Equal time

From EvoWiki

After failing to prohibit evolution in the schools altogether in the 1920s (most famous event: Scopes Trial), creationists attempted to have creationism taught as an alternative to evolution. In the 1960s, with the publication of The Genesis Flood by Henry Morris and John Whitcomb, the young earth creationism movement was born, and it pushed for equal time for teaching creationism side by side with evolution at schools. The equal time movement flourished until a series of court decisions ruled it unconstitutional, culminating in the Edwards v. Aguillard decision in 1987. The court decision ruled creation science as unscientific and religious, therefore unfit for science class, and violating the separation of church and state.

Edwards v. Aguillard spawned a new creationism movement called neocreationism or, as it is more commonly known, intelligent design. This movement attempts to "teach the controversy" of evidence against evolution in a way which is purely without reference to religion, so as to slip past the court decisions. It is thus a stealth form of creationism.

See also:

• Eight Significant Court Decisions at the National Center for Science Education website
• Transcript of the 1981 McLean et al. vs. Arkansas trial
• Fairness demands evolution and creation be given equal time