In a world where science and religion clash, there becomes a battle for who will reign supreme.
"I had a nice clean place to stay, madame, And I left it to come here." (14)
The battlefield is a hot and sweaty courtroom, soon to be drenched in the blood of a town's religious tradition torn to shreds over whether or not a scientific theory should be taught in the classroom.
"Did it do you any harm?" (72)
What is the charge? The charge is whether it is "right" to teach an unpopular theory in the classroom
"Ask him if his Holy Faith in the scriptures has been shattered" (73)
The community seems to have placed the idea that the christian view of how the world and people were created by one person, in seven days, therefore it is the only "right" thing to teach.
Family relationships are out of balance as father and daughter collide in what they each love.
"I was always more frightened of him than I was of falling. It's the same way now." (55)
The heroes of this epic struggle?
Drummond the Devil...
"Hello, Devil. Welcome to Hell" (36)
and Brady the Bold...
"I do not feel that the dignity of the court will suffer if we remove a few superfluous outer garments" (38)
Essentially the real argument here is whether or not creationism is a valid theory along with evolutionism, because both are founded upon an idea created by man.
"Everything in the Bible should be accepted, exactly as it is given there" (87)
"God did not create Man! Man created God!" (79)
The fighting over this topic quickly escalates into personal attacks and negative attitudes towards everyone involved in this conflict.
The town is clearly in favor of creationism...
"gimme that old time religion, It's good enough for me!"(19)
and the outsiders are for the unpopular team.
"Ahhhh, Hillsboro--Heavenly Hillsboro. The buckle on the Bible Belt."(18)
Did humans evolve from monkeys?
"Grandpa!"(16)
Or were they created in the image of God just as stated in the bible?
"I do not question or scoff at the miracles of the Lord--as do ye of little faith"(88)
This whole case just because a science teacher decided to teach his students about other theories
"I opened it up and read my sophomore class chapter 17 , Darwin's Origin of Species."(8)
and how the law states that this cannot be taught
"In this community, Cololnel Drummond, the language of the law is clear:we do not need experts to question the validity of a law that is already on the books."(83)
All trying to convict a person who committed an unjust crime
"Can someone tell me-is this Cates a criminal by nature?"(24)
Will this set a dangerous precedent for all of the future cases?
"Everything in the Bible should be accepted, exactly as it is given there"(87)
or will this case change the way people think of themselves and God
"Man was sort of evoluted from the old world monkeys"(69)
ultimately what is comes down to is how far this country has come along, and how much longer until even your very thoughts are taken away from you
"The right to think is very much on trial."(72)
Who will win? our very lives depend on it!
"Get a doctor!"(120)
