Louisiana Public School Teachers Are Using The Bible As A Science Class Textbook

Public school teachers have the full support of school administrators and possibly state law to use the Christian bible as a science textbook, and claim evolution is just a theory equal to creationism. The only problem? It’s unconstitutional.

In Louisiana, public school teachers are using the bible as a science text book, teaching that evolution is just a theory, on par with creationism, and even assign students to poke holes in evolution theory, apparently in an attempt to promote creationism.

An investigative article published today by Slate author Zack Kopplin finds that indeed, for some public school students in the Bayou State “their science textbook is the Bible, and in biology class they read the Book of Genesis to learn the ‘creation point of view.'”

Kopplin obtained dozens of emails via a Freedom of Information Act request. 

In one example, Kopplin found “Shawna Creamer, a science teacher at Airline High School, sent an email to the principal, Jason Rowland, informing him of which class periods she would use to teach creationism. ‘We will read in Genesis and them [sic] some supplemental material debunking various aspects of evolution from which the students will present,’ Creamer wrote.”

LOOK: Jessa Duggar And Husband Ben Prove Atheists Don’t Exist But Creationism Does (Video)

In another, Kopplin reports he “obtained a PowerPoint about the origin of life that is used in Ouachita Parish Junior High School’s life science classes. It presents evolution as just a theory and says that theories are ‘possibly true’ but ‘not known or proven to be true.’ Creationism is also presented as a theory and given equal footing with evolution. Students are taught that the ‘[b]asis for creationism is founded in Genesis of the Bible,’ and “Creationism relies on the claim that there is a ‘purpose’ to all creation known only to the creator.”

And another: “Charlotte Hinson, a fifth-grade teacher at Caddo’s Eden Gardens Magnet School, wrote a column for the Shreveport Times in which she declared: ‘My job is to present both [evolution and creationism]’ because ‘God made science.'”

Hinson said that despite a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union warning against teaching creationism, she had the support of local lawyers, her principal, and the school board. The principal and school board “reminded me I did nothing wrong,” she wrote. “Times are getting harder and harder…….I feel the end is near. Be blessed!!!”

Given that the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled the teaching of creationism is unconstitutional – ironically, including in a 1987 case about a Louisiana law requiring creationism be taught in public schools, it’s stunning that this continues.

Why does it?

In a word (OK, two words) Bobby Jindal, who in 2008 signed into law the Science Education Act, which school administrators and teachers have chosen to interpret as allowing them to teach creationism.

Why would they believe that? 

Because, as Kopplin points out, Jindal told them that’s what the law was for.

Gov. Bobby Jindal, who signed the Science Education Act, said it was for creationism. “What are we scared of?” Jindal asked. State Sen. Ben Nevers said he sponsored it in the Senate because “creationism should be discussed when dealing with Darwin’s theory.” In April state Rep. Frank Hoffmann, a state House sponsor, confirmed the law was for creationism. The Ouachita Citizen reported that Hoffmann told it that Louisiana science curriculum policy “recommended a scientific discussion in the classroom of scientific theories including creationism and evolution.”

Travis Gettys at Raw Story notes that Louisiana lawmakers “shot down a measure in April to repeal the education law, the fifth unsuccessful attempt to do so since 2010.”

 

Related:

Breaking: Bobby Jindal Issuing Executive Order To ‘Accomplish The Intent’ Of Failed Anti-Gay Bill

Bobby Jindal Threatens Businesses To Not ‘Bully’ Him Over Anti-Gay Marriage Bill For ‘Christians’

Jindal Says ‘Far Left’ Weakening 1st Amendment, Demands Lawmakers Pass ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill

 

Image by Thomas Hawk via Flickr and a CC license