Remarks Made by John Calvert to the Kansas State Board of Education on September 12, 2000
I am John Calvert. I am here to talk about Trial 5 of the Science Education Standards which I understand are being resurrected.
As you look again at trial 5 please also consider the IDnet letter to the Kansas School Districts that has just been handed to you.
That letter criticizes Trial 5 for using the philosophy of naturalism to drive the teaching of origins. Naturalism censors any evidence that living systems may have been designed. It promotes chance and necessity as the only operative cause for life and its diversity.
When naturalism drives origins science we are confronted with logical, scientific, cultural and legal problems. I am here to talk briefly about a legal problem.
Assume I am a teacher and you are the principal.
In my left hand I have an enormous amount of evidence that life and its diversity are designed. This evidence supports theistic beliefs but is not itself religious.
In my right hand I have evidence that life and its diversity results only from blind purposeless forces. This evidence supports atheistic beliefs and denigrates theistic beliefs.
What am I to do with the evidence when I walk into a science class?
Are you going to tell me to hide the evidence of design?
The Supreme court says that when we approach a religious issue we must be neutral.
If we hide the evidence that supports theistic beliefs and show only the evidence that supports atheistic beliefs are we being neutral?
As the State Board, what are you going to tell me to do? Are you going to tell me to hide the evidence or are you going to promote neutrality and allow teachers to show all the relevant scientific evidence?
Please read our letter before you act. Thank you for listening.