SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2008, is amended by adding the following paragraph:
Any biology textbook used for teaching in the public schools, which expresses an opinion of, or relates a theory about origins or creation of man and his world shall be prohibited from being used as a textbook in such system unless it specifically states that it is a theory as to the origin and creation of man and his world and is not represented to be scientific fact. Any textbook so used in the public education system which expresses an opinion or relates to a theory or theories shall give in the same text-book and under the same subject commensurate attention to, and an equal amount of emphasis on, the origins and creation of man and his world as the same is recorded in other theories, including, but not limited to, the Genesis account in the Bible. The provisions of this Act shall not apply to use of any textbook now legally in use, until the beginning of the school year of 1975-76; provided, however, that the textbook requirements stated above shall in no way diminish the duty of the State Textbook Commission to prepare a list of approved standard editions of textbooks for use in the public schools of the state as provided in this section. Each local school board may use textbooks or supplementary material as approved by the State Board of Education to carry out the provisions of this section. The teaching of all occult or satanical beliefs of human origin is expressly excluded from this Act.
SECTION 2. Provided, however, that the Holy Bible shall not be defined as a textbook, but is hereby declared to be a reference work and shall not be required to carry the disclaimer above provided for textbooks.
SECTION 3. The provisions of this Act are hereby declared to be severable; and if any of its sections, provisions, clauses, or parts be held unconstitutional or void, then the remainder of this Act shall continue in full force and effect, it being the legislative intent now hereby declared that this Act would have been adopted even if such unconstitutional or void matter had not been included herein.
Goes To Governor: Tennessee's Genesis Bill Is Approved(AP)
The so-called "Genesis" bill, which stipulates that school books give equal treatment to all teachings of man's origin, was sent Monday to Tennessee Gov. Winfield Bunn for his signature.
The action came after the state Senate concurred on seven minor amendments to the bill, which the House tacked on last week. The Senate had passed the bill unamended about two weeks ago.
The celebrated bill, which drew much publicity during its consideration before both chambers, makes it mandatory that public school biology textbooks discuss all teachings on man's origin strictly as theory and not as fact. Included under its provisions are Darwin's Theory of Evolution and the Book of Genesis in the Bible.
Among the amendments which the Senate agreed to were measures to:
Allow local school boards to use supplemental materials, as opposed to entire textbooks, to teach the theories about man's origin.
Exclude satanic and occult teachings from the bill's provisions.
Limit the teachings solely to biology classes
And make the Bible a reference source not to be tought as a separate textbook.
The bill, which the governor is expected to sign, rekindled memories of the famous Dayton, Tennessee, trial of hich school biology teacher, John T. Scopes, in 1925. Scopes was convicted of violating a state law which prohibited Darwin's theory that man is descended from apes.
Scopes, who died last year, was fined $100 upon conviction, which was later overturned on a technality by the State Supreme Court.
州知事が署名するとみられている、この州法案は、テネシー州Daytonでの、学校生物教師John T. Scopesの1925年の裁判の記憶を呼び覚ますものである。Scopesは「人間は猿の子孫であるというダーウィンの理論を教えることを禁じる」州法に違反したとして有罪になった。昨年死亡したScopesは罰金100ドルを科されたが、後に州最高裁で厳密な法解釈により、その判決は覆された。
