In February, a leading scientific group, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, announced a boycott of Louisiana, citing a 2008 law that allows for creationism to be taught in the public schools. The 2,300-member group will no longer hold its 2010 convention in New Orleans, but in Salt Lake City instead.
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The law claims it “shall not be construed to promote any religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or non-religion.” Notwithstanding its claims, the legislation is clearly designed to do otherwise. It appropriates language such as “critical thinking,” “logical analysis” and “open and objective discussion”— the backbones of science—to mischaracterize its anti-scientific basis.
Creationism is not a scientific theory. A scientific theory is the generalization of scientific observation that has been tested with such reliable results as to be considered a reasonable explanation for an observed phenomenon.
Darwin’s theory of evolution, on the other hand, is a true scientific theory. It has not only been tested, but also repeatedly reaffirmed. Technological developments since Darwin’s time have led to the discovery of DNA and leaps in the understanding of genetics, all of which have added to the body of evidence supporting the theory of evolution.
Creationism has different monikers—intelligent design, specified complexity and the fine-tuned universe, among others—but it cannot be called a scientific theory. Advocates of this idea seize on phenomena that have not yet been explained by evolutionary theory as evidence for the work of a god-like being.
The Louisiana law is a clear example of the Wedge Doctrine championed by the creationist Discovery Institute. Unable to directly confront scientific claims, creationists instead introduce controversy and doubt in order to open the door for gradually more overtly religion-based curricula across the board.
The conservative Christian Louisiana Family Forum, whose 1997 bill to introduce creationism in classrooms was defeated by the ACLU, penned the new Louisiana legislation.
The real purpose of these laws, and the organizations that advocate for them, is to strengthen Christian fundamentalist arguments that not only challenge science but promote a broad reactionary agenda. Right-wing Christian fundamentalism has been used as a weapon against gains made in the struggle for women’s and LGBT rights. It has fostered racist and anti-Muslim propaganda to support U.S. imperialist wars.
Interestingly, Gov. Jindal is a Brown biology graduate. Above all, Jindal is a savvy politician who is not about to let science get between him and his right-wing political base. Jindal has been a consistent opponent of same-sex marriage and a woman’s right to choose, very much in line with the conservative Christian forces that have been promoting “intelligent design.”
In Louisiana, the Department of Education hopes to achieve a high school graduation rate of 80 percent by 2016. Those students have a right to a materialist education in science. The government of Louisiana should focus on the well-being of its citizen, not on subverting science to strengthen right-wing ideology. Louisiana should use its wealth to ensure that all have a chance at a productive life and intellectual fulfillment.
