This week in Christian history: Tennessee bans evolution, Iconoclasts defeated, UK Christian group formed

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, March 08, 2020

Tennessee bans the teaching of Evolution – March 13, 1925

Tennessee educator John Scopes (1900-1970), the defendant in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. | (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

This week marks the anniversary of when the state of Tennessee passed a law banning the teaching of the Theory of Evolution in public schools.

Known as the Butler Act, the measure prohibited any teacher or professor from teaching “any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible.”

“Be it further enacted, That any teacher found guilty of the violation of this Act, Shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction, shall be fined not less than One Hundred $ (100.00) Dollars nor more than Five Hundred ($ 500.00) Dollars for each offense,” continued the law.

Later that year in July, science teacher John Scopes was prosecuted for allegedly violating the law, leading to the infamous “Scopes Monkey Trial.”