The Case Of Epperson V. Arkansas - 953 Words

In the wake of the Scopes trial in Tennessee, the State of Arkansas passed an â€Å"anti-evolution† statute in 1928, that made it illegal to teach the theory or doctrine that mankind ascended or descended from a lower order of animals, or to adopt or use in any such institution a textbook that teaches the doctrine or theory that mankind ascended or descended from a lower order of animal.† Forty years later, the case of Epperson v. Arkansas (1968) was argued before the Supreme Court. The case originated in 1965, when Susan Epperson was hired to teach 10th grade biology at Little Rock Central High School. The local school board had recently adopted, as a part of an approved curriculum, a new biology textbook that included a section on evolution. Immediately, Epperson recognised her dilemma; that to teach the required curriculum would put her at risk for dismissal under the â€Å"anti-evolution† statute. A suit was filed to challenge the constitutionality of the stat ute, and the State Chancery Court of Pulaski County ruled that the statute was unconstitutional. This ruling was overturned by the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1967. Upon appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court held that: Arkansas law cannot be defended as an act of religious neutrality. Arkansas did not seek to excise from the curricula of its schools and universities all discussion of the origin of man. The law s effort was confined to an attempt to blot out a particular theory because of its supposed conflict with the BiblicalShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Evolution, Introduced By Charles Darwin,1265 Words   |  6 PagesCourt of Arkansas was approached by Susan Epperson, an Arkansas public school teacher (Epperson v. Arkansas 393 U.S. 97 (1968)). Epperson had approached the court in hopes to sue the state of Arkansas and challenge their â€Å"anti-evolution† statute. It was stated within this statute that it is, â€Å"unlawful for a teacher in any state supported school or universi ty to teach or to use a textbook that teaches ‘that mankind ascended or descended from a lower order of animals’† (â€Å"Epperson v. Arkansas 393 U.SRead MoreReligion and Public school Essay1652 Words   |  7 Pagesreligion. To prevent this from happening in America, the Framers of the constitution banished the ability for the state to interfere with religion, and vice versa. Yet over time this mixture of government and religion has been tested, especially in cases involving school and religion. Like any argument, there is a party which agrees and another which disagrees. When looking at schools and practices of religion, there is a side that believe the mixture of school and religion is just and should be regularRead MoreCreationism : A Theory Of Primordial History1585 Words   |  7 Pagesnot a theory or hypothesis. Throughout history the debate between whether it is ethically right or wrong to teach these has been ongoing for too long and must come to a sto p. These beliefs should not be taught in public schools due to the years of case law and disputed legislative actions, both of their belief systems, and the irrefutable facts that prove it morally wrong. Creationists believe that one divine God created the world around 10,000 years ago. This creation took six twenty- four hourRead MoreSepartion of Church and State Essay1246 Words   |  5 Pagesseparation of church and state. Within our political and school systems there have been a number of controversial issues to include religious holidays, school prayer, teaching evolution and aid to church based schools. The Supreme Court has ruled in many cases in regards to these religious controversial issues. The First Amendment states â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; orRead MoreThe Controversy Over Creationism And Evolution1415 Words   |  6 Pagesdramatically different. One central court case that created a spark of bringing evolution to public schools was the infamous Scopes trial of 1925 in which science teacher John Scopes challenged Tennessee state law and taught evolution in his high school science class. Tennessee state legislature had passed a bill, known as the Butler Act just months before, banning the teaching of evolution. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) represented Scopes after his arrest in a case that riveted public attentionRead MoreConflicts Between Science and Religion1662 Words   |  7 Pages1960s with a shift in the Supreme Courts views. In 1968 the Supreme Court ruled, in fact, that States may not ban the teaching of e volutionary theory (Epperson v. Arkansas), then again in 1987 with a case that said a State (Louisiana) violated the Constitution by insisting that creation science be taught alongside of evolutionary theory (Edwards v. Aguilara). Philosophical Precepts- The ideas of natural selection and the theory of evolution are more, however, than a scientific paradigm versus aRead MoreCreationism : A Theory Of Primordial History2255 Words   |  10 Pagesnot a theory or hypothesis. Throughout history the debate between whether it is ethically right or wrong to teach these has been ongoing for too long and must come to a stop. These beliefs should not be taught in public schools due to the years of case law and disputed legislative actions, both of their belief systems, and the irrefutable facts that prove it morally wrong. Creationists believe that one divine God created the world around 10,000 years ago. This creation took six twenty- four hourRead MoreThe Theory of Evolution and Creationism Debate The subject on what goes into public school1700 Words   |  7 Pagesthe debate it wasn’t till the case 1968 Epperson v. Arkansas were the Supreme Court declared any anti-evolution† law unconstitutional Justice Fortas wrote, The States undoubted right to prescribe the curriculum for its public schools does not carry with it the right to prohibit, on pain of criminal penalty, the teaching of a scientific theory or doctrine where that prohibition is based upon reasons that violate the First Amendment. After the Epperson v. Arkansas verdict Christian groups developedRead MoreThe First Ammendment and Dealing with the Separation of Church and State1741 Words   |  7 PagesChristmas concerts to Holiday concerts would maintain the separation of church and state. (Grunes: 470) There have been several court cases on this and related issues which include Engel vs. Vitale, Everson vs. the Board of Education, and Lynch vs. Donnelly, the Creche case (Klinker, 1991: 93). In 1947, in the Everson vs. Board of Education case, the Supreme Court ruled that the 14th amendment prevented the States and the and the Federal government from setting up a church, passingRead MoreCreationism Vs. Evolution1130 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom genetic variation, crossbreeding, survival of the fittest etc. Such drastic changes from species to species are due to mutations. In most eyes, mutations are considered to be harmful and destructive. Which is true in some cases, but they are also beneficial in the case of genetics and evolution. Many helpful mutations are incorporated into the normal genotype through natural selection, and when harmful mutations do occur the process of natural selection kills that mutation off. Without randomly