Texas Taliban May Get Biology Text Censored

Holt, Rinehart & Winston, publisher of textbooks for public schools across the country, has done the cowardly thing and agreed to give in to religious pressure from Christian fundamentalists in Texas over the placement of evolution in biology texts. Relying upon advice from The Discovery Institute, a front organization that promotes creationism under the more marketable name "Intelligent Design," the proposed changes would undermine the teaching of science by giving students a misleading impression of what science is about.

The Houston Chronicle explains:

"Rather than stand up for keeping good science standards in textbooks, Holt Rinehart has compromised the education of Texas students," said Samantha Smoot, executive director of the Texas Freedom Network, a group that monitors the religious right. The network singled out a passage directing students to "study hypotheses for the origin of life that are alternatives" to others posed in the book. Students also are encouraged to research alternative theories on the Internet.

Of course, there are no scientific alternatives to the theory of evolution. There are religious alternatives, that is true, so Christian fundamentalists are having a biology text for public schools changed to encourage students to seek out (religious) alternatives to a sound scientific theory.

Read More:

• What is Intelligent Design?
• What is Balanced Treatment?
• What is Creationism?
• What is Evolution?
• What is Science?