AU seeks info about anti-evolution drives in Ohio And Montana.Americans United has filed freedom-of-information requests with education officials in Ohio and Montana to obtain detailed information about recent decisions to water down the teaching of evolution. In Ohio, AU is investigating the Department of Education's approval of a lesson plan titled "A Critical Analysis of Evolution." In an April 6 letter, Americans United asked Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Tave Zelman to provide copies of "all documents referring to or relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc " the development of the lesson plan. AU attorneys have made a similar information request in Darby, Mont., where the school board recently voted to require science teachers to "assess evidence for and against" evolution. Religious Right groups have launched a national crusade to weaken instruction about evolution in public schools because it conflicts with their interpretation of the Bible. The federal courts have barred the teaching of creationism creationism or creation science, belief in the biblical account of the creation of the world as described in Genesis, a characteristic especially of fundamentalist Protestantism (see fundamentalism). in science classes, so these organizations are now urging educators to teach "intelligent design" and to offer evidence "for and against" evolution. "If officials are changing the public school curriculum to conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" religious dogma DOGMA, civil law. This word is used in the first chapter, first section, of the second Novel, and signifies an ordinance of the senate. See also Dig. 27, 1, 6. , that's clearly unconstitutional," said Barry W. Lynn Reverend Barry W. Lynn (born 1948 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) has been the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State since 1992.[1] , executive director of Americans United. "Sound science education must not be sacrificed on the altar of religious zealotry zeal·ot·ry n. Excessive zeal; fanaticism. zealotism, zealotry a tendency to undue or excessive zeal; fanaticism. See also: Behavior Noun 1. ." The Supreme Court ruled in 1968 in Epperson v. Arkansas Epperson v. Arkansas, 393 U.S. 97 (1968), was a United States Supreme Court case which invalidated an Arkansas statute that prohibited the teaching of evolution in the public schools. that an Arkansas law prohibiting the teaching of evolution in public schools was unconstitutional. The statute had been passed after pressure from fundamentalist fundamentalist An investor who selects securities to buy and sell on the basis of fundamental analysis. Compare technician. Christian groups. Americans United says evidence indicates that Ohio officials were influenced by religious pressure groups. Evolution instruction was watered down after a campaign led by the Discovery Institute, a neo-creationist group that rejects evolution. AU's information request, made under Ohio's Availability of Public Records law, seeks to determine if the Ohio Board of Education is unconstitutionally promoting religion by undermining evolution instruction in public schools. In Montana, Americans United wrote to Jack Eggensperger, superintendent of Darby School District 9. AU attorneys requested copies of "all documents referring to or relating to any potential decision of the Darby School Board to teach theories of the origins of human life, including evolution, creationism, intelligent design or other 'objective origins' theories." The request was made under the Montana Open Records Act. AU noted that the school board acted after a Baptist minister attacked evolution at a public seminar. |
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