AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

Addendum to Report of Committee on Professional and Member Relations

There is increased pressure on boards of education to mandate the teaching of biblical creationism in the nation's public school science classes. As recent examples of this pressure, the state legislatures of Arkansas and Louisiana have passed measures requiring that such creationism be taught whenever biological (Darwinian) evolution is taught.

The Board of Directors of the American Chemical Society reaffirms its statement of December 2, 1972 that creationism theories, often mistermed "scientific creationism," should not be taught as science in the nation's science classes. These theories were not derived from scientific data and are not amenable to scientific test. Any implication that such theories are within the framework of science would confuse students about the nature of both religion and science.

Endorsed by the ACS Board of Directors on 6 December 1981.

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