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When I heard that you are voting on a rule to require teaching of "other theories" of the origin of life, I began to wonder which creation myths Hawaiian schools will present as scientific theories. The mainland states typically teach Christian myths as science, but perhaps in Hawaii you could teach Polynesian creation "theories". That would have the virtue of helping to open some minds. You might even plan to teach several of these myths, so students can compare them.
It is useful and proper for schools to teach a series of creation myths from different cultures. But this belongs to anthropology, not biology. The United States looks foolish before the whole world when schools distort biology with mythology. If you want to teach mythology, please label it as such.
Sincerely
Richard Stallman
MacArthur Fellow
President, Free Software Foundation
Cambridge, Mass
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Copyright (C) 2001 Richard Stallman
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