TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The Florida State Board of Education's upcoming vote on standards that require the teaching of evolution has sparked outrage among evolution opponents.
The Florida Department of Education Web site was flooded with comments after the Feb. 19 vote was announced, and many of the messages denounced the required teaching of evolution, which the proposed standards describe as the "fundamental concept underlying all of biology," which is "supported by multiple forms of scientific evidence," the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Monday.
"Evolution is not proven and we should not brainwash our children with this concept," one of the comments read.
Opponents of required evolution teaching say the scientific theory conflicts with their religious beliefs.
"I have no problem with them hearing about evolution. I just don't want them to hear a one-sided fact," said LeVon Pettis, a Panhandle, Fla., father who said he may put his daughters in private school if the standards are adopted. "If you're going to teach evolution, then also throw in creationism and intelligent design."
However, the teachers who outlined the proposed science standards say creationism, the biblical story of Earth's origins, and intelligent design, the idea that an intelligence guided the development of life, are based on religion, not science.
