In an 8-2 vote on Wednesday by the Senate Educational Committee moved forward with a highly debated bill dealing with creationism in public schools. With its Biblical origins to the Book of Genesis, creationism is taught in fewer public schools than the opposing view of evolution. Even so, a Pennsylvania State University study found than 60 percent of high school science teachers surveyed taught evolution cautiously, with room for debate and doubt—the remaining openly advocated creationism. The new law would change this standard by proposing that school districts have the option to include creationism as a part of their science courses.
Sponsored by Sen. Dennis Kruse, the bill was proposed back in 2000 but never made it past a committee vote. Oklahoma, New Hampshire and Missouri have considered similar all-inclusive teaching bills as well. Indiana Sen. Scott Schneider voted in favor of the bill because he thinks students should be taught various theories on the origins of life, but the opposition believes it will prove difficult for some teachers to transition to teaching several theories.
Is it possible to teach several origins of life theories? Can public schools- funded by the state which is supposed to be separate from the church- effectively teach religion without violating students and staff who have different systems of belief?
