This is exactly the interpretation of the board's actions that board chairman Curt Johnston apparently worried about when writing the board's only statement after making its decision. He said:
We seem to have been caught in the middle of a dispute between various parties who apparently want to use our curriculum to promote their own views. We expect teachers to continue to teach the theory of evolution. We do not expect teachers to teach creationism … Religion has no place in science instruction. The purpose of this policy is to foster critical thinking among students to allow academic freedom consistent with legal requirements to promote tolerance and acceptance of diversity of opinion and to ensure a posture of neutrality toward religion.
The new policy admits that evolution and other theories of origins are regularly debated and challenged in the science community. Thus, it allows teachers to show this debate in order "to foster critical thinking among students, to allow academic freedom consistent with legal requirements, to promote tolerance and acceptance of diversity of opinion, and to ensure a posture of neutrality toward religion."
In a broad-based curriculum, the policy reads, the "discussion of disputed views of academic subjects is a necessary element of providing a balanced education, including the study of the origin of species."
The much-anticipatedboard vote comes after a parent sued the district for distributing science books with disclaimers. Stickers inside the books warned that evolution should be critically evaluated because it is a theory and not a fact.
When the school board looked at its old policy on evolution instruction, discussion turned to amending it to include other theories. At the time, Johnson said the board wanted to provide open discussion in the classroom. His hope was that the policy would clarify for teachers what they could discuss.
Darwinism debate fails to evolve | If Columbia College wished to provoke emotion over creationism and evolution in school curriculums, its public "Dinner With Darwin" couldn't have satisfied many appetites. (The Chicago Tribune)
"This bill provides important protections for the conscience rights of healthcare professionals and providers," said Dr. David Stevens, executive director of the Christian Medical Association in a press release. "No one should be forced to violate their conscience by being coerced to take part in abortion."
The bill amends 1996 legislation (42 U.S.C. '238n), which gave health care entities protection against anti-discrimination suits if they declined to train in or perform abortions. The weakness of this legislation was vague language. In application, it has often only covered residency programs and training—and not healthcare professionals or hospitals themselves.
The bill is also significant for Catholic hospitals that merge with secular hospitals. Abortion groups have pressured the staff of the new institution to provide abortions because they were formerlyavailable at the secular hospital.
Before the House vote this week, President Bush endorsed the bill: "This legislation makes clear that they may not be subjected to discrimination by the federal government, or by any state or local government … because they oppose or choose not to participate in abortions or abortion training."
Other stories on abortion include:
The choice Nicole had to make | Nicole Appleton, former singer with all-girl group All Saints, has co-authored a book with her sister Natalie, in which she deals in some detail with the events surrounding her own abortion. (The Scotsman)
Discussions on physical abuse and punishment Three extreme cases of beating children have created new discussion of physically punishing youth. One case is a trial in Toronto against a nun who regularly beat children. While the cases of twomothers who recently beat their children in public are more about irrational temper than physical punishment, they have been the subject of interesting columns—especially the case of Madelyne Gorman Toogood. She beat her daughter in a department store parking lot (and was recorded by a security camera).
Darby Christopher wrote this week for The Atlanta-Journal Constitution that cases like Toogood's have taken away the "gray areas" of parenting. "A parent either treats their offspring with the utmost patience and respect at all times," she writes. "Or abuses them, necessitating their removal from the home."
She argues that all parents lose their temper and the public needs to look at itself. Christopher writes:
As a culture, we are like the religious zealots who came to Jesus wanting to stone a woman caught in the act of adultery, only now we have a woman caught losing control and striking her child. To paraphrase Jesus' response, if there is a parent among us who without fear or hesitation would allow the world to view all of their parenting moments on videotape, may he or she cast the first stone.
Ex-editor says Kirk censored magazine | A former editor of the Church of Scotland's official magazine, who was compelled to pulp 50,000 copies of it after an article about the Prince of Wales was deemed inappropriate, has accused senior Kirk figures of censorship (The Herald, Glasgow, Scotland)
Christian ministry helps new students | InterVarsity Trojan Christian Fellowship, and they serve as both missionaries and advisers to younger classmen (Daily Trojan, USC)
State probes tiger incident | Misdemeanor charges possible; injured boy returns to school to say he's ok. (The Mercury News, San Jose, Calif.)
Campus religion majors on rise | Many schools have noted a broad upsurge. They attribute it to a renewed desire for deeper meanings. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Other religions:
Listening to Islam | An American hears music over the talk-radio din (The Boston Globe)
Does any religion speak with one voice? | Debates on Islam — and in other faiths — center on who's entitled to define right belief (Jeffrey Weiss, The Dallas Morning News)
The legacy of Abraham | He is beloved by Jews, Christians and Muslims. Can this bond stop them from hating one another? (Time)
Also: Writing a new book of Abraham | Why Fieler believes that this figure's legacy could help unite the three religions (Time)
Article continues below
'Abraham' an engaging trip into religious history | Bruce Feiler's book is an exquisitely written journey that takes readers by the hand and guides them through the world's most volatile region (The Boston Globe)
Church life:
Church bucks trend toward informality | While a growing number of congregations nationally are relaxing dress codes and forsaking formal worship spaces, leaders of a Charlotte megachurch have begun preaching about honoring God by how you look and act (St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Charlotte Observer)
The mind and faith | For Christians, study is essential to a fully developed spirituality (Editorial, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo)
Some drawn to 'centering' prayer | One of its gurus, a Trappist monk named Thomas Keating, once was an abbot in Spencer, Mass. Keating, who now lives in Colorado, founded the practice, or rather resurrected it — he says contemplative prayer was practiced in medieval monasteries — 30 years ago (The Boston Globe)
A new generation of worship | Many parishes now offer family-centered programs, a fresh view of the Gospel (Springfield [Mo.] News-Leader)
Even for Baptists, Sunday has grown less restful | It's a touchy topic, judging from telltale omissions in an Aug. 26 article on the plank for the Baptist Press news service (Associated Press)
Our Christian friends | The growing popularity of the annual Jerusalem march among Christians worldwide is a testament to the rising support Israel enjoys in various Christian quarters, particularly among Evangelicals in the United States (Editorial, The Jerusalem Post)
Some target bias in faith initiative bill | A coalition of civil rights groups and liberal House Democrats has mounted an aggressive lobbying campaign to block President Bush's faith-based initiative in the Senate unless the bill explicitly prohibits religious charities from discriminating when hiring (The Boston Globe)
Christian lawyer to challenge Arafat | Ghassan Barham says if he were to win the election, he would see to it that Arafat and many of his officials are brought to trial for corruption (The Jerusalem Post)
Democrat puts dream job over party to quit house | At the end of the month, Mr. Hall, a longtime advocate for the hungry, will go to Rome as the United States ambassador to United Nations food and agriculture agencies (The New York Times)
U.S. pastors fight healers | The pastors attacked the shrine of Mukasa Kiggundu Kamulali at Misaali in Nyendo and chased away his clients, but a group of youths repulsed them (New Vision, Kampala, Uganda)
Republicans 'confirm priest was IRA bomber' | Three car bombs exploded without warning in the town of Claudy, Co Londonderry, in July 1972, killing five Catholics and four Protestants aged between nine and 65. (The Daily Telegraph, London)
One nation under God? | Pledge case opens another front on separation of church and state issue. (Associated Press)
School district drops religious-speech ban | A Texas school district has revised a policy that caused an employee to be censured for using her office e-mail to send President Bush's proclamation that designated May 2 as the National Day of Prayer 2002 (The Washington Times)
Article continues below
Other stories of interest:
Board Games' higher calling | Instead of buying up Boardwalk in "Monopoly" or climbing Gumdrop Mountain in "Candyland," players are saving lost souls in "Redemption" and wading through gefilte fish in "Kosherland" (Fox News)
Religion News in Brief | Anglican schism, praying Americans, Jim Bakker, Christians opposing Fred Phelps, and other stories (Associated Press)
Eritrea's 'spiritual father' dies | Since the early hours of this morning, Eritreans have gathered at the main Orthodox church in Asmara to pay their final respects to Abuna Filipos (BBC)
The unchurched | A new study puts Washington as the second most irreligious state. I'm not so sure. (David Klinghoffer, National Review Online)
Investigating history | A Tampa police veteran digs into the department's past to compile stories of historic proportion (St. Petersburg Times)
Eviction of loud Christians overturned | Two Christians accused of frightening neighbors by praying too loudly in their apartment have had their eviction notice overturned (Canadian Press)
An independent commission concluded that dozens of women were violated by Vanier and his mentor under exploitative spiritual disciplines.
Ralph Ellison’s novel depicts the quest for personal dignity in a society determined to deny it.
Can human sexuality be a nonessential issue for a denomination that seeks to “stand in the center”?
