Evolve is such an interesting word.  Evolve involves change, adaptation, development and a whole bunch of other things.  But tell someone that they might have evolved from monkeys, and whoa, Nellie!  Them’s fightin’ words!  Many in the Christian community are openly offended when our public schools allow scientific theories over religious theories in their textbooks.  Sometimes even school boards split over such issues.

In 2004 some of the school board members (We’ll call them ID’s for Intelligent Design) in Dover, Pennsylvania became concerned with the (in their opinion) overwhelming references to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in their science books.  They felt that God — make that the intelligent designer — should have equal time, especially since the students were already God-fearing kids.  Other board members (some of them churchgoers) disagreed (We’ll call them Darwinians) and took the position that, while they personally believed in God and all, it would be wrong to introduce anything other than scientific data in the classroom, thereby upholding the separation of church and state mandate.

The ID-ers proceeded to read statements in the science classes, saying that, as Darwin’s Theory was just a theory, then the kids ought to be aware that there may be other explanations to the beginning of life.  Also, a bunch of alternative school books showed up, called Of Pandas and People, giving just such an explanation.  The books were donated by an unknown source.

Anway, artwork was trashed, lives were threatened, words were slung and school board meetings were finally becoming interesting.

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