KENTUCKY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
The Kentucky Academy of Science is opposed to any attempt by legislative bodies to mandate the specific content of science courses. The content of science courses should be determined by the standards of the scientific community. Science involves a continuing systematic inquiry into the manifold aspects of the biological and material world. It is based upon testable theories which may change with new data; it cannot include interpretations based on faith or religious dogma. As scientists we object to attempts to equate "scientific creationism" and evolution as scientific explanations of events. Teaching the socalled "two model" approach would not only imply that these views are equivalent alternatives among scientists, it would also be misleading to students. The two "models" are not equivalent. There is overwhelming acceptance by scientists of all disciplines that evolution (the descent of modern species of animals and plants from different ancestors that lived millions of years ago) is consistent with the weight of a vast amount of evidence. The understanding of the processes underlying evolution has provided the foundation upon which many of the tremendous advances in agriculture and medicine and theoretical biology have been built. Differences among scientists over questions of how evolution was accomplished do not obscure the basic agreement that evolution has occurred.
Most people who subscribe to religious views have developed belief systems that are compatible with evolution. There is a widespread consensus among theologians that biblical accounts of creation are misunderstood if they are treated as literal scientific explanations. We fully respect the religious views of all persons but we object to attempts to require any religious teachings as science.
We join the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the academies of science in many other states in calling for the rejection of attempts to require the teaching of "scientific creationism" as a scientific theory.
It is further recommended that the Kentucky Academy of Science encourage
its members and other professional scientific groups to give support and
aid to those classroom teachers who present the subject matter of evolution
fairly and encounter community objection. We also encourage administrators
and individual teachers to oppose the inclusion of nonscientific concepts
in the science classroom.
Paragraphs 13 passed at the annual business meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Science, 14 November 1981. Paragraph 4 added at the annual business meeting 12 November 1983.