IMPACT No. 71

RESOLUTION FOR BALANCED PRESENTATION
OF EVOLUTION AND SCIENTIFIC CREATIONISM

Institute for Creation Research, PO Box 2667, El Cajon, CA 92021
Voice: (619) 448-0900 FAX: (619) 448-3469

"Vital Articles on Science/Creation" May 1979
Copyright © 1979 All Rights Reserved

This Board of Education adopts the following Resolution concerning balanced presentation of alternate scientific theories of origins for all public secondary schools and elementary schools in this area.

WHEREAS,

I. The underlying purposes of public education are to assist students in their search for truth, to provide academic freedom for students' differing values and beliefs, and to remain neutral toward students' diverse religious and moral convictions.

II. Attendance of those students who are at public schools is compelled by law, and school taxes from their parents and other citizens are mandated by law.

III. The subject of the origin of the universe, earth, life, and man is treated within many public school courses, such as biology, life science, anthropology, sociology, and often also in physics, chemistry, world history, philosophy, and social studies.

IV. Only the theory of evolution is presented to students in virtually all courses that discuss the subject of origins, and no alternative theory of origins is presented.

V. The theory of evolution is not an unquestionable fact of science, because evolution cannot be experimentally observed or fully verified or logically falsified,¹ and because the theory of evolution is not accepted by some scientists.²

VI. The theory of evolution is contrary to the religious convictions or moral convictions of many students and parents, including individuals of many different religious faiths and with diverse personal beliefs.³

VII. Public school presentation of only the theory of evolution without any alternative theory of origins abridges the Constitution's protection⁴ of freedom of religious exercise for students and parents, because it undermines their religious convictions, violates their separatist practices, compels their unconscionable statements, and hinders religious training by parents.⁵

VIII. Public school presentation of only the theory of evolution without any alternative theory also violates the Constitution's protection of freedom of belief for students and parents and in doing so hinders the purpose of education by impeding their search for truth, denying them academic freedom, and restricting scientific objectivity.

IX. Public school presentation of only the theory of evolution without any alternative theory also abridges the Constitution's prohibition against establishment of religion, because it produces hostility toward many theistic religions and causes preference to religious Liberalism, Humanism, and other religious faiths.⁶

X. Presentation of only one theory rather than alternate theories of origins is not required by any compelling interest of the State.⁷

XI. Exemption of such students from a course or class presenting only the theory of evolution does not provide an adequate remedy, because any request for exemption would probably be prevented by pressure from fellow students, respect for teacher opinions, and need for other course material missed.⁸

XII. The theory of special creation is an alternative model of origins at least as satisfactory as the theory of evolution, and that theory of special creation can be presented from a strictly scientific standpoint without reference to religious doctrine (special creation from a strictly scientific standpoint is hereinafter referred to as "scientific creationism"),⁹ because many scientists accept the theory of scientific creationism,¹⁰ and because scientific evidences have been presented for the theory of scientific doctrine.¹¹

XIII. Public school presentation of both the theory of evolution and the theory of scientific creationism would not violate the Constitution's prohibition against establishment of religion,¹² because it would involve presentation of the scientific evidences for each theory rather than any religious doctrine.

XIV. Most citizens, whether they personally believe in evolution or creation, favor balanced treatment in public schools of alternative scientific theories of origins for better guiding students in their search for truth, and favor a neutral approach toward subjects affecting the religious or moral convictions of students.¹³

XV. School districts in at least five states are currently teaching both theories of origins or are implementing instruction in both theories.^l4

THEREFORE, the Board of Education hereby adopts as an official Resolution the requirement that:

Public secondary and elementary schools must give balanced treatment to the theory of scientific creationism and the theory of evolution in classroom lectures as a whole in each individual course, in textbook materials as a whole for each course, in library materials as a whole for any subject, and in other educational programs, to the extent that such lectures, textbooks, library materials, or educational programs deal in any way with the subject of the origin of man, life, the earth, or the universe.

Treatment of either the theory of evolution or the theory of scientific creationism must be limited to scientific evidences and must not include religious doctrine.

This Resolution takes effect at the beginning of the next school year unless the Board of Education upon adopting this specifies otherwise.

CLARIFICATIONS

This Resolution does not require or permit instruction in any religious doctrine or materials. This Resolution does not require any instruction in the subject of origins, but simply requires instruction in both scientific theories (of evolution and scientific creationism) if public schools choose to teach either. This Resolution does not require each individual textbook or library book to give balanced treatment to the two theories, but simply requires the textbooks as a whole in a course or the library books as a whole on a topic to give balanced treatment to the theories of evolution and scientific creationism; it does not require any school books to be discarded. This Resolution does not require each individual classroom lecture in a course to give such balanced treatment, but simply requires the lectures as a whole to give balanced treatment; it permits one unit to present the theory of evolution and a separate unit to present the theory of scientific creationism.

DOCUMENTATION

¹ The theory of evolution, according to an evolutionary scientist, cannot be observed by experimentation: "The applicability of the experimental method to the study of such unique historical processes is severely restricted before all else by the time intervals involved, which far exceed the lifetime of any human experimenter." Dobzhansky, "On Methods of Evolutionary Biology and Anthropology," 45 American Scientist 381, 388 (1957). It cannot be verified by full proof: "Belief in evolution is thus exactly parallel to belief in special creation—both are concepts which believers know to be true but neither, up to the present, has been capable of proof." Matthews, "Foreword" to C. Darwin, Origin of Species at x(1971). And the theory of evolution cannot be falsified (by positing facts which, if proved true, would disprove the theory): "Our theory of evolution has become … one which cannot be refuted by any possible observations. It is thus ‘outside of empirical science.’" Birch & Ehrlich, "Evolutionary History and Population Biology," 214 Nature 349, 352 (1967). Of course, the theory of scientific creationism similarly cannot be experimentally observed, fully verified, or logically falsified.
² For example, Professor G. A. Kerkut of the University of Southampton, who is not a creationist, wrote a book Implications of Evolution to give his scientific reasons for rejecting the general theory of evolution. Dr. Henry Morris, formerly Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, who is a creationist scientist, wrote Scientific Creationism (Public School Edition) to give his scientific reasons for rejecting evolution and accepting creation.
³ These creationist faiths include Adventists, Churches of Christ, most Baptists, Independent Methodists, Jehovah's Witnesses and Orthodox Jews, as well as many Lutherans, Catholics, and others. These are listed in Wendell R. Bird, "Freedom of Religion and Science Instruction in Public Schools," 87 Yale Law Journal 515, 519-20 (1978).
⁴ The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution bars any "law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech …"
⁵ Wendell R. Bird, "Freedom of Religion and Science Instruction in Public Schools," 87 Yale Law Journal 515, 523-26, 536-38 (1978). Courts have ruled that public schools may not undermine religious convictions, in Wisconsin v. Yoder; may not violate separatist practices, in State v. Whisner; may not compel unconscionable statements, in West Virginia v. Barnette; and may not hinder parental religious training, in Pierce v. Society of Sisters.
⁶ Wendell R. Bird, "Freedom from Establishment and Unneutrality in Public School Instruction and Religious School Regulation," 1979 Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy 56 (1979).
⁷ Wendell R. Bird, "Freedom of Religion and Science Instruction in Public Schools," 87 Yale Law Journal 515, 540-42 (1978).
⁸ Ibid., at 528-36.
⁹ Several textbooks present both the theory of scientific creationism and the theory of evolution. J. Moore & H. Slusher, Biology: A Search for Order in Complexity, Creation-Life Publishers (student biology text); R. Bliss, Origins: Two Models, Creation-Life Publishers (student origins text). R. Bliss & G. Parker, Origin of Life, Creation-Life Publishers (student origins text). Several textbooks present the theory of scientific creationism, to supplement a text presenting only the theory of evolution. H. Morris, Scientific Creationism (Public School Edition), Creation-Life Publishers (teacher handbook or student supplement); D. Gish, Evolution: The Fossils Say No! (Public School Edition), Creation-Life Publishers (student supplement or teacher handbook); H. Morris & J. Phelps, Science and Creation Series, Creation-Science Research Center (student supplements, grades 1-8); H. Morris & J. Phelps, Science and Creation: A Handbook for Teachers, Creation-Science Research Center (teacher handbook, grades 1-8).
¹⁰ The Creation Research Society is a scientific creationist organization of more than 600 members who have postgraduate degrees in natural sciences (it sponsored the textbook Biology: A Search for Order in Complexity). The Institute for Creation Research is a similar organization of about 20 members who have doctorates in science; 9 teach currently at nonsectarian universities (it sponsored the textbook Scientific Creationism, Public School Edition).
¹¹ For example, see Scientific Creationism (Public School Edition) edited by Dr. Henry Morris.
¹² Wendell R. Bird, "Freedom of Religion and Science Instruction in Public Schools," Yale Law Journal 515, 554-64 (1978).
¹³ For example, a "Statement Affirming Openness as a Principle of Science" states that both "the evidences supporting an evolutionary point of view and the evidences supporting a creationist point of view should be given proper presentation in any classroom where the topics under discussion relate to the origin of matter and energy, the origin of the cosmos, the origin of the solar system, or the origin of life." This statement has been signed by more than 700 scientists.
¹⁴ The boards of education officially require balanced treatment of evolution and scientific creationism in Dallas, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Kanawha County, West Virginia; Cobb County, Georgia; Racine, Wisconsin; and other areas.