This Weeks' Topic

Intelligent Design

In 1925, lawyers Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan argued the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial to decide if evolution could be taught in U.S. schools. Clearly, the issue wasn’t settled. Today, another court case that revolves around the teaching of evolutionary science is going on in Pennsylvania.

Many observers compare this case to the Scopes Trial of 1925. What was the outcome of the Scopes case? Why wasn’t the issue resolved then?

In 1925, Tennessee enacted a law that made it illegal to teach anything in a science class that denies or refutes the story of creation as outlined in the Bible.   But John Scopes continued to teach Darwin’s theory of evolution. So charges were brought by the state.

After a lengthy and dramatic trail, Clearance  Darrow told the jury to convict his own client. He wanted to go up on appeal and overturn the law on constitutional grounds. But the Supreme Court ruined his plans by overturning the conviction on a technicality.

The case was seen as a victory for evolution, but it didn’t really provide a definitive answer on the law.

What is the current challenge in the struggle between evolution and creationism?

Right now, 80 years after the Scopes trial, there is a case on going in a federal court in Pennsylvania  that is very similar to the Scopes trial.

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