Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 30, 2000, Thursday,  EDITORIAL, Pg. A-30

HEADLINE: THEOLOGY AND A THEORY;
CREATIONISM IS ABOUT RELIGION, NOT SCIENCE

    The biblical story of Creation is impressive literature and inspiring
theology, but it is not science and has no place in the state's standards
for teaching science.

    In 1998, the proposed standards reflected the reality that the theory
of evolution is the central organizing principle that biologists use to
understand the world. Thus, as part of their basic education, students
would be required to understand what it says and how it works.

      The revised 2000 standards do not specify that creationism be taught,
but they leave the door open for study of alternative theories for the
origin and development of life on Earth. Education Department spokesman
Dan Langan said the wording allows for the teaching of creation theory
alongside evolution in public school science classes. The degree to which
schools teach it would be a local decision, he said.

    Pennsylvania is hardly alone -- and it is far from the worst -- in
using state education standards to advance a religious agenda. But it is
disturbing that the state Board of Education would succumb to the pressure
of Christian fundamentalists at the expense of the U.S. Constitution and
the educational needs of Pennsylvania's students.

    Creationism paints a veneer of pseudo-science on a religious belief
system. No reputable scientific group accepts it as a plausible
alternative to evolution, period.

    Any individual is free to believe that the Earth is 10,000 years old
and that man was molded from clay in the image of God. But he can't teach
it as a reasonable scientific theory in public school, because to do so
would violate a central tenet of the American form of government -- the
separation of church and state.

    Diane Snyder, vice president of the Butler Area school board, is not
impressed with that wise arrangement and is not alone in wishing to impose
her belief system on the students in her charge. "Our demographics are
very Christian-oriented," she told Post-Gazette staff writer Pamela R.
Winnick. "Why shouldn't we teach creationism in addition to evolution?"

    The fact is, there are plenty of Christians, including those in the
Catholic Church and mainstream Protestant denominations, who do not
believe the theory of evolution is incompatible with their religious
beliefs. But even if every Christian on Earth were convinced that the
Bible was the authoritative scientific text on the origin of the species,
it still could not and should not be taught in the nation's public
schools.

    The science standards are still months away from adoption, requiring
more public comment and a review by the House and Senate education
committees and the attorney general's office. The public and educational
leaders should seize the opportunity to revise the standards back to their
original, sensible, rational form. To do otherwise would be a disservice
to the students who deserve to learn real science in science class.