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Delaware Senatorial Debate: O'Donnell Supports Intelligent Design, Is Unaware of 1st Amendment's Text

By Howard M. Friedman

Richard Adams's Blog at the Guardian reports on Tuesday's Debate at Widener Law School between the two candidates for U.S. Senate from Delaware. It includes an 8 minute video from the debate between Republican/ Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell and Democrat Chris Coons which first shows O'Donnell strongly supporting the right of local school boards to authorize schools to teach the theory of "intelligent design" along with evolution.  In another part of the exchange, O'Donnell appears incredulous when Coons tells her that the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of religion and requires the separation of church and state.  After the debate, O'Donnell's campaign tried to explain her response by saying that the specific words "separation of church and state" do not appear in the constitution.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on October 20, 2010 (boomark / email).