Some people may remember the scientific uprorar caused in 2001 after the Kansas state board of education cut teaching of evolutionary theory in the classroom. As a result, several conservative school board members were displaced by more science-literate individuals in the subsequent election and evolution was placed back on the curriculum.
Well, come 2004 conservatives were put back on the board -- and history is repeating itself. This time, the twist is to de-emphasize evolution, and allow for teaching of alternative propositions -- albeit non-scientific propositions -- such as Intelligent Design. The board ended up staging debates reminiscent of the Scopes monkey trial, so much so that there was debate amongst the scientific community as whether to even show up and lend credence to the opposition! Simply put, there is no debate about evolution's validity in the scientific community; it's a good model of the available data that has been fueling many of our biological advances (and even advances in computer algorithms) this century.
A common theme that I pick out from these types of debacles is the fear amongst the anti-evolutionists (who tend to be very religious) that children will be somehow corrupted and turn away from their faith as a result of study of biology -- that it is impossible to be scientifically literate and a religious person simultaneously. In a poignant address (PDF) delivered to the St. Olaf Honor's Day members by my undergraduate research adviser Jim Cederberg presents a different perspective -- namely, that scientists can be, and are, faithful and capable of the persuit of scientific knowledge.
It seems fitting, especially since he grew up in Kansas facing the concerns and stigma of evolutionary theory that are still being espoused by those in power today.
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