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Creationism / Intelligent Design and Separation of Church and State

Creationism and intelligent design are religious beliefs that have sometimes resulted in questions about what can be taught in public schools about the origin of life without violating the First Amendment's "establishment" clause, or separation of church and state.

Following are court cases related to these issues:

  • Edwards v. Aguillard (1987)

Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) said a state law mandating teaching “creation
science” alongside evolution in public school violated the First
Amendment’s establishment clause.

  • Epperson v. Arkansas (1968)

Epperson v. Arkansas (1968) struck down a state law that criminalized the
teaching of evolution in public schools, finding that the law violated the
First Amendment.

  • Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (M.D. Pa.) (2005)

In Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (M.D. Pa. 2005), a judge ruled
that requiring teachers to teach both Intelligent Design and evolution
violated the First Amendment.

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The Free Speech Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy center dedicated to building understanding of the five freedoms of the First Amendment through education, information and engagement.

freespeechcenter@mtsu.edu

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