Here is a good story showing how the fight over the deceptively-named academic freedom bill in Louisiana went. Despite the solid support from the experts for real science, the bills breezed right on through anyway. The following is the frightening stuff to me since it has implication for us here in Florida.
The law was carefully stage-managed. At the Senate and House committee hearings, the room was filled with Religious Right activists. Proponents included a group of home-schooled students, who will not even be affected by the law.
“They see all those people there and all they see are votes,” said Forrest, who serves on the Americans United Board of Trustees. “The LFF [Louisiana Family Forum] has been lobbying the legislature for nine years laying this groundwork. They have been waiting for a number of factors to come together — now the legislature as a whole is conservative and we have a governor who favors creationism.”
Check out this interview of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.
“Question: Why would someone with so much knowledge of biology sign a bill allowing the biblical story of Creation to be taught in science class?
Jindal: I don’t think that schools should be run by bureaucrats. I think these decisions need to be made by local school boards. In terms of teaching my own kids at home, I do believe there is a Creator. Catholicism doesn’t teach authoritatively on evolution or the origins of life, but we do believe that God is our Creator.”
Notice how Jindal didn’t even flinch at the suggestion that the bill allows the Biblical story of Creation to be taught in science class?
Catholicism doesn’t teach authoritatively on evolution…
If you ignore the Vatican Observatory, the biology departments at every Catholic college and university, and the basic science curricula at Catholic high schools. I am so very disappointed in Gov. Jindal.