Teaching creationism in schools has been hotly debated in the United States since the Scopes
trial in 1925.
Though the US constitution forbids the official establishment of religion, today many state-sponsored
public schools continue to the teach the Christian doctrine of Creationism.
So why does the US still teach Creationism?
Well, first off - in general, Creationism is the belief that God created the universe
out of nothing, and designed humans to resemble himself.
Many fundamentalists also follow the biblical idea that the earth is less than 10,000 years
old.
But evolution, a scientific theory popularized by Charles Darwin in the 19th century, conflicts
with these religious beliefs.
Evolution supposes that man evolved from primates over time, and that the earth is billions
of years old.
In the past, because the U.S. is mostly Christian, states had various laws banning the teaching
of evolution in public schools - or at least mandating that it be taught alongside Creationism.
However the Supreme Court has declared that teaching Creationism violated the Constitution’s
Establishment clause.
Public schools must be religiously-neutral.
And science is NOT legally considered a form of religion.
However, some teachers still find ways around federal laws, by choosing their words carefully.
If they educate children about Creationism, but don’t specifically advocate for it,
it’s still legal.
In Tennessee and Louisiana, schools have state laws allowing teachers to address alternatives
to evolution, without advocating them.
In Texas and Arkansas, charter schools reportedly use textbooks that support creationist views.
Then, in ten other states, including Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Ohio, private schools,
including religious institutions, still teach creationism.
So, right now, there are thousands of students being taught Christian doctrine in the place
of widely accepted science every year.
Because the US remains a predominantly christian, conservative nation, a 2014 Gallup poll revealed
that 42% of Americans still believe in Creationism.
In the end, the debate will rage on, even though the federal government has pretty clearly
spoken on the issue, in favor of evolution.
So what does science actually say about human evolution?
Trace explored it in depth on our new channel TestTube Plus!
Check out this playlist to learn about where humans came from, and how we evolved.