Creating a Controversy: Biology Teacher’s Biblical Presentation at School

I am a student at Capo Valley High School and am writing in response to the much publicized and controversial issue that is haunting our school: evolution and/or creationism.

Already this issue has caused much disruption in our school, from students and faculty taking sides to heated debates in class, and it has even gone as far as such childish behavior as name-calling.

Is all of this really necessary? No, it is not. It’s actually plain and simple. The Constitution, under the First and 14th Amendments, set up the Establishment Clause. This clause states a wall of separation between church and state.

In 1968, a court case known as Epperson vs. Arkansas tried to question the constitutionality of the Establishment Clause by not teaching evolution in schools. In this case the court held that the “Establishment Clause forbids the preference of a religious doctrine.” This means that the state cannot recognize any one religion.

Mr. Peloza is doing just that, though, when he teaches his so-called “abrupt appearance” theory in class, also known as creationism. Nobody is saying that creationism shouldn’t be taught, but creationism is not a scientific theory, therefore it should not be taught in a science class, just as biology shouldn’t be taught in a Sunday school class.

The question is not whether we believe in creationism; it is whether Mr. Peloza has the right to teach it. According to the Constitution, he doesn’t, unless, of course, he becomes a Sunday school teacher.

AIMEE WELLS, Mission Viejo