A Mississippi bill that would have allowed public school teachers to include pseudoscientific theories in classroom instruction died in the House Education Committee.
As reported by the National Center for Science Education, the bill, H.B. 50, claimed “to help students understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught.” It cited “biological evolution, the chemical origins of life and human cloning” as controversial subjects.
The measure’s sponsor, State Rep. Mark Formby (R-Picayune) told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger that he intended it to permit the teaching of creationism in public schools.
“I just don’t want my teachers punished in any form or fashion for bringing creationism into the debate. Lots of us believe in creationism,” Formby said. “To say that creationism as a theory is any less valuable than any other theory that nobody can scientifically prove I just think is being close-minded.”
