A highly controversial topic in The United States is the issue of isolating any idea of a dominant religion from the public. Such cases have included situations that have occurred in public schools. Other occurrences involve public areas such as stores. Indeed, these conflicts have brought many opinions and sides to the matter. I happen to like the system that exists today. It is only fair that we don't inflict any sort of a religious superiority in the schooling systems.
The movement towards how the system is now, started in the 1960s when the Supreme Court dismissed any religious relations from the public school system. This federal decision tried to promote schools as a religion-free zone. The government tried to separate religion from state by telling the students to leave their faith at their homes. This restriction tried to bring the notion that there isn't a domination of any religion in The United States. This enforcement broke out many disputes between pro religious leaders called Restorers and those against it called Removers. However with the Equal Access Act of 1984, the schools have now allowed student- initiated religious clubs. By present day most issued textbooks include a considerable amount of religious influence and students are given their freedom to practice their daily rituals within their space without trying to influence others.
This part of history has come a long way from the time that Christianity was the dominant religion in The United States. It has been an extensive journey since the time where creationism was the supreme influence in the school systems. Now it is the complete opposite with creationism being banned from school lectures and the theory of evolution being the central teaching in science classes. This occurrence has been highly debated since the Scope vs. State trial. This case occurred when John T. Scopes was charged with teaching Darwin's theory of evolution to a high school science class in Tennessee. Scopes was accused of not teaching the state's standard curriculum of teaching creationism. The trial dated on July, 13 1925 at the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton Tennessee. The trial proceeded with the Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan, as the head prosecutor and Clarence Darrow as the head attorney for the defense. The presiding judge for the case was John T. Raulston.
The trial opened up with the defense accusing the judge and the jury for favoring the state. This aroused constant arguments between Judge Raulston and Darrow. The defense stated their case that it is unconstitutional for the prosecution to be in favor of a certain religious group. Bryan provided the testimony that the teaching of evolution is immoral and incompetent. The defense responded that religion has nothing to do with science and that it belongs to the topics of theology and morality. The defense continued to say that there shouldn't be a two sided argument taking place because there is never a duel with the truth (Defense Attorney Malone). This declaration has been seen as the climatic factor of the trial.
When it came to the third day of the trial, the defense called William Jennings Bryan himself to the stand as a witness. Darrow proceeded by criticizing Bryan for his idiotic claims and beliefs of the Bible. Bryan responded by stating that these accounts are irrelevant and are only being used to slur the bible (William Jennings Bryan). Their argument continued back and forth until Judge Raulston had to dismiss the court for the day. The next day the judge decided to end this dispute between the defense and the prosecutors by saying that these questions are unrelated to the trial. Therefore Bryan had lost the opportunity to cross-examine the defense on the disagreement as well.
During the ending moments of the trial, Clarence Darrow gave one last speech to the jury to explain that it is unavoidable to find John T. Scopes innocent. The trial lasted eight days, and Scopes was found guilty on July 21, 1925. With this outcome Judge Raulston fined Scopes $100 for his assumed crime. For the first and only time John T. Scopes was given permission to give a statement in courtroom. He began by saying Your honor, I feel that I have been convicted of violating an unjust statute. I will continue in the future, as I have in the past, to oppose this law in any way I can. Any other action would be in violation of my ideal of academic that is, to teach the truth as guaranteed in our constitution, of personal and religious freedom. I think this fine is unjust (World's Most Famous Court Trial 313).
After the conviction the defense lawyers decided to challenge the conclusion of the court. They first claimed that the crime was exceedingly unclear because the word evolution is a very broad term. The court denied this claim by stating that the term prohibition is vague as well. The court continued to say that much of the discussion we have heard is beside this case (Supreme Court of Tennessee). As a second argument, the defense claimed this conviction was in violation of John T. Scopes' freedom of speech, which is among the constitutional rights. The court put this down by stating that Scopes was under the standards and regulations as an employee of the state of Tennessee and he must abide by them.
Their third attempt by the defense against the court's decision was that the Butler Act defies The Tennessee State Constitution. The Butler Act states that all schools must teach under the theory of creationism. The defense attorneys showed evidence that the federal constitution states that it is the duty of the General Assembly to value science in all aspects of the potential government. The court's excuse for this denial was that the laws of which the government cherishes science is under the jurisdiction of the legislative branch of government, not the judiciary branch. The Establishment Clause was the fourth violation that the defense attorneys complained about. This breached the decree that there is not a state religion. The court responded by explaining that the theory of evolution would then be held as a belief, in so it would be a state religion. The court added that the teaching of evolution would not benefit any doctrine over the others.
The aftermath of the trial showed a growing contemplation between the truth of biblical and scientific theories, in American Christianity. This made a division between educated liberals and narrow-minded Christian enthusiasts. The theory of evolution soon became taught as a science in the states of California and Arizona, as an example of the evolutionists' influence. South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Kentucky were the only states that were involved with anti-evolution laws, prior to the Scopes trial in Tennessee. Creationists tried to spread the influence of Christianity by trying to submit thirteen states to adopt anti-evolution laws. Though, Arkansas and Mississippi were the only states that installed these anti-evolutionary laws. This is due to the creationists' heavy influence in the area. A conflict between faithful ministers and scholarly scientists continued in their attempt for authority.
By 1958 the National Defence of Education Act was passed in fear that the Soviet Union would surpass the United States in the fields of scientific experimentation and space exploration. This fear was caused, in part by the launch of Sputnik. The education of the United States improved when evolution became the standard in biology. This new principle was installed with strong support compared to the very few who opposed it. This led to the removal of Tennessee's Butler Law as well.
The Scopes vs. State trial had a heavy influence on the path of transforming the school system into a fair and just association of diverse views. Though there are still debates that occur today that revolve around the very recognizable quote In God We Trust. This phrase has a very strong Christian background. This quote has been attached to many posters that are found in public schools as well as money. This is seen as an insult to the growing population of religious diversity within our nation. This also makes an impression on students that the religious aspect of the United States is more important than its historical aspect. Using this phrase in public schools is an attempt by religious right political groups to make an impression on unsuspecting students. It has been seen that the posting of the nation's motto and the Ten Commandments, as well as the use of the pledge of allegiance are unconstitutional actions within the nation's schools.
I feel that our nation should be respectful of the diversity that exists within our nation. It is unjust to impose any one religion as a dominant influence over all others. Our nation was brought together as different people who accept their differences and find a way to live in this country peacefully. I feel very ashamed of the presently existing prejudice that exists in this nation. I also believe that it is obvious that humans originate from a lower form of mammal in which humans evolved from over millions of years. Therefore I believe it was completely unreasonably for the accusation of John T. Scopes. It is only justified that we continue our school system of teaching the true scientific facts to students. I think that it would be immoral if we would ever again deny our students fully modern education of the natural world we live in. The government needs to respect and protect the rights of every type of person, whether they are faithful or non-believers. We need to maintain what our nation was set out to do, which is to keep the rights of our entire people equal.