100 Years After the Scopes Trial: The Fight Continues for Truth in Classrooms
The Protagonists of Dayton', Tennessee, USA, 1925. American lawyers Clarence Darrow (1857-1938) and William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) at the Scopes Trial. Also known as the 'Scopes Monkey Trial' the case was a challenge to the Butler Act, which made it unlawful 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 in state-funded schools and universities in the state of Tennessee. Bryan represented the prosecution and Darrow the defence and the case had such a high profile that it was broadcast across the nation. The defendant, a high school teacher named John T Scopes (1900-1970), was found guilty of teaching Darwin's theories of evolution, in breach of the Butler Act, and was fined $100, but the verdict was set aside on appeal by the Tennessee Supreme Court on a technicality. Bryan died five days after the conclusion of the original trial. (Photo by Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
This July marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most consequential legal and cultural battles in American history: the Scopes “Monkey” Trial. Held in 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee, the trial centered on the teaching of Darwinian evolution in public schools. But its implications reached far beyond the small-town courtroom. A century later, it remains deeply relevant — not just for Tennessee, but for the entire nation.
Why? Because the heart of the trial wasn’t just about curriculum — it was about worldview.
When John Scopes was charged with violating Tennessee’s Butler Act for teaching that humans descended from lower animals, the case became a flashpoint in a larger war over truth. The debate wasn’t about scientific inquiry; it was about whether our children should be taught that their lives are the result of random chance or divine design.
Darwinian evolution strips humanity of inherent worth. It reduces people to mere products of an unguided, purposeless process. For generations now, our public education system has promoted this theory as settled fact, conditioning students to view themselves as nothing more than advanced animals with no higher calling or Creator.
This is not just a scientific discussion — it’s a spiritual crisis.
Lost Identity
Genesis 1:27 highlights the truth of mankind’s origin: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Despite this truth that once shaped our nation, children are now taught that their origins are accidental, that morality is relative, and that there’s no divine image imprinted on their being.
The result of this is the heartbreaking reality of anxiety, identity confusion, and hopelessness. The loss of God in our schools has led to the loss of purpose in the hearts of many young people.
Even though our nation has strayed from truth in public school systems, Tennessee has once again stepped into the national conversation — this time with a new kind of clarity.
In 2012, Tennessee passed legislation informally known as the “Monkey Bill.” Contrary to how it’s often portrayed, the law doesn’t ban the teaching of evolution; it encourages critical thinking among students. It allows teachers the freedom to help students analyze and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of all scientific theories, including evolution. In short, it affirms that students have the right to question. To debate. To think.
The Necessity of Critical Thinking Skills
This is an important shift. Since deviating from biblical truth became the norm, evolutionary theory has been treated as sacred dogma in our schools, protected from scrutiny or alternative viewpoints. The 2012 bill creates space for inquiry — not indoctrination. It gives students the freedom to explore other explanations for human origins, including intelligent design and biblical creation.
And Tennessee is not alone. Across the country, more parents, teachers, and lawmakers are beginning to ask: Are we really offering students a full picture of science? Or are we force-feeding them a worldview that excludes God by default?
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The Scopes Trial is no longer just a historical milestone — it is a mirror reflecting how far we’ve drifted from the foundational truths that once guided this nation. We’ve traded the biblical truth that we were created in God’s image for a theory that says we’re cosmic accidents. And the fruit of that trade has been bitter.
It’s time to return to the truth.
We must fight to protect our children from ideologies that deny their worth, confuse their identity, and distance them from their Creator. We were not made by chance. We were created by God, in His image, with purpose and dignity. That truth must once again be allowed in our classrooms — and in our culture.
A hundred years after Dayton, the battle continues. But so does the opportunity to stand for truth. Let us not waste it.
David Rives is a weekly news columnist on science and the Bible and author of the books Wonders without Number and 21 Verses Backed by Science. He is one of the world’s leading experts on Science and the Bible and founder of Davidrivesministries.org. David is also the founder and director of The Wonders Center, the largest science museum in Tennessee, Wonderscenter.org.
