Found Object June 15 2005

Collision of church and state

Below are excerpts from a June 5 episode of public radio program “This American Life,” in which a Georgia public school teacher described conversations she had with the school’s principal about evolution. (State guidelines require evolution be taught in Georgia schools.) The radio show did not identify by name the teacher or the school.

“We sat down, closed the door, and we got into a discussion of [how] he wanted me to know where he was coming from. And so he reached around and pulled a Bible off his bookshelf. And he said, ‘I believe everything in this Bible. Do you believe everything in this Bible?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I do. But that’s not the issue.’ That was the first time.”The next time, we were in the cafeteria and he said, ‘You know, I can accept a lot of things about evolution. But if the scientists ever get to the point where they say God’s not involved, I can’t accept that. I want you to say that.’ I said, ‘This just doesn’t feel right. You shouldn’t be asking me these kinds of questions.’ He said, ‘It’s just the two of us here. If they ever get to the point where the scientists say that God’s not involved, I can’t accept that. I want you to say that.’ He wanted me to repeat it after him. It felt like I was forced to take an oath. It felt like I was forced to declare my religion.”