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Congratulations! We did it!
The arrival of 2012 heralded more assaults on the First Amendment,
specifically an attempt by Indiana lawmakers to allow public schools to
teach creationism. The ACLU of Indiana spoke out against this
unconstitutional move (view
news release).
Our supporters wrote their legislators. You called, emailed, tweeted and
posted your thoughts on our
Facebook page. And because of these actions and a groundswell of
opposition, House Speaker Brian Bosma used a procedural move to
kill the bill.
The topic of religion in the public square is gaining traction, not just in
Indiana, but across the country, as candidates for public office make
obliterating the separation of church and state a central theme of their
campaigns. The ACLU of Indiana was able to help facilitate victory and the
public outcry on the creationism bill, but in that process we heard from
some supporters and others who are confused about where the ACLU stands on
the issue of religion in the public square.
Click here to learn more about religion in the public square.
Background
On January 31 the Indiana Senate
passed a bill that would allow our public schools to
teach creationism.
According to ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk,
such a move would be blatantly unconstitutional, and would likely result in
court battles that would waste taxpayer money and do nothing to advance the
real educational needs of Hoosier students.
Click here for
the full statement.
Does this mean schools can’t teach
about religion? Of course
not. It’s important to understand the role religion has played in history,
art, literature, society and other secular subjects. And schools may teach
about religion in these contexts as long as the teaching takes place in an
objective, unbiased manner, and does not criticize any particular religion
or set of beliefs. In our public schools, where equal education is
guaranteed and open to all by the Indiana Constitution,
curriculum must always serve a secular
educational purpose.
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