Originally appeared as The Legacy of Scopes' monkey on Correct My Spelling

Good little opinion piece about the anti-evolution push and how Scopes didn't end creationism as many predicted, but fueled the fire and created divisive splintering where an uneasy peace might have taken root. I know I'm beating a dead horse because my hand's getting sore, but metaphysical speculation is not science, and casting doubt on theory A is not sufficient proof of theory B. In case you're new, I don't hold these people in high esteem.

A person once gave me a view of the Bible and of religion in general that speaks not only to the academic turmoil caused by Creation Science, but to the human tragedies of genocide and holy war caused by the same mindset. He said, "The Bible tells you how to go to Heaven, not how the Heavens go." Lacking this insight, literalism breeds narrow-mindedness, which breeds intolerance, which breeds conflicts that--by definition--offer no hope of resolution. All of which, eventually, breed death. And unfortunately, in those major world religions where fundamentalism is so prevalent, a divine mandate of in-kind retribution, read literally, ensures that death will always breed more death.

This isn't just about Science books.