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Creationism in state legislature
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smith-@aol.com
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Oct 03, 2007 14:32 PDT
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Now those of us living in District 70 know for whom not to vote for the state legislature.
Candidate: Schools should offer creationism
House District 70 hopefuls pitch education plans at forum
By MARK BALLARD AND MARSHA SHULER
Advocate Capitol News Bureau
Published: Oct 3, 2007 - Page: 4B
Louisiana public schools should consider the teaching of the biblical theory of the beginning of the world one legislative candidate said during a forum late Tuesday night.
The other two candidates for Baton Rouge’s District 70 seat in the House of Representatives disagreed.
But all three Republicans said they would back in varying degrees prayer in public schools.
Pat Culbertson said he favored teaching what is called “creationism,” not as a full course but as an alternative explanation for the possible beginning of mankind.
Culbertson, a member of the Metro Council, and his opponents, lawyers Aidan Reynolds and Franklin Foil, participated in the “Citizen Interview,” sponsored by the League of Women’s Voters and Baton Rouge Community College.
District 70 covers southeast Baton Rouge. The district borders LSU and stretches south down Highland Road to Airline Highway and over to Tiger Bend Road.
The candidates agree on most issues, such as, building a highway loop around Baton Rouge, tax breaks for parents who send their children to private schools and building a new LSU Earl K. Long Medical Center as a teaching hospital in south Baton Rouge.
But some disagreement surfaced.
Culbertson said the very best science should be taught in public school classrooms, including creationism.
“Science can answer many questions but there are some things science cannot explain,” Culbertson said. “There are some things that you are going to have to accept on faith. We should not be shy about being faithful people.”
Reynolds and Foil said the state has already spent a lot of money defending a law that has already been declared unconstitutional.
“It’s a constitutional issue that is already settled,” said Foil. “There may be a way to offer an alternative course curriculum.”
Reynolds said creationism should not be taught in public schools. “I don’t think our public schools role is to train in a religious fashion any of our students. That is the role for parochial and private schools if a parent so chooses,” he said.
Creationism holds that the Bible’s account of creation is true. It contradicts the widely accepted scientific theory that man evolved into his present state from less complex life forms.
Twenty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law mandating equal treatment in school classrooms of evolution and creationism. The courts held that the equal-treatment law was a way to push religion in public schools.
But many in Christian community now are advocating a similar creationist theory called “intelligent design.”
The candidates agree to some form of school prayer.
“I’d like to see time set aside for prayer in the public schools,” Culbertson said.
Foil said, “I probably would favor a time for children to have prayer on their own in public schools.”
Reynolds said he favored allowing children to pray in public schools on their own but did not want a legislative initiative that would expand prayer into an organized activity. “There are better things for government to get involved in than how we pray,” he said.
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