he Nebraska Board of Education voted Friday to reject efforts to "broaden" school science curriculums which could have permitted the teaching of so-called creationism and other religious accounts along with evolution. In a 5-3 move, the board agreed to approve the extant set of classroom standards that list evolution as the only body of factual evidence concerning the origin of life that will be presented to youngsters in the public schools.

   State Education Commissioner Doug Christensen told the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper that the board "did the right thing relative to maintaining the integrity of science."

   Changes had been proposed by board member Kathy Wilmot, who maintained that her proposal was not based on religion. "I can say today there certainly is evolution working our world," declared Wilmot. "It's working in this room today." Dismissing concerns that her proposal was simply designed to advance creationism in the schools, she continued, "If we allow the fears and paranoia voiced in this room today, we will rob Nebraska students of the most comprehensive and most effective science."

   But Wilmot's religious and social agenda is a matter of public record, and appears to have little to do with science. Though serving as an elected member of the Nebraska State Board of Education, she is also founder of the "Protection of Education Rights Council," a group which encourages members to form "prayer chains" to elect religious right candidates. She is also a supporter of Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum group, and shared the podium at a Forum-sponsored "Educational Policy Conference" with Bob Allen (co-producer with Dr. D. James Kennedy of the "Truths That Transform" program), Bible handbook author Berit Kios, and Judge Roy Moore of Alabama.

   Board members as well as the majority of the two-dozen people addressing the group in two hours of public testimony saw through Wilmot's agenda, and urged that the standards be kept in place. Dr. Nancy Lindsley-Grinnfin, professor of geosciences at the University of Nebraska, warned officials, "Don't try to confuse what really is religious belief with scientific method and scientific theory." Rev. Otis Young, of Lincoln, Nebraska's First-Plymouth Congregational Church opined that he opposed any teaching of creationism, adding "I don't want anybody messing in my territory."

   Supporting the proposed changes was Dr. Brad Schaefer, chief of medical genetics and a professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. "By all means show them (students) where Darwinian theory excels in biology," he told the board. "We all agree evolution happens ... However, also show them where Darwinian theory fails." Without citing specifics, he maintained that "The theory of evolution is fraught with problems, and is being overtaught." Stanford Kaplan, also a professor at UNL geocsciences, said that while he teaches evolution, he does not believe it as absolute truth, only a theory based on the best evidence available. "I believe in God, but I cannot prove my religious beliefs," he added.

   Rather than defend creationism or attack specific points in Darwinian evolution, Ms. Wilmot instead argued from a position of academic "fairness" and described evolutionary doctrines as a "theory."

"Don't try to confuse what really is religious belief with scientific method and scientific theory."

   "Right now our standards only deal with one theory -- that is, evolution," she told Reuters news service. "If we would have put a variety of theories in here for students to hear about, we would have the most comprehensive, most effective science instruction possible." Her claim echoed complaints voiced by the Nebraska Attorney General, who objected that the standards used by the board of education promoted evolution as a scientific fact instead of a theory, and could clash with the religious beliefs of some students.

   Voting in support of the present science standards were board members Kim Peterson, Ann Mactier, Beverly Peterson, Stephen Scherr and Fred Meyer. Those voting to change the standards and allow competing "theories" were Ms. Wilmot, Rick Savage, and Kathryn Piller.

   The board's decision now sends the standards back to the review process; state chief deputy Attorney General Steven Grasz says that he "does not anticipate any problems." If approved, they would then go to the office of Gov. Mike Johanns, a fundamentalist Christian for his final approval. Johanns recently declared an official "March for Jesus" day.

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