Americans are free to believe whatever they want about our origins. But when fundamentalist religious beliefs attempt to masquerade as science, we must all be concerned. Whether fundamentalists acknowledge it or not, evolution is the cornerstone of many sciences. When we teach it in public school science classes, we not only respect the First Amendment, we also do our young people a big favor.  

A state senator in Arkansas has sent an email to thousands of other state legislators across the country urging them to join a group he is forming called the National Association of Christian Lawmakers.

If it weren’t for a Supreme Court decision in the case Epperson v. Arkansas, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this week, it could still be illegal to teach evolution in some public schools.