Let me start this article by saying I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the state of my state.
As of next month, I will have spent all 35 years of my life as a resident of Indiana. And while I live in the comparatively liberal city Indianapolis, if you drive 15 minutes in any direction, you’re in Trump country.
So it’s hardly any surprise that our state legislature would entertain ridiculous ideas such as endorsing Creationism being taught in public schools.
That’s exactly what state Senator Dennis Kruse wants to happen. Last week, Kruse introduced Senate Bill 373 which, in addition to requiring schools to display “In God We Trust”, would also permit schools to teach “Creation science” if they chose to do so.
Provides that the governing body of a school corporation may require the teaching of various theories concerning the origin of life, including creation science… The governing body of a school corporation may require the teaching of various theories concerning the origin of life, including creation science, within the school corporation.
It goes on to say that directing the education of children is a parent’s “fundamental right,” and that schools cannot infringe upon that right.
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I find it particularly amusing how creative they’re trying to be with this. They’re trying to muddy the waters by referring to Creationism as “creation science,” implying that there’s any level of legitimacy in Creationism.
For those who aren’t familiar with Creationism, it’s not science or even remotely based in science in any way, shape or form. It’s nothing more than a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. It’s the belief that the Earth was created by the Christian god 6000 years ago, and that about 4200 years ago, a 500 year old man named Noah and his kids built an Ark to survive a 40 day flood. It’s the belief that prior to this global, catastrophic flood, all animals – even Tyrannosaurus Rex – were vegans.
Oh, yeah. They also believe that T-Rex and other dinosaurs lived alongside humans. (If you want to read more about Creationism, check out this article about my visit to Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter the day that it opened).
These are the same people who, as my wife explained, “are so fucking horny for the Constitution” when it comes to the Second Amendment, yet they easily forget about the First. They “love” the Second Amendment so much that they refuse to take action on the scourge of gun violence plaguing our country, offering nothing more than their thoughts and prayers instead of actual action.
But as Hemant Mehta at Friendly Atheist pointed out, it’s not the first time Kruse has tried to do this, and it’s unlikely that the bill will be passed.
In 2012, his pro-Creationism bill got through the Senate after an amendment that allowed teachers to include creation myths from other faiths including Islam, Buddhism, and Scientology… but that bill died in the House. There’s no reason this should have any greater success. If it ever passed, the courts would have to overturn it immediately.
While the bill likely won’t go anywhere, Kruse is able to get away with stunts like this because his base supports his actions, or they just don’t care. He’ll be able to go home and tell his constituents “hey, I tried,” and that will appease them.
Voters in the religious right don’t care about the policies of their politicians, they only care about their own religious aspirations. It doesn’t matter if they infringe on the rights of others. All that matters to them is promoting theocracy in what is supposed to be a secular government.
Cover image via insenategop.com
