Inherit the Wind

Creationism- the belief that the universe and living organisms originate from specific acts of
divine creation, as in the biblical account, rather than by natural processes such as evolution

Evolutionism- was a common 19th-century belief that organisms inherently improve themselves
through progressive inherited change over time (orthogenesis), and increase in complexity
through evolution. The belief went on to include cultural evolution and social evolution.

Charles Darwin is considered to be by many the "father" of evolutionary thought. He was in fact
aided and guided by the works of many scientists before him. It was Darwin's genius both to
show how all this evidence favored the evolution of species from a common ancestor and to offer
a plausible mechanism by which life might evolve. In the mid-1800s, Darwin and the British
biologist Alfred Russel Wallace independently conceived of a natural, even observable, way for
life to change: a process Darwin called natural selection. Darwin and Wallace both realized that
if an animal has some trait that helps it to withstand the elements or to breed more successfully,
it might leave more offspring behind than others. On average, the trait will become more
common in the following generation, and the generation after that. Darwin began formulating his
theory of natural selection in the late 1830s but he went on working quietly on it for twenty
years. Darwin had been working on a major book on evolution and used that to develop On the
Origins of Species, which was published in 1859. Within a few decades, most scientists accepted
that evolution and the descent of species from common ancestors were real.

The map reveals very few public schools that permit creationist instruction in public schools.
Only Tennessee and Louisiana permit creationist instruction. These are southern states and
southern states tend to be more religious. The south is often called the “Bible Belt.” Texas has a
charter school that uses a creationist curriculum. Again, Texas is a southern state. Approximately
eight other states teach creationism and accept tax funded vouchers or scholarships. Half of those
states are southern states.

After the Scopes Trial in Tennessee, 1925, the theory of evolution gained public
support. However, this did not translate into evolution being taught widely in the public schools
until the 1960s. State creationism laws were passed in 1981, in Arkansas and Louisiana, to force
the teaching of both creationism and evolution or the teaching of neither. In a 1987 case,
Edwards v. Aquillard, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the creationism laws were
unconstitutional because they violated the establishment clause of the 1st Amendment of the U.S.
constitution. Creation science was seen as an expression of religious belief and therefore should
not be taught in most public schools.

A newly passed Tennessee law, the Butler Act, forbid teaching evolution or any other theory that
denied the biblical account of the creation of man or Creationism. John Scopes was a 24-year-old
high school football coach and substitute science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee who was put on
trial for teaching evolution in his classroom. Scopes had agreed to incriminate himself so that the
Butler Act could be challenged. The trial began on July 10, 1925. Scopes’ lawyer was Clarence
Darrow with the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Darrow, a renowned
defense attorney for labor and radical figures, was an agnostic in religious matters. The state’s
lawyer was William Jennings Bryan, a Christian, pacifist, and former Secretary of State and
three-time Presidential candidate. He took the case because he believed the evolution theory led
to dangerous and social movements. He believed the Bible should be interpreted literally. Instead
of the validity of the law under which Scopes was being charged, the authority of the Bible
versus the soundness of Charles Darwin’s Theory on Evolution became the focus of the case.
The jury found Scopes guilty and fined him $100. The verdict was thrown out on a technicality
on appeal. Bryan claimed victory and the Tennessee law would stand until 1967 when the Butler
act was repealed. However, Darrow and ACLU succeeded in publicizing scientific evidence for
evolution.

The states that still teach Creationism in their public schools include Tennessee and Louisiana.
Publicly funded charter schools in Texas teach Creationism. There are no states that prohibit the
teaching of evolution.

Proverbs 11:29 stresses the value and importance of family. Bringing trouble to your family is
foolish because you cut yourself off from all they provide which includes acceptance,
encouragement, love, and guidance. You should seek healing, communication, and
understanding in your family.