The Scholar Story Report

PITTSBURGH -- Briella Unger leaned forward in her biology lecture as the professor introduced an unexpected idea in the class' evolution unit: the belief that humans were created by God. Unger, then a freshman, was intrigued by the blurred line of scientific theory and religious belief. This moment for her reflects an ongoing national debate of what public school students should be taught in classrooms across the country. For over a century, the question of whether public schools should require the teaching of creationism alongside evolution  has divided the nation. This discussion  is rooted in  the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution which prohibits the government from making any laws establishing a religion. Courts have ruled over numerous cases, namely the Scopes Monkey Trial, Edwards v Aguillar and more, that the required teaching of creationism as well as the banning of evolutionary theories is unconstitutional. Still, profe...