FRED DE SAM LAZARO: The debate in Kansas over the teaching of evolution has seesawed with the political swings.
JOY BOURDESS (Parent) (At Topeka Hearing): I ask you to lift the censorship that currently exists on the criticisms of evolution.
DE SAM LAZARO: Hundreds have come to recent hearings to argue whether evolution alone should be taught in high school science or if alternative theories should also be discussed. It was déjà vu for many.ANDREW STANGL (College Student): I had hoped that the humiliation Kansas suffered in 1999 after evolutionary biology was de-emphasized from the science standards would never be repeated.
DE SAM LAZARO: In 1999, the Kansas State Board of Education voted to make the teaching of evolution optional. The move drew worldwide attention -- critics say ridicule. Two years later, a new board was voted in, and it quickly restored evolution to the science curriculum. But then last November's election brought conservatives -- avowed critics of evolution -- back and restored the majority.
Newly elected member Kathy Martin gave religious conservatives a majority on the board.
KATHY MARTIN (Kansas State Board of Education): What we're saying is that the neo- Darwinism and some of the materialistic explanations of evolution have led young folks away from Christianity and their beliefs. They're a lot of different theories out there, and I don't think teaching creationism in a science class -- no, that's definitely not what we want to do, but just to allow critical analysis and more than just one point of view.DE SAM LAZARO: Although overwhelmingly accepted by scientists as the explanation of human origins, evolution has its critics. Some interpret the Bible account of creation literally. Others say evolution theory has unexplained gaps. Another theory, called "intelligent design," holds that some biology is so complex it could only be the work of the "designer."
Ms. BOURDESS: I believe that quality education teaches critical thinking skills. No better subject exists today with which to challenge students to develop those skills than the subject of origins science. Look around you in this room. There is a controversy, so let's teach the controversy.
RICHARD WELLS (Engineer): The various institutions of biology need to eliminate their biases, get rid of their hypocrisy, and allow the claims of evolution to be challenged. Not allowing scientific criticism is sort of like playing the Super Bowl with only one team permitted in the field.
DOUGLAS PHENIX (Chemist and Presbyterian Minister): Imagine that there was a high school with a very good baseball team, which had played for many years and over time had developed lots of winning strategies until one day, the tennis coach started accusing the baseball coach of unfairly discriminating against the tennis team by refusing to allow the baseball players to play by the rules of tennis.
Mr. STANGL: When the schools undertake to teach alternative creation theories, I want mine included. It is my belief that flying saucers with aliens from the planet Druesbud, another universe, landed on Earth 4,400 years ago.
JACK KREBS (Teacher, Oskaloosa High School): One of the key problems is that the teachers don't have the skill, the background, to take on all these cultural issues. You know, they don't know how to handle it. Why should they? They're science teachers. And so it's easier to avoid the risk of all these other topics coming up by not teaching it very well or very much.
