“Intelligent design” is usually the preferred term when religious conservatives are trying to push biblical creationism to be taught as an alternative to evolution in public schools. But Alabama State Rep. Steve Hurst (R) isn’t bothering with the deceptive language.
Hurst has proposed a bill that allows teachers to promote biblical creationism in the classroom.
HB 258 reads: “In any public K-12 school instruction concerning the theories of the creation of man and the Earth, and which involves the theory commonly known as evolution, any teacher may include as a portion of instruction the theory of creation as presented in the Bible, and may read passages in the Bible as deemed necessary for instruction on the theory of creation, thereby affording students a choice as to which theory to accept.”
Additionally, the bill seems to suggest that students may substitute the bible’s story on creation as an answer when being quizzed on evolution — and still receive full credit.
“For those students receiving instruction … and who accept the Bible theory of creation, credit shall be permitted on any examination in which the student provides a response in adherence to the theory, provided the response is correct according to the instruction received,” the bill reads.
As Hement Mehta of the Friendly Atheist points out, the bill is downright illegal.
The Supreme Court ruled decades ago that Creationism isn’t valid and can’t be taught in school. It’s religious mythology masquerading as science. The Bible would literally be used as a science textbook.
Hurst is no stranger to promoting Christianity in the public sector. In 2014, he touted a bill that required public school teachers to read a prayer every day in the classroom.
“If Congress can open with a prayer, and the state of Alabama Legislature can, I don’t see why schools can’t,” he said. “They could read the prayer from the day war was declared in World War II. They could read the prayer the day after Sept. 11.”
Either way, HB 258 isn’t likely going to succeed. But Hurst has definitely made his point: religion deserves a spot in your child’s science classroom.
Featured image via newsby2.com
