Sunday, February 15, 2009

The Houston Chronicle Comments on Charles Darwin's Birthday

There is an editorial in the Houston Chronicle on the birthday of Charles Darwin. Commenting on the recent Gallup poll and Texas science standards, the author writes:

Americans are, of course, free to believe in evolution or not, as a private matter. But when it comes to public policy, the Supreme Court has barred public authorities from prohibiting the teaching of evolution in public schools. The teaching of creation science is also prohibited.

Which brings us to the Texas Board of Education and the consistent efforts of several of its members to undermine the teaching of evolution in public school science textbooks and courses. (Please see today’s Outlook piece, “State Board of Education must be held accountable.”)

Darwin wouldn’t be surprised. In The Descent of Man, he acknowledged that his conclusions that humans evolved from lower organisms “will, I regret to think, be highly distasteful to many.”

Apparently so.

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