Former Texas Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy discusses the documentary "The Revisionaries," science in textbooks and religious conservatism. (6:41)
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK,
EVERYBODY, THANKS VERY MUCH.
MY GUEST TONIGHT IS THE SUBJECT OF A IF YOU DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HIS EFFORTS TO REVISE TEXAS
SCHOOL BOOKS.
I HOPE HE BROUGHT HIS TEACHERS EDITION BECAUSE I'LL BE DEMANDING THE ANSWERS.
PLEASE WELCOME DON McELROY.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON.
>> IT'S MY PLEASURE.
>> Stephen: NOW YOU ARE A FORMER MEMBER AND CHAIR OF THE TEXAS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, NOW PLEASE TELL THE GOOD PEOPLE WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHAT
TEXAS DECIDES IS IN TEXTBOOKS.
>> TEXAS IS SUCH A BIG ADOPTION STATE, THEY HAVE SO MANY TEXTBOOK, THEY DO IT
ALL AT ONCE WITH A LOT OF MONEY.
SO IT IMPACTS THE TEXTBOOK PUBLISHERS.
THEY WILL BE USED IN OTHER STATES SOMETIMES.
>> Stephen: BETWEEN YOU AND CALIFORNIA YOU PRETTY MUCH SET THE MARKET FOR TEXTBOOKS.
>> THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T LIVE IN TEXAS BUT IF ARE YOU IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, YOU MIGHT BE
USING A TEXTBOOK THAT YOU PERSONALLY APPROVED.
>> POSSIBLY, AT LEAST MAJOR PARTS OF IT.
>> Stephen: SO NOW THERE IS A DOCUMENTARY CALLED THE REVISIONARY, THAT YOU ARE A
SUBJECT OF, RIGHT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, JIM,
LET'S TAKE A LOOK.
>> THEIR GODLESS LEFT WING CULTURE HAS TAKEN OVER THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA.
THEY HAVE TAKEN OVER OUR UNIVERSITIES.
THOUSANDS OF PROFESSORS HAVE CONVERTED OUR UNIVERSITIES INTO LEFT WING SEMINARIES.
AND FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH THE HELP OF THEIR YOUNG CONVERTS, THESE SO-CALLED
EXPERTS HAVE TAKEN OVER OUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.
WELL, I DISAGREE WITH THOSE EXPERTS.
SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO STAND UP TO EXPERTS.
>> Stephen: I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH THAT, SIR.
SOMEONE HAS GOT TO STAND UP TO THE EXPERTS.
(APPLAUSE) AND I DON'T WANT-- AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO TAKE THIS
AS AN INSULT BUT I KNOW YOU ARE A DENTIST BY TRADE,
CORRECT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE AN EXPERT IN TEETH.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: I DON'T BELIEVE THAT SCIENCE IS IN ON CAVITIES.
WHY MUST WE STAND UP TO THE EXPERTS?
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN IT GETS TO THOSE GOOD OLD EVOLUTIONISTS,
THEY WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE SO MUCH THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED BY UNGUIDED NATURAL PROCESS.
AND FRANKLY F YOU LOOK AT THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CELL,
I'M A SKEPTIC.
I'M A SKEPTICMENT WHEN I SEE THAT ALL OF THIS IS A RESULT OF UNGUIDED PROCESS AND YOU
SEE HOW COMPLEX IT IS, I HAVE BECOME A CREATIONIST.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU BELIEVE THE WORLD BEGAN, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN HERE AND
DID WE SHARE THE PLAN WET DINOSAURS?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: HUMAN BEINGS AND DINOSAURS WALKED SIDE-BY-SIDE.
>> THAT'S MY PERSONAL VIEW.
>> Stephen: IS YOUR PERSONAL SCIENTIFIC VIEW.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: OKAY, YOUR PERSONAL, I AGREE WITH YOU,
SCIENCE CAN BE A PERSONAL CHOICE.
(LAUGHTER) YOU.
>> YOU KNOW-- I LOVE IT.
(APPLAUSE)
>> WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY DR.IS IT IS UNREASONABLE.
THE ATHEIST HAVE ITS BIGGEST PROBLEM.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING COME FROM NOTHING.
>> Stephen: I AGREE,.
>> I TEACH MY FOURTH GRADE SUNDAY SKOL CLASS WHAT JONATHAN EDWARDS DESCRIBES
NOTHING IS WHAT A SLEEPING ROCK DREAMS OF.
NOW YOU CAN IMAGINE WRITING A BOOK ABOUT WHAT A SLEEPING ROCK DREAMS OF?
SO THEY HAVE A PROBLEM.
THE ATHEIST HAVE A PROBLEM.
THE EVOLUTIONISTS SAY THEY HAVE A PROBLEM.
>> Stephen: I KNOW WHAT A SLEEPING ROCK THINKS OF, HOT LAVA ON LAVA ACTION.
>> YEAH.
(APPLAUSE)
>> .
>> Stephen: SO GO AHEAD.
>> I AM A CREATIONIST, AND A CREATIONIST IN TIME IS NOT THAT BIG A DEAL.
AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE, YAHWEH'S BOOK SEEMS TO BE THE SIMPLIST
EXPLANATION, ABOUT THE TIMES.
>> Stephen: I THINK IT WOULD BE EVEN SIMPLER IF WE TOOK THE TEXTBOOK OUT AND GAVE
ITS KIDS THE BIBLE AND SAID-- .
>> Stephen: ANY QUESTIONS.
>> EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED THIS IN THERE.
HOW DID THE WORLD BEGIN.
>> IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH.
>> Stephen: AND THE EARTH.
>> AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION, I FOUND IT UNCONVINCING SO I
DON'T THINK HE USED, I DON'T THINK HE USED EVOLUTION TO DO IT,.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
I AGREE WITH YOU BUT SO FEW PEOPLE AGREE WITH ME.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING, I MEAN THERE IS ONLY ONE EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION FOR ME.
>> WHAT'S THAT.
>> Stephen: AND THAT IS THE DEVIL.
HE STARTED OFF AS AN ANGEL AND EVOLVE MOOD A DEVIL.
>> HE DID IT PRETTY QUICKLY.
>> Stephen: DE IT VERY QUICKLY, ONE AGAIN RAMTION,
HIMSELF-- GENERATION,
HIMSELF THAT IS WHY HE TRIED TO TRICK US SAYING EVERYTHING HE VOLUME OFED.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: BUT THE CHANGES THAT YOU CALL FORD IN THE TEXTBOOK AREN'T JUST EVOLUTION.
YOU ALSO WANTED TO REMOVE REFERENCES TO TOM JEFFERSON AND HIS IMPORTANCE IN THE FOUNDING FATHERS.
>> WHY WAS THAT.
>> THAT'S NOT TRUE.
>> WE ACTUALLY-- .
>> Stephen: I PERSONALLY HAVE CHOSEN THAT IT IS TRUE.
(APPLAUSE) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
>> WELL, I'M REALLY GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THOMAS JEFFERSON.
FIRST OF ALL, HE IS-- WE AS RELIGIOUS CONSERVATIVES WOULD HAVE NO REASON TO
DOWNPLAY THOMAS JEFFERSON A FELLOW RELIGIOUS CONSERVE TIFERMENT.
>> Stephen: I DON'T CARE FOR THE GUY BUT IF YOU FELT LIKE HE HAD TO BE IN YOUR BOOK,
THAT IS FICHBLT HE TOOK A RAZER TO THE BIBLE, AND THAT UP SET ME YOU KNOW THAT.
>> ABSOLUTESLY.
>> Stephen: WHY WITH WOULD HE TEAR OUT THE MIRACLES.
>> HIS PERSONAL OPINION.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS WRONG WITH HAVING A PERSONAL OPINION ABOUT THE BIBE OHL,
THE BIBLE IS INNER RANT THERE ARE NOER ARE ROHRS IN IT.
>> WE DON'T SHARE THE SAME THEOLOGY.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> NOW.
>> Stephen: HOW DO THINGS GET INTO TEXT BOOKS BECAUSE I IMAGINE THAT EXPERTS WROTE
TEXTBOOKS BUT IN FACT, THEY GET VOTED ON AT A SCHOOL BOARD, AS TO WHAT IS TRUE.
>> WHAT HAPPENS IS-- (LAUGHTER)
>> Stephen: I'M JUST CURIOUS,
I WANT TO KNOW, DOES THE SCHOOL BOARD DECIDE WHAT GOES IN OR OUT.
>> THE SCHOOL BOARD DECIDES WHAT IS IN THE STANDARDS.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT WRITE THE TEXTBOOKS WRITE THE STANDARDS.
AND IT IS ALL ABOUT THE STANDARDS.
>> Stephen: AND IF WHAT THEY WRITE DOESN'T MEET YOUR STANDARDS, WHAT HAPPENS.
>> IF THEY DON'T, THEY WILL NOT BE ADOPTED.
>> Stephen: SI HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FAN OF REALITY BY MAJORITY VOTE.
(LAUGHTER) DOCTOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) NO, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, DON'T LEAVE YET, JON McELROY, THE
REVISIONARY IS NOW IN THEATRES IN SELECT CITIES.
GIVE IT UP.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)