Back in January, students at Central Grade School in Effingham, Illinois were treated to an in-school presentation about dinosaurs. It was organized by Effingham Community School Board President Jeff Michael and put on — unbeknownst to the kids — by Christ’s Church, where Michael serves as pastor.
The problem occurred later on. As kids left the room, they were handed a flyer telling them that a similar event would go on that Saturday, and they were encouraged to bring their parents. The event included a “mobile museum” with a makeshift T-Rex skull, a dinosaur egg, etc.
Meanwhile, a different flyer was being given to other members of the community. This one promoted the same presentation but also included information about a separate event the following day that would look at “dinosaurs and how they are described in the Bible.” It also pointed out how both presentations were run by the “Creation Truth Foundation.”
Again, maybe that’s shady, but at least they’re keeping the two events separate right? The benefit-of-the-doubt assumption was that the Saturday presentation would be secular while Sunday’s would be religious.
That’s not what happened.
Some parents thought they were bringing their children to learn about dinosaurs on Saturday at Central Grade School in Effingham. But they said the program turned out to be about a creationist view of thunder lizards, put on by a group called the Creation Truth Foundation.
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Kenny Martin took two of his children to the event.
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“It’s really strange what he was believing,” Martin said. “That there were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark and humans walking with dinosaurs.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has now written a letter to the District’s superintendent warning him against letting this happen again.
Read the full story at the Friendly Atheist Blog
