No College Credits for Denial of Evolution Court Rules

Would it surprise you that a Bob Jones University text book that basically denies the validity of science was refused course credit by the University of California? Would you also believe the religious right wants this book to be acceptable course material? Still think intelligent design should be taught in our science classes?

You won’t think so after this story:

Fox News reports that a federal judge has ruled the University of California can deny course credit to Christian high school graduates who have been taught with textbooks that reject evolution and declare the Bible infallible.

U.S. District Judge James Otero ruled that the school's review committees did not discriminate against Christians, but instead made a legitimate claim that the texts failed to teach critical thinking and omitted important science and history topics. The university's vice president for legal affairs said the ruling "confirms that UC may apply the same admissions standards to all students and to all high schools without regard to their religious affiliations."

The rejected texts include a book for the course Christianity's Influence on America, published by Bob Jones University, which "instructs the Bible is the unerring source for analysis of historical events" and "Biology for Christian Schools," whose first page says "if [scientific] conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong," Otero wrote in his ruling. The ruling will be appealed in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

The most frightening passage “if scientific conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong,” should end the conversation about combining church and school. Somehow, Christians must either feel church isn’t open enough for services, or football is effecting church attendance so much that weekdays are looking like a better option.

Either way, there’s still a chance these teachings might win in a higher court decision. So much for scientifically competing globally in American colleges.