Mike Fair: Bias for evolution is protected
Mike Fair: Bias for evolution is protected
Mike Fair, Greenvilleonline, 11/3/2014 - original
Recently, the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee suggested a minor language improvement to the evolution standard and the State Board of Education rejected the request. Winning and losing are part of the experience of developing public policy. One of the hopes is that decisions will be made with the best interest of those that will be affected and understand we all have biases.
Elected officials have biases but we are sworn to obey the law and the Constitution. Judges and justices in the judicial system have biases and seem to overreach their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution. In fact they routinely change the Constitution.
Why are some biases criticized while others are not?
For example, as a Christian, my faith becomes the focus if evolution is the subject. Facts are notwithstanding. However, my legislative record reveals promoting policy and supporting legislation that helps inmates, women, children, etc. A Christian bias is apparently OK for these issues.
Evolution is another matter. Do I believe evolution occurs. Certainly. Evolution means change and it is observable in that sense. There are big dogs and little dogs but big or little dogs are all still dogs. Change occurred but change cannot occur outside the phylum to which dogs belong. Do you really believe that last statement is violative of the establishment clause? Neither do I.
The “establishment clause” of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution proclaims: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Its meaning is clear!
Noah Webster was considered the Father of Education. In his 1828 published dictionary he defined “establish” as the “use of authority to enact an institutional structure.”
As colonies became states, state religions, mostly Anglican, were common. However, after the Constitution was ratified, taxpayer funded religions violated the establishment clause.
Webster’s 1828 definition of the Constitution includes these words: “the Christian New Testament is the Moral Law for the United States.” So, Noah Webster, was reflecting the fact that the majority of our founding fathers promoted the Christian faith as individuals but agreed the government would not establish a state faith funded by taxpayers.
Our system of government is the best in the world and the three branches of government are intended to be co-equal. However, Congress must be aggressive in protecting the Constitution for there to be balance.
A legitimate amendment to the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote of Congress, or two-thirds of the states to submit an Amendment to the Constitution which then must be ratified by three-fourths of the states. It was meant to be an arduous process to provide maximum stability to the national government.
I believe the principles established by the Founders are being removed from the public square by a series of narrow decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. I am bothered that the Supreme Court has changed the Constitution by a series of 5-4 votes which is clearly outside the methods duly established by the U.S. Constitution to change our Constitution.
For example, the courts defined science so as to exclude any theory or information not contained in naturalism — also known as Darwin’s theory of Evolution. The judicial system made those decisions. Intelligence is effectively banned by the courts and intelligence is often absent in the courts!
Another court case ruled “Intelligent Design” violated the Establishment Clause and was therefore ruled unconstitutional. “Intelligent Design” is an explanation for the cause for specified complexity. It is not a theological construct. It is hard for me to believe that “intelligence” has been ruled unconstitutional in the public schools!
We have a well-defined process to amend our Constitution that guarantees extensive debate but many of the principles held dear by Americans are being cast aside by judicial activism.
Unfortunately, our youth are paying the price. Why should a young person care about character if he is just a random conglomeration of particles which is the essence of Darwin’s gradualism.
We all are here for a purpose and Darwin’s random causes and gradualism simply do not fit with the facts and discoveries.
Mike Fair of Greenville County represents District 6 in the South Carolina Senate.