An elected Fellow of The American Association for the Advancement of Science today urged the Ohio State Board of Education (OSBE) to keep its evolution lesson plan that presents some of the scientific challenges to Darwinian evolution.

Lyle H. Jensen, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science as well as a Member, American Academy of the Arts and Sciences and a Professor (Emeritus) with the Department of Biological Structures and Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington wrote to the OSBE:

“While students should surely learn about the scientific strengths of evolution, they should also have the opportunity to learn about scientific weaknesses with the theory. I strongly urge you to retain the Critical Analysis of Evolution Lesson Plan so that Ohio students are objectively informed concerning the facts of biology and trained to be better scientists.”

Election as a Fellow of AAAS, such as Jensen, is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has only 4,600 elected members, who are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business and public affairs from around the world.

“Currently there are propaganda efforts underway by Darwinists to try and persuade people into thinking promoting critical thinking about evolution is somehow bad for students and science education,” said Casey Luskin, program officer for public policy and legal affairs at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture.

“Darwin-only lobbyists are trying to bully the Ohio State Board of Education into pulling a lesson plan that was created by a science advisory committee that included teachers, science educators, and scientists from across the state simply because it presents some of the scientific evidence that challenges Darwinian evolution,” added Luskin. “Students should learn more about evolution, not less, including the theory’s strength and weaknesses.”

Discovery Institute, the nation’s leading think tank dealing with scientific challenges to Darwinian evolution, seeks to increase the teaching of evolution. It believes that evolution should be fully and completely presented to students, and they should learn more about evolutionary theory, including its unresolved issues. The Institute opposes any effort to mandate or require the teaching of intelligent design by school districts or state boards of education.