Destination: History - Historical Events that have Shaped Mankind
Benjamin M. Roine
July 11, 2007
Throughout the annals of history, there have been a number of singular events that have forever altered the human landscape. Here we explore one such event.
July 10, 1925 – The Scopes Monkey Trial Begins
The Butler Act
On January 28, 1925 the Tennessee legislature voted to make the Butler Act a law. The, act introduced by John Washington Butler, stated “that it shall be unlawful for any teacher in any of the Universities, Normals and all other public schools of the State which are supported in whole or in part by the public school funds of the State, to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.” The act was signed into law by the Govenor, Austin Peay, on March 21, 1925, thus setting the stage for first battle of religion vs. education.
A Substitute Teacher Breaks the Law
Twenty-four year-old John T. Scopes was the football coach of Reah County High. He also substituted for a science class. As it turned, out a friend of Scopes’ named George Rappleyea was a manager of several local mines. Rappleyea saw breaking the controversal Butler Act as a way to draw attention to the tiny burg of Dayton. With the intention of causing a media blitz, Rappleyea asked Scopes to teach evolution. Scopes would not only teach evolution, but he would incriminate himself and advised his students to do the same. He was indicted on April 24th, charged with teaching Evolution.
Prosecution and Defense
The prosecution was led by the District Attorney of the 18th Circuit, Tom Stewart. To aid the prosecution, The World Christian Fundementals Association tapped the well-known William Jennings Bryan to be a part of the prosection. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) feilded the very talented Clarrence Darrow to aid the defense of John Scopes. The trial was presided over by Judge John T. Raulston. The trial for all intents and purposes was a sham, as Judge Raulston did not allow most of the defense’s witnesses to testify. It was the defense’s intetention, however, to continue appeals until the Butler Act was repealed. The trial would be covered by papers from around the world, the most notable being H.L. Mencken of the Baltimore Sun.
Darrow puts Bryan on trial
The ACLU had orginally intended to show that the Butler Act was unconstitutional in that it violated individual rights and, considering the Act benefited one religious group, violated Freedom of Religion. Unfortunately due to Judge Raulston’s decision to not allow the defense’s witnesses, Darrow had to switch tactics and decided to put Bryan and his belief in religious dogma on trial. When the prosecution objected as to the purpose of the questioning, Bryan stated that it was Darrow’s intent to, “cast ridicule on everybody who believes in the Bible.” Darrow responded that, “We have the purpose of preventing bigots and ignoramuses from controlling the education of the United States”. After seven days the trial was sent to the jury, and as Darrow stated to the jury, the defense expected a guilty verdict:
We claim that the defendant is not guilty, but as the court has excluded any testimony, except as to the one issue as to whether he taught that man descended from a lower order of animals, and we cannot contradict that testimony, there is no logical thing to come except that the jury find a verdict that we may carry to the higher court, purely as a matter of proper procedure. We do not think it is fair to the court or counsel on the other side to waste a lot of time when we know this is the inevitable result and probably the best result for the case.”
On July 21, 1925 the jury came back with a guilty verdict and Scopes was ordered to pay a $100 fine. After four appeals to the Supreme Court of Tennessee, the Court decided to put an end to the challenge of the Butler Act and absolved John Scopes of the charges.
Effects
While no major decision was reached during the trial and subsequent appeals, through the extensive media coverage, the American public became aware of the religious right’s wish to impose their beliefs on America’s youth setting the table for the 1968 Supreme Court ruling in the Epperson vs. Arkansas case. Which determined that prohibiting teaching Evolution in favor of Creationism was in violation of the Establishment Clause in the Constitution (prevents the establishment of state religion). The Court ruled,
Arkansas’s law cannot be defended as an act of religious neutrality. Arkansas did not seek to excise from the curricula of its schools and universities all discussion of the origin of man. The law’s effort was confined to an attempt to blot out a particular theory because of its supposed conflict with the Biblical account, literally read. Plainly, the law is contrary to the mandate of the First, and in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.”
Today religious zealots have re-wrapped Creationism with the name Intelligent Design, but it is still “an attempt to blot out a particular theory because of its supposed conflict with the Biblical account.” Fortunately the courts have already recognized this subversive attempt to teach Creationism in public schools and overturned numerous school boards’ attempts to endorse one religion over all others.
Conclusion
America was built on a foundation of freedoms, one of these being Freedom of Religion, meaning all Americans have the right to believe and practice their religious beliefs free from harassment. However, to ensure Freedom of Religion for all, no single religion can be endorsed by the state. Creationism or Intelligent Design in schools would mean that the state is endorsing one religion over all others, that religion being Evangelical Christian. This is America. You are free to believe that God created the Universe and express your beliefs, but to demand that schools teach Creationism as opposed to Evolution, or even along side it, is tantamount to proselytizing a generation of America’s youth. In regards to this matter a man who had infinitely more knowledge and wisdom than I on this topic said,
Why one ought to tamper at all with the faith of another is something that beats reason. The preacher’s faith is as unproven and irrational as the victims. Both assume that his belief is the best. The only difference, however, is that while the victim considers his faith is best for himself, ungrudgingly leaving others to believe what they want, the preacher feels his faith is the best for ALL without distinction, and actually gets paid for holding and spreading the ludicrous principle.” –Mohandas K. Gandhi
I have personally read the Bible and feel enriched for having read this religious text, but that was my prerogative and I would not force or even pressure others to read it. While I respect true believers’ belief that ‘everything is as it was and will always be,’ there is nothing that supports that claim, and in fact all the empirical evidence points to the realization that nothing is as it was and is always changing. Again, the belief that, ‘everything is as it was and will always be’ is a religious belief, and religious beliefs are a matter of faith. Faith resides in one’s heart and hearts are passionate and, at times, irrational. Conversely, science resides in the brain and is an exercise of calm, rational, and deep thought in an attempt to come up with answers to the questions of the natural world. Hearts do not respond to intimidation and castigation: they must be loved and nurtured, so leave your religion out of the schools. If it is in one’s heart to find your church, so be it, that is their right and I support their right to believe in and worship what they want. However, if a person seeks wisdom and knowledge then love him or her as your neighbor and respect their right to seek answers to the mysteries of planet Earth and the Universe that can be quantified. Support freedom of religion by keeping religion out of public schools.
July 10, 1925 – The Scopes Monkey Trial Begins
The Butler Act
On January 28, 1925 the Tennessee legislature voted to make the Butler Act a law. The, act introduced by John Washington Butler, stated “that it shall be unlawful for any teacher in any of the Universities, Normals and all other public schools of the State which are supported in whole or in part by the public school funds of the State, to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.” The act was signed into law by the Govenor, Austin Peay, on March 21, 1925, thus setting the stage for first battle of religion vs. education.
A Substitute Teacher Breaks the Law
Twenty-four year-old John T. Scopes was the football coach of Reah County High. He also substituted for a science class. As it turned, out a friend of Scopes’ named George Rappleyea was a manager of several local mines. Rappleyea saw breaking the controversal Butler Act as a way to draw attention to the tiny burg of Dayton. With the intention of causing a media blitz, Rappleyea asked Scopes to teach evolution. Scopes would not only teach evolution, but he would incriminate himself and advised his students to do the same. He was indicted on April 24th, charged with teaching Evolution.
Prosecution and Defense
The prosecution was led by the District Attorney of the 18th Circuit, Tom Stewart. To aid the prosecution, The World Christian Fundementals Association tapped the well-known William Jennings Bryan to be a part of the prosection. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) feilded the very talented Clarrence Darrow to aid the defense of John Scopes. The trial was presided over by Judge John T. Raulston. The trial for all intents and purposes was a sham, as Judge Raulston did not allow most of the defense’s witnesses to testify. It was the defense’s intetention, however, to continue appeals until the Butler Act was repealed. The trial would be covered by papers from around the world, the most notable being H.L. Mencken of the Baltimore Sun.
Darrow puts Bryan on trial
The ACLU had orginally intended to show that the Butler Act was unconstitutional in that it violated individual rights and, considering the Act benefited one religious group, violated Freedom of Religion. Unfortunately due to Judge Raulston’s decision to not allow the defense’s witnesses, Darrow had to switch tactics and decided to put Bryan and his belief in religious dogma on trial. When the prosecution objected as to the purpose of the questioning, Bryan stated that it was Darrow’s intent to, “cast ridicule on everybody who believes in the Bible.” Darrow responded that, “We have the purpose of preventing bigots and ignoramuses from controlling the education of the United States”. After seven days the trial was sent to the jury, and as Darrow stated to the jury, the defense expected a guilty verdict:
We claim that the defendant is not guilty, but as the court has excluded any testimony, except as to the one issue as to whether he taught that man descended from a lower order of animals, and we cannot contradict that testimony, there is no logical thing to come except that the jury find a verdict that we may carry to the higher court, purely as a matter of proper procedure. We do not think it is fair to the court or counsel on the other side to waste a lot of time when we know this is the inevitable result and probably the best result for the case.”
On July 21, 1925 the jury came back with a guilty verdict and Scopes was ordered to pay a $100 fine. After four appeals to the Supreme Court of Tennessee, the Court decided to put an end to the challenge of the Butler Act and absolved John Scopes of the charges.
Effects
While no major decision was reached during the trial and subsequent appeals, through the extensive media coverage, the American public became aware of the religious right’s wish to impose their beliefs on America’s youth setting the table for the 1968 Supreme Court ruling in the Epperson vs. Arkansas case. Which determined that prohibiting teaching Evolution in favor of Creationism was in violation of the Establishment Clause in the Constitution (prevents the establishment of state religion). The Court ruled,
Arkansas’s law cannot be defended as an act of religious neutrality. Arkansas did not seek to excise from the curricula of its schools and universities all discussion of the origin of man. The law’s effort was confined to an attempt to blot out a particular theory because of its supposed conflict with the Biblical account, literally read. Plainly, the law is contrary to the mandate of the First, and in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.”
Today religious zealots have re-wrapped Creationism with the name Intelligent Design, but it is still “an attempt to blot out a particular theory because of its supposed conflict with the Biblical account.” Fortunately the courts have already recognized this subversive attempt to teach Creationism in public schools and overturned numerous school boards’ attempts to endorse one religion over all others.
Conclusion
America was built on a foundation of freedoms, one of these being Freedom of Religion, meaning all Americans have the right to believe and practice their religious beliefs free from harassment. However, to ensure Freedom of Religion for all, no single religion can be endorsed by the state. Creationism or Intelligent Design in schools would mean that the state is endorsing one religion over all others, that religion being Evangelical Christian. This is America. You are free to believe that God created the Universe and express your beliefs, but to demand that schools teach Creationism as opposed to Evolution, or even along side it, is tantamount to proselytizing a generation of America’s youth. In regards to this matter a man who had infinitely more knowledge and wisdom than I on this topic said,
Why one ought to tamper at all with the faith of another is something that beats reason. The preacher’s faith is as unproven and irrational as the victims. Both assume that his belief is the best. The only difference, however, is that while the victim considers his faith is best for himself, ungrudgingly leaving others to believe what they want, the preacher feels his faith is the best for ALL without distinction, and actually gets paid for holding and spreading the ludicrous principle.” –Mohandas K. Gandhi
I have personally read the Bible and feel enriched for having read this religious text, but that was my prerogative and I would not force or even pressure others to read it. While I respect true believers’ belief that ‘everything is as it was and will always be,’ there is nothing that supports that claim, and in fact all the empirical evidence points to the realization that nothing is as it was and is always changing. Again, the belief that, ‘everything is as it was and will always be’ is a religious belief, and religious beliefs are a matter of faith. Faith resides in one’s heart and hearts are passionate and, at times, irrational. Conversely, science resides in the brain and is an exercise of calm, rational, and deep thought in an attempt to come up with answers to the questions of the natural world. Hearts do not respond to intimidation and castigation: they must be loved and nurtured, so leave your religion out of the schools. If it is in one’s heart to find your church, so be it, that is their right and I support their right to believe in and worship what they want. However, if a person seeks wisdom and knowledge then love him or her as your neighbor and respect their right to seek answers to the mysteries of planet Earth and the Universe that can be quantified. Support freedom of religion by keeping religion out of public schools.
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