Video

In Missouri, the idea that public schools should teach creationism and treat the theory of evolution as an evil fraud is disturbingly popular, as this video from KCTV shows: Missouri Lawmaker Wants to Make Evolution Teaching Optional.

CASS COUNTY, MO (KCTV) - A lawmaker from Cass County believes the Missouri General Assembly should allow parents to opt out of evolution teaching to their children.

Second-term Rep. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, said his bill is an attempt to address his concern about teaching evolution in a way that is more palatable to lawmakers than his last three unsuccessful efforts. The previous efforts would have mandated *how* schools teach evolution, requiring that it be taught alongside a biblical perspective referred to as intelligent design or creationism. This year’s effort keeps the curriculum as-is and uses the language of “choice.”

“What my bill would do is it would allow parents to opt out of natural selection teaching,” Brattin explained. “It would not prohibit the child from going through biology from learning about cell structure, DNA and the building blocks of life.”

Brattin contends public schools teach Darwinian theory as fact and says kids who question it are ridiculed.

“Our schools basically mandate that we teach one side,” said Brattin. “It is an indoctrination because it is not objective approach.”