Creationists are at it again. Kansas school district Hugoton Public Schools has invited Dr. G. Thomas Sharp, the founder of Creation Truth Foundation, an organization dedicated to the elimination of science in schools with religious studies, to lecture before the student body. The title of this mandatory lecture? “Truth about Dinosaurs.”

Of course, then the ACLU sent a letter to the school superintendent, Mark Crawford:

Teaching or otherwise promoting creationism is, simply put, unlawful. As the District is surely aware, the federal courts have been unequivocally clear that efforts to inject religious beliefs regarding the origin of life into public school science curricula are constitutionally impermissible, no matter what form they take.

Of course, having the problems about bringing in a creationist to teach the “Truth about Dinosaurs” brought to the forefront, the Hugoton Public Schools district superintendent Mark Crawford told the Kansas City Star:

I agree with the ACLU, in that, if a mandatory all-school assembly where creationist truths or creationist beliefs were expressed, that would be inappropriate public-school content, and that is not the case. It’s completely and totally school appropriate.

Matt Miles, also from the Creation Truth Foundation, defended the assembly, saying:

We’re going to come in and talk about dinosaurs, so nothing Biblical.





Now, this lecture is titled the same as an article by Bob Knaff which the Creation Truth Foundation has used as source material for previous lectures, all with the same material and the same title. As that this lecture title has already been presented, and the information contained within it already released publicly it is easy to check and see what the students will be presented with. We can even watch Dr. Sharp give his presentation:

Not even 5 minutes in comes the first biblical reference, after he spent several minutes discussing, and undermining, the science behind dinosaurs to plant the seeds of distrust of science in the audience. Then at the end of the lecture, it becomes quite flatly a religious recruitment tool. Even if biblical references are removed, it does not eliminate the message of the lecture.

This man has no authority on dinosaurs, having gained his doctorate in biblical studies from South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary, which has no degrees in paleontology. But, he steps up as a dinosaur expert. While the lecture itself is not overtly biblical, it does hold plenty of religious cues, just the right kind to recruit for some religious foundation…. like the Creation Truth Foundation.

Dr. Sharp has no place to speak about dinosaurs before students as an expert. His arguments fall apart in short order under even basic scientific scrutiny. He exploits ignorance of people for his own gain, attempting to sell copies of his videos, books, and donations from the gullible. Frankly, for a supposedly religious man, he is acting more like a snake oil salesman. The ACLU is correct in bringing up the problems of the invitation, and we can hope that the school district avoids a lengthy, expensive and easily avoided lawsuit by simply cancelling the lecture entirely. Of Dr. Sharp wants to speak in the area, there are plenty of churches ready and willing to open their doors to his rhetoric.

But that rhetoric has no place in a center of education.

And if a creationist attempts to explain why science is wrong, be reminded of Peter Hadfield’s numerous debunking of creationism, such as this piece:

Nathaniel Downes is the son of a former state representative of New Hampshire, now living in Seattle Washington.

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