Attorney Sees Hypocrisy in Gov't-Funded 'Evolution' Website
by Jim Brown
November 1, 2005
(AgapePress) - Intelligent design opponents who claim teaching the theory in public schools is unconstitutional are being sued for allegedly using federal dollars to promote a liberal religious view of the theory of evolution. Larry and Jeanne Caldwell filed the suit after they discovered that UC-Berkeley and the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) had used $500,000 in federal money from the National Science Foundation to launch an evolution website aimed at K-12 science teachers. Mr. Caldwell, who is co-counsel in the lawsuit, claims the "Understanding Evolution" website attempts to use liberal Christian and Jewish theology to persuade students that their religious beliefs do not conflict with evolutionary theory.
Caldwell says he and his wife object to a portion of the "Understanding Evolution" website that trains teachers on how to use religious arguments in science class to try to sell evolution to students. He says that is a clear violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment.
"We're seeking to have them take the religious statements off this government-paid-for and government-hosted website," Mr. Caldwell explains. "We agree with them to the extent that they say that what we ought to be teaching in science class is science -- we agree with that. We certainly shouldn't be putting the government's religious viewpoint on evolution in science class."
But it is ironic, says Caldwell, that the argument being used by the American Civil Liberties Union and other evolutionists in the Dover (Pennsylvania) School District trial over the teaching of intelligent design -- that is, the use of religion in public schools -- is being put forth by the "Understanding Evolution" website as a tool for teachers to convince students of the validity of evolution.
"The hypocrisy here is just stunning," says the representative of the group Quality Science Education for All. "The same people who are always proclaiming that they oppose discussion of religion in science class are in fact telling teachers they should use religion in science class."
He further delineates his accusation of apparent hypocrisy. "So what we have here is, it turns out that the NCSE and the ACLU apparently don't have any problem with having religious beliefs discussed in science class -- as long as it's a religious belief that they agree with."
Caldwell adds that that the Berkeley website recommends that teachers not use religious arguments for evolution in communities that are made up of predominantly conservative Christians.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
