Former Pennsylvania Sen. and GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum says the "left" and "scientific community" have monopolized the public school system's curriculum, only permitting the teaching of evolution and leaving no room for the introduction of creation-based theories in the classroom.
"There are many on the left and in the scientific community, so to speak, who are afraid of that discussion because oh my goodness you might mention the word, God-forbid, 'God' in the classroom, or 'Creator,' that there may be some things that are inexplainable by nature where there may be, where it's actually better explained by a Creator, and of course we can't have that discussion," Santorum said in an editorial interview with the Nashua Telegraph. "It's very interesting that you have a situation where science will only allow things in the classroom that are consistent with a non-Creator idea of how we got here, as if somehow or another that's scientific. Well maybe the science points to the fact that maybe science doesn't explain all these things. And if it does point to that, then why don't you pursue that? But you can't, because it's not science, but if science is pointing you there how can you say it's not science? It's worth the debate."
Santorum has long expressed frustration with -- and tried to combat -- the whole "science only allows science to be taught in science class" scenario. He attempted to append the self-titled "Santorum Amendment" to the No Child Left Behind Act back when he was a senator in 2001. The amendment, which failed, served the dual purposes of promoting the inclusion of intelligent design teachings in classrooms, while simultaneously undercutting the academic merits of evolution.
Intelligent design, the teaching of which was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in 2005, has been pushed by proponents as a "scientific" alternative to evolution that includes a Creator. Critics however, claim that there is simply no scientific evidence to back this theory, and that attempts to get it in the classroom are moves by the religious community to legitimize creationism as a substitute for evolution.
Though Santorum is a social conservative Catholic and well-documented opponent of evolution, when pressed repeatedly by MSNBC host Chris Matthews earlier this year on whether he believed in evolution, Santorum said he did -- in a "micro sense."
On Wednesday, Santorum also talked about his campaign with Glenn Beck on his radio program. Beck, who earlier praised the former senator as "the next George Washington," continued to laud Santorum as someone who is "Churchill, is Washington, is Lincoln." Over the summer, the duo also shared an awkward moment when Beck told Santorum, "I could kiss you in the mouth," following a discussion about the "Cut, Cap and Balance" pledge. Beck later clarified, saying "I was just kidding, I don't want to kiss you in the mouth."
Video above via Right Wing Watch.
Below, more on the rest of the GOP presidential candidates' views on evolution and creationism:
