May 11, 2012: Science and Religion in the Classroom: Edwards v. Aguillard at 25

By Nick Matzke

This should be of broad interest: a symposium at Stanford School of Law on the 1987 Supreme Court decision Edwards v. Aguillard. This is the decision that ruled “creation science” to be a sham devised to promote religion in the classroom. And, of course, the decision led directly to the decision to drop creationist terminology and adopt “intelligent design” terminology.

Science and Religion in the Classroom: Edwards v. Aguillard at 25

2012 is the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Edwards v. Aguillard that teaching creationism in the public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution, and the National Center for Science Education, the Stanford Constitutional Law Center, and the Stanford Center for Law and the Biosciences are sponsoring a symposium on the historic case. The symposium, to be held in Room 290 of the law school at Stanford, starting at 12:30 p.m. on May 11, is free and open to the public; those attending are asked to RSVP in advance.

The schedule for the symposium:

INTRODUCTION - 12:30

Michael W. McConnell (Stanford)

THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION-SCIENCE MOVEMENT AND LEGAL CONTROVERSIES - 12:45

Lawrence Friedman (Stanford, moderator)

Ronald Numbers (Wisconsin)

Ed Larson (Stanford, visiting)

Michael Ruse (Florida State)

Patricia Bowers (former Louisiana AG Office)

EDWARDS’S CONSTITUTIONAL LEGACY - 2:30

Eugene Volokh (UCLA, moderator)

Kent Greenawalt (Columbia)

Eugenie Scott (NCSE Director)

Nadine Strossen (N.Y. Law School)

Steven D. Smith (San Diego)

DOES THE DEBATE MATTER? - 4:15

Ed Larson (Stanford, moderator)

Nathan Chapman (Stanford)

Michael McConnell (Stanford)

Hank Greely (Stanford)

Ronald Numbers (Wisconsin)

Eugenie Scott (NCSE)

CLOSING REMARKS - 5:00 Ed Larson (Stanford)

For further details, and a link to RSVP, visit: http://www.law.stanford.edu/calendar/details/6114/Science%20and%20Religion%20in%20the%20Classroom%3A%20Edwards%20v.%20Aguillard%20at%2025/

HT: NCSE