Politics and creationism in California

See the story in the San Francisco Chronicle for 3/30/92
entitled "Honig's Woes Give Critics an Opening", page one, by
Chronicle Staff Writer Louis Freedberg.

 Bill Honig, the State Superintendant of Public Inscruction,
the same post once heald by Max Rafferty when Ronald Regan was governor,
is under fire from the State Attorney General, who got an indictment for
conflict of interest and misappropriation of funds. Honig is a liberal
Democrat and the Givernor and Attorney General are moderate and conservative
Republicans. The news story is an alalysis based on comments made by
Lou Sheldon, president of the Traditional Values Coalition, a concervative
Christian lobying group and one of Honig's most vocal critics.

 These people, who have made no secret of their desire to replace
Honig claim he is responsible for:

 An overemphesis on the study of evolution in the school curriculum

 Underplaying the role of religion in the formation of the U.S.

 In insufficient attention to the value of sexual abstanance and
the glorification of gay lifestyles.

 Opposition to the school voucher system.

Sheldon claims that his group was successful in persuading the state board
to dilute references to evolution in state textbooks.

 "The inportant thing in our view is that the Earth was not
created by evolution but by God," said Sheldon.

 This view is shared by the Costa Mesa based Citizens for Excellance
in Education.