Old-fashioned biblical creationism at least risked making some hard factual claims - that the earth was created before the sun, for example.

A local school board that has become a test case in a nationwide ideological battle has taken its boldest step to require the teaching of biblical creationism and weaken the teaching of evolution in classrooms.

The emotional subject was the teaching of biblical creationism in science classes at local high schools.

Calista discovers that fundamentalist extremists have invaded the science fields, where they are faking genetic and fossil research to advance their theories of biblical creationism.

Some proponents of biblical creationism take these numerical balancing acts as proof of an intelligent being who fine-tuned the universe to be hospitable, others as a meaningless coincidence or a stroke of great luck.

But the Gateshead school, which opened in 1990, has been dogged with controversy because its pupils are taught biblical creationism... alongside evolutionary theory.

Spokespersons from the Catholic Church have specifically criticized biblical creationism for relying upon literal interpretations of biblical scripture as the basis for determining scientific fact.

Ms. Spath added that intelligent design was viewed as more respectable and sophisticated than biblical creationism, but "if you look at their theological and scientific writings, you see that the movement is fundamentally anti-evolution."

Conservatives shouted out the word "God" at the appropriate moment as the crowds recited the Pledge of Allegiance to start the meetings, and scientists from nearby academic institutions waved bits of fossils to emphasize their opposition to biblical creationism.

He describes himself as an evolutionist, and he has rejected biblical creationism.