Cornell Profs Testify For Fundamentalist Parents

Two Cornell professors added their voices to the debate on the constitutionality of secular humanism and testified on behalf of fundamentalist parents in Alabama.

The two professors joined the debate arguing that textbooks used by the Mobile, Ala. high school system are based on secular humanist principles and reject religious views.

The state has defended its use of the textbooks arguing that the books are non-religious, but the fundamentalist parents who filed suit have said that the books are atheistic and entangled in religious issues. The parents argue that the textbooks should teach from all outlooks, atheist and religious, or none at all.

Kenneth A. Strike, a professor of education and the philosophy of education, and Richard A. Baer, a professor of natural resources, were hired by the plaintiffs to analyze home economics textbooks used in Mobile County.

"People ask me: 'Why are you helping these people?' Given that I'm a lifelong, liberal Democrat, why would I side with a bunch of fundamentalists? On this particular issue they're right," Strike told the Cornell Daily Sun.

"Secular humanism addresses a similar range of questions and plays a similar role as religion does," Strike said. "If moral issues are going to be discussed in school, you have to teach religious and secular views."

Baer reviewed five home economics books and concluded that they "universally accepted [the] position that the purpose of human life is self-satisfaction. The books focus on self, on meeting my needs, fulfilling my interests. They almost never talked about justice."

The textbooks "so clearly take a religious point of view and present it in a one-sided manner as the truth."

The case has not been decided yest but both professors said they thought the parents would win at the first level in Federal District Court. Baer and Strike said they thought the case would reach the Supreme Court.

Both professors said they felt frustrated testifying before court. Said Baer: "[It is] very frustrating for an academic to be involved in a court case like this. You're not Mr. Nice Guy. You answer the questions."