The Creationism Act | Teen Ink

The Creationism Act

April 29, 2009
By Anonymous

The teaching of creation science in public schools is a breach of the First Amendment- more specifically in the Establishment Clause. The Establishment Clause says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” By teaching the creation story of God creating Adam and Eve, the public school is imposing its Christian views on children who may not be Christian. If a Muslim child goes to a public school, he would not have the same belief; he may believe in a god but not the God that is being taught about. By teaching the idea of God creating the world in seven days, the Establishment Clause would not be upheld.

In the case of Edwards v. Aguillard, Don Aguillard, a high school biology teacher, was faced with confrontation when he tried to teach the story of creation in a public school. The governor of Louisiana, Edwin Edwards, said that teaching the Creation Story was unconstitutional. The Creationism Act stated that if the evolution theory was taught in public schools, then the theory of creationism was also to be taught. Many people, however, challenged this act. Both the Federal District Court and the Court of Appeals declared that the Creationism Act was unconstitutional.

The court rulings came about because of the Lemon Test. The Lemon Test consists of three parts: the government’s action must have a secular purpose, it must avoid excessive entanglement between religion and government, and it must not enhance nor inhibit religion. This test is still used today. The Lemon Test is a way of protecting the Establishment Clause and academic freedom. With both the Establishment Clause and the Lemon Test in place, the government has very strict regulations about what can and cannot be done or said in the schools. This lasting precedent reaffirms that the advancing of any religious doctrine in the public school system is in direct violation of the First Amendment.


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This article has 42 comments.


on Jan. 5 2012 at 8:26 pm
BlueRain BRONZE, Clarkston, Michigan
2 articles 5 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."

Sorry this was meant to be a reply to another comment, but intelligent design is a form of Creationism anyway.

Lilliterra said...
on Jan. 5 2012 at 7:22 pm
I didn't say Creationism, I said intelligent design.

on Jan. 5 2012 at 5:01 pm
BlueRain BRONZE, Clarkston, Michigan
2 articles 5 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."

That's what education is. Fact. Science class is about fact and nature. In biology classes and such, there is no religion. Is is facts that have been proven by scientists. Just consider it a test on scientific theory. You don't have to believe it, but you have to understand it. If you can't manage to choke back your tears and refrain from cursing the teacher and the books to burn, then you should go to a religious school. They still have those.

on Jan. 5 2012 at 4:57 pm
BlueRain BRONZE, Clarkston, Michigan
2 articles 5 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."

The first request; fine, it's already done. The second one; Homosexuality is not talked about in schools because it is too controversial. "Homosexuality is wrong" is an opinion based statement. Creationism is not abnormal, it just can't be proven and it interferes with the separation of church and state. Whether homosexuality is normal or not does not matter. If you don't agree with it, then don't be one. Problem solved.

on Jan. 5 2012 at 4:53 pm
BlueRain BRONZE, Clarkston, Michigan
2 articles 5 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."

Creationism is not a scientific possibility. Key word SCIENCE. Creationism is where God created the earth in seven days. Science does not rely on gods, so the belief that the earth was created in seven days is not a scientific based theory that can be proven.

on Jan. 5 2012 at 4:49 pm
BlueRain BRONZE, Clarkston, Michigan
2 articles 5 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."

Exactly. And scientifically it is more probable than creationism.

on Jan. 5 2012 at 4:47 pm
BlueRain BRONZE, Clarkston, Michigan
2 articles 5 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."

Evolution is not a religious teaching. It doesn't rely on faith or devotion to a deity or deities. It is based on observations and research that can be proven. It challenges religion, it is not a religion itself. Because facts will always challenge religion.

on Jan. 5 2012 at 12:00 pm
A_Fate_Unknown BRONZE, Enumclaw, Washington
2 articles 0 photos 152 comments

Favorite Quote:
Those who make peacefull revolution impossible, Will make violent Revolution inevitable.

Its unjust to read the bible and decide that its impossible for a man to be created entirely out of dirt? seems only logical to me.

on Jan. 5 2012 at 11:58 am
A_Fate_Unknown BRONZE, Enumclaw, Washington
2 articles 0 photos 152 comments

Favorite Quote:
Those who make peacefull revolution impossible, Will make violent Revolution inevitable.

Whats funny to me is how people claim that homosexuality is wrong, how quick you are to judge others when the bible says to love everyone.

on Jan. 5 2012 at 11:56 am
A_Fate_Unknown BRONZE, Enumclaw, Washington
2 articles 0 photos 152 comments

Favorite Quote:
Those who make peacefull revolution impossible, Will make violent Revolution inevitable.

Your stupid, evolution is not a beleif. If is a theory. Theories have evidence to back thier claims. Creationists argue that evolution is "only a theory and cannot be proven." As used in science, a theory is an explanation or model based on observation, experimentation, and reasoning, especially one that has been tested and confirmed as a general principle

on Jul. 13 2011 at 9:06 pm
DesertFox94 BRONZE, McDonough, Georgia
1 article 0 photos 33 comments
Good post bro.

Terravexo said...
on Jun. 21 2011 at 10:49 pm
Terravexo, Lakin, Kansas
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." - Albert Einstein

I believe that the sharing any sort of religious belief- evolution, cristian, Muslim, ect.- should be left to the parent. Teach the kids what to believe in at home, rather than at school.

WiseGirl said...
on Jun. 21 2011 at 10:13 pm
WiseGirl, Adams, Tennessee
0 articles 0 photos 64 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I think, therefore I am."
-Rene Decartes

I agree. We should teach all of the scientific possibilities, I think.

WiseGirl said...
on Jun. 21 2011 at 10:11 pm
WiseGirl, Adams, Tennessee
0 articles 0 photos 64 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I think, therefore I am."
-Rene Decartes

I'm not being mean when I say I disagree.

First of all, I believe that in the First Amendment, it is saying that no belief will be pressed into teachings in school, and that includes evolution.

Second, I would like to point out that if we want to teach our kids properly, we should teach all scientifically plausible theories of how the earth came to be.

That is just my opinion. I am not trying to start any trouble. This is a very controversial issue. Some people wish for it to happen, others don't. Either way, it leads to a whole lot of arguing.


Lilliterra said...
on Jun. 21 2011 at 7:04 pm
Okay, what if we were to allow a proper scientific inquiry regarding Evolution, and were to allow the teaching that intellegent design is an alternative? Would you have a problem with that? After all I've never heard anyone say that they want Adam and Eve taught in a public school science classroom.

MadMouse GOLD said...
on Feb. 9 2011 at 5:03 pm
MadMouse GOLD, Springfield, Missouri
15 articles 11 photos 37 comments

Favorite Quote:
'The only things worth doing on the weekend are completely pointless and wastes of time."

(I second that motion, HisPurePrincess.) and there's nothing wrong with teaching the truth in schools.

on Dec. 29 2010 at 2:16 pm
you have to be kidding me right? this is a very true piece. homosexuality is wrong, yes, evolution is wrong, yes. but both sides, mine and yours deserve to be heard. thats how this country was founded.

M.W.M. BRONZE said...
on Dec. 27 2010 at 9:36 pm
M.W.M. BRONZE, Undisclosed, New Jersey
4 articles 0 photos 30 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Test everything. Hold on to the good." -Paul of Tarsus (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

I'll make sure that stupid fanatical bullcrap like creationism is kept out of schools, and you make sure teaching homosexuality as normal is kept out of schools.

on Nov. 13 2010 at 11:37 am
EmoToboe BRONZE, Kemp, Texas
1 article 0 photos 42 comments

Favorite Quote:
When you've lost it all.......That's when you finally realize.....That life is BEAUTIFUL

School is for teaching children how to be successful in life, and how to raise a family.

To teach one specific belief, would be to deny anyone who believes differently that necesary knowledge.

School attendence is also enforced, as one who skips out on school can be charged with truency. So if Your religious beliefs were taught, that would be forcing it on everyone.

Religious belief is a choice for everyone to make for themselves


on Sep. 8 2010 at 5:08 pm
Tintinnabulation BRONZE, Glen Arm, Maryland
4 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Long enough have you dreamed contemptible dreams,
Now I wash the gum from your eyes,
You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life."-Walt Whitman

If biblical creationism were taught alongside other religious creation stories, then it wouldn't be wrong, would it? An institution that denies religion is lifting up atheism and that's equally unjust. Don't you think it would be insulting to be told that the universe was created billions of years ago in some massive explosion...if that's not what you believe? It forces you to renounce your religion and bubble in the "right" answer on the test. Something to keep in mind.