation. ICR wants. a similar bill introducedin the U.S. Congress to halt evolutionlectures in national parks andmuseums and to make "creation science" basedon Genesis .eligible for researchgrants. That the U.S. is inthe midst of a 'btrOng conservativeupsurge becameevi- .dent when conservatives in the1980 elections successfully targetedfor defeat --------- ----- liberal federal, state, and localoffice holders. Observers note that the evangelical right,achieving unusual : politi- 0 cal influence,encourages fellow creationists to dilodge evolutionand,. by implication7to weakenscience ih the public: schools and thusstrike at "secular 6 5 humanism" on which is blamed such evils as crime, drugs, abortion,women's rights, and homosexuality. 'khe author exploresthis sensitive, rising, and potentiallyexplosive move- ment of dedicated evangelical fundamental ts who in the 1920ssought to.dis- * lodge evolution and in the 1980sseek equal time for creation sciencealongside . evolution theory. Going back before g Darwin to the earlychurch, thisdispute is range one a lc over the origin,nature, and future of man and theuniverse. It has often beenexpressed in clashes between religion andscience, fundamentalism and modernism, andnow-born again evangeliim and secular humanism. Obviously a clear and fair accountwith objective attention to motivesand tactics is difficult to achieve in limited timeand space. The author, whohas learned much from research for thisvriting.experience, accepts responsibilityfor er- rors of fact and interpretation. He sincerely thahks those who helpedin any way. a This, then, is one educator-writer'sattempt to understand the evolution/t creation controversy and reasons whythe issue has become crucial inthe 1980s. He suggests what 'educators might do to fulfill their responsibilitieswith least offense to the religiousbeliefs of creation- ists and with respect for students' right to understandtheir Western scientificheritage. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EVOLUTION/CREATIONCONFLICT Before Darwin Some people have, always preferredto believe that the world isstable and unchanging, others that humanlife eMerged from earlier livingthings which have continually changed. Early precursors of evolutionincluded Greek, philosopher Epicurus and Roman poet Lucretius. St. Augustineinterpreted 'Biblical creation as symbolic rather,than literal and thoUght thatorganisms . 7 o 6 created at the beginning may have evolved since. Carl Linnaeus, 18th century Swedish founder of systematic biology, classified thousands of animal and plant types, including apes, monkeys, andman, which he placed next to one another bet not as a consequence of common descent. Following Linnaeus' classi- fication of this great "chain of being," scholars who cautiouslysuggested evolution to explain the growth from simple to complex lifeforms included, among others, French philosopher Rene Descartes, French naturalist Count de Buffon, and English naturalist Erasmus Darwin, grandfather ofCharles Darwin. Darwin 4 'Young Charles Darwin (1809-82) spent fiveyearsas naturalist on H.M.S. Of Beagle (1831-30, British ship on a round-the-world sci.mtificexpedition,