And so begins the “Monkey Trial”
This is still the MO of the Christians. When they don’t like something, they don’t want people to disagree with their mindset, or they don’t want to look stupid, they make any opposing argument or idea illegal. Obviously, they’re still playing this game.
But, think about this for a moment. It was illegal to not take the nonsensical teachings of the Bible as absolute truth. It was illegal to say, “No, this doesn’t make a damn bit of sense, nor is there any evidence to support it.”
While the $100 fine ($1500+ today) isn’t a staggering amount, that is a pretty hefty price to pay for not believing in fairy tales.
The “Monkey Trial” was a landmark legal case that took place in 1925 in the United States in Dayton, Tennessee. The case, officially titled The State of Tennessee v. John T. Scopes, centered around the issue of whether or not it was legal to teach the theory of evolution in public schools.
At the time, the state of Tennessee had passed a law, the Butler Act, which made it illegal to teach “any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.” A high school science teacher named John T. Scopes was accused of violating the law by teaching evolution, and was brought to trial.
The trial quickly turned into a media circus, drawing national and international attention. It pitted two famous lawyers against each other: William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution, who was a staunch Christian and believer in the literal truth of the Bible, and Clarence Darrow for the defense, who was a well-known criminal defense attorney and agnostic.
The trial lasted for several days, and featured heated arguments between the two sides. Ultimately, Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, which was later overturned on a technicality. However, the trial had a lasting impact on American culture and debate around issues of religion, science, and education.
Today, the “Monkey Trial” is often seen as a symbol of the cultural clash between traditionalism and modernism in America during the early part of the 20th century. It also helped to establish the role of science education in public schools, and continued to shape the ongoing debate around the teaching of evolution in American classrooms.
The State of Tennessee v. John T. Scopes trial began on July 10, 1925 and concluded on July 21, 1925. Just wait, we’ll be revisiting this one again.
“We’re losing members! AI is telling people the truth! Make it all illegal!”