Palin said during her run that creationism should be taught alongside evolution in schools.
What she said in a debate one Wednesday night in 2006 was:
PALIN: "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. "Healthy debate is so important and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both. And you know, I say this too as the daughter of a science teacher. Growing up with being so privileged and blessed to be given a lot of information on, on both sides of the subject -- creationism and evolution. It's been a healthy foundation for me. But don't be afraid of information and let kids debate both sides."
However, she clarified her position the day after the debate:
In an interview Thursday, Palin said she meant only to say that discussion of alternative views should be allowed to arise in Alaska classrooms:
"I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."
She added that, if elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add such creation-based alternatives to the state's required curriculum.
Members of the state school board, which sets minimum requirements, are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature.
"I won't have religion as a litmus test, or anybody's personal opinion on evolution or creationism," Palin said.
Palin has occasionally discussed her lifelong Christian faith during the governor's race but said teaching creationism is nothing she has campaigned about or even given much thought to.
Read it all in the Anchorage Daily News.
H/T to Mark Stricherz at Get Religion for the Newsweek quote
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2 comments:
Excellent blog, as usual, Ms. P! Just watching the RNC on the tube- trying to get some preaching pointers off of Fred Thompson's stump speech (He is an excellent speaker!) but them common taters kept butting in..!
Hi Robert,
Thank you. I missed the live broadcast and there were only commentators left. So, I watched the whole thing on C-Span later in the evening. Fred Thompson was funny. "They're not going to take water out of YOUR side of the bucket. They are going to take the water out of the other guy's side of the bucket."
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