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In its new "scientific" form, creationism is the brainchild of Christian fundamentalists all across the U.S. Over the past 15 months fundamentalist groups have persuaded legislators in 14 states to introduce laws requiring creationist views in science classes; none has passed. During a presidential campaign swing through Texas, Ronald Reagan was asked his view on the teaching of evolution. His answer (an almost verbatim quotation of positions taken by the Moral Majority and the Rev. Jerry Falwell): "It is a scientific theory only, and it is not believed in the scientific community to be as infallible as it once was believed. But if it is going to be taught in the schools, then I think the biblical story of creation should also be taught."
Reagan was wrong about the beliefs of most scientists, but his political instincts were more right. Particularly at the local level, the creationists represent strong popular feeling. In Dallas, school officials recommended that teachers use books that teach "two models" of the origin of life and the earth, Darwinian and creationist. In Anchorage, ninth-grade teachers have been ordered to skip the sections in history texts dealing with evolution, at least until the school board can provide additional material on divine creation.
To preserve sales, textbook publishers are beating a none too stately retreat from evolution after giving it strong emphasis in the post-Sputnik editions of the 1960s, which aimed at more and better science teaching. To enter the lucrative Texas market, many biology textbook publishers now bow to a requirement by the state's school board and include a statement that evolution is clearly presented as theory rather than fact. More significant, according to Gerald Skoog, 45, professor of education at Tex as Tech University, textbooks now say less about evolution. Between 1974 and 1977, the section on Darwin's life in Biology, a text published by Silver Burdett, was cut from 1,373 words to 45. Discus sion of the origins of life went from 2,023 words to 322. Text devoted to Darwin's view of evolution shrank from 2,750 words to 296. Sections on fossil formation and geologic eras were deleted entirely.
Many other publishers have made cautious changes in wording. The 1973 edition of Modern Biology, published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, stated: "Scientists do not doubt that organisms living today descended from species of previous ages." That sentence was omitted in the 1977 revision. The 1969 text said, "Modern man has probably evolved from primitive, more generalized ancestors." The 1977 version: "Darwin was suggesting that humans may also have evolved from less specialized ancestors." A Holt, Rinehart editor says: "If you're not listed in a state, you can't sell books in a state. And as a publisher, if you take an ideological viewpoint, you may find yourself not listed."