i don't need nobody shoving monkey science down my throat. "where two or three are gathered together in my name there am i in the midid of them." what's your name? cameron crawford. tom halstrom. crawford. you related to... he's my fatherer stood up to mr. garner today. he's speaking at the church meeting tonight. are you going to go? my father would drag me there even i ii didn't want to. how about you, tom? oh, yes. wouldn't miss it. miracles don't come very often. most of us never witness one. we accept the truth of god's mirirles

e miracle of his kindness. a lot of you have come from different churches to rejoice in our miracle. i'll ask brother james and his son cameron to step up. every day, every man, woman and child among us some of them are reasonable. they help us to get along with our fellow man. some are not so reasonable. but we say to ourselves it keeps the peace. so be it. and sometimes, to keep the peace we compromise the word of god. never, brother. sad but true, brother. but what happens when we compromise god's truth? hell, brother.

es. it was my doing. i was in my personal hell because i compromised hisword. and god gave me a miracle to open my eyes. over the christmas holidays my son, cameron was skating on renner's pond when the i i broke open and swallowed him up. 4545inutes, my boy was trapped beneath the ice. od below my feet. i have here this signed medical report that shows him d.o.a.-- dead o oarrival-- at county hospital. i wowod like to tell you that i prayed to the lord to save my son. but i knew you couldn't brbrg back the dead.

because for a moment i forgot about a miracle like this that happened on calvary. and just like the resurrection the lord showed to me only he has the power to create life. and at that moment my little boy opened his eyes and came back to me. because only god can create life. ( amens and applause ) so i have pledged to correct this abomination of god's truth called evolution... and teach the true story of creation to my students.

jacksonville, florida. nice part of the country. yes, it is. you belong to any church organizations there? tuesday evening bible study and the church sports league. join our church league. sounds good. let me ask you something. in that bible study group what translation of the scriptures did you read? king james. good. can i ask you a question, mr. crawford?

l? that's a good question. i think it has to do with fear. man knows his heart can play tricks on him. so he's learned not to trust his feelings. he needs facts that can be proven without the danger of a faulty heart. not everyone knows believing in the lord requires faith. we witness god's miracles yet talk ourselves out of believing. people turn from the bible because god's words can only be proven in the heart. believe that can be proven in the mind. personally, i believe it's been proven with another part of the anatomy. your father's a good man. he's a great man. he's got a tough fight on his hands. a lot of people don't want the church in school. a lot of people do. i'd like to have been with those guys who burned the monkey books. burning books is wrong.

ndals should be thrown in jail. take a look. is that cindy? cameron: yeah. i used to walk by here all the time. man, she's good-looking. she was giving you the big eyeball. me? no, she liked you. oh, no, no, no. it was you. cameron: i never even talked to her before today. i used to walk by here every night just to watch her. before today i didn't think she knew my name. now that i'm a miracle boy. what was it like? when i was under the ice and everything was whooshing and crazy all around me

everything slowed down. i started thinking about things i wanted to do. then i was dead... and none of it mattered. i could see the light. and it felt good and warm to be in the light. then god sent me back. i didn't want to go. so i accept it. how do you know it was god's plan? at first i kept asking myself why would god choose me? i wasn't happy about it. but when people saw that god brought me back from the dead they started turning back to the lord.

when my father died all i kept thinking was i want to get inside him. i want to help him through it. i wanted to know if he was scared or in pain. i wanted god or somebody to tell me why-- to make sense of it for me. god never spoke. god can speak to you now, tom... through me. because i've been dead and god sent me back. i was glowing in god's love. there was no pain. no sadness. i know your father felt that, too. what have you got? hanson: nothing. nothing?

and a teacher who doesn't want to teach it. we knew that going in, hanson. can i ask you a question? you know, uh... kind of on the personal side? you can ask. do you believe in god? adam and eve and all that stuff? i believe in god. most of the time. i also believe human life evolved like darwin said it did. all crawford wants is to teach what he believes. seems like it should be okay. it's out of your hands, hanson.

i don't know... cameron, i guess. he's this, uh... miracle boy. miracle boy? he came back from the dead. isn't that a miracle? what do you think? could be a miracle. could be some very good doctors. maybe it just wasn't his time. but he came back. i now this sounds crazy but ever since my dad died i've been cursing to god one mintue and begging him the next, just to tell me he was okay. and then all of a sudden, this kid comes back from the dead and tells me my dad is okay.

maybe.

well, uh... as soon as principal garner and miss wallace get settled we can begin. miss wallace, i feel i owe you an apology. you do? yes, i realize teaching evolution is the law and i'll do it. i brought a visual aid. class...

the way darwin had it figured man's origins go back to the tree shrew some 60 million years ago. uncle harry, and then man developed the upright position by grasping tree trunks with the fore and hind limbs. excuse me. is this necessary, jim? are you, mr. garner? garner: why don't you come with me? you had to do it, didn't you? i feel i have to. moral decay, drugs, alcohol... these tragedies stem from our children growing up without faith in god or themselves.

believe in your god? if that's what it takes. somebody's got to save these kids. make things right for them. jim, you are a gifted teacher. teach. i tell you what. if you would like to debate in an open forum on the scientific merits of creationism and evolution i'd welcome it. any time. that is not the issue. it's against the law to teach religion in public schools. i'll remove you from your teaching post. there's a p.t.a. meeting tonight. i can guarantee that won't be their attitude. if i return you to your classroom are you going to teach evolution? i can only teach what i can believe. then you're suspended, jim. well, we'll see who has his job in the end, jack.

in this damned school got pulled from class and fired. for illegally teaching the bible to those who don't want it. calm down. yes... mr. crawford was removed but he wasn't fired. he's temporarily suspended pending a hearing with the board of education. how come it took three months to fix the heater but you got new science books in three days? with god. why are you afraid of accepting...? accept nothing. i do not want my children thinking they are apes. anybody who says god didn't create heaven and earth is crazy. why don't you keep heaven and leave earth for us? biological origins play a very small part

mr. garner? would you mind if i spoke a few words? okay, jim, but please... keep it peaceful. for those of you who don't know him this is mr. james crawford. how are you this evening? why don't you stick to science? i plan to. but i have no intentions of teaching your children atheism. we did, but even you have to admit god's will holds the right over school policy. it's illegal, mr. crawford. you're breaking the law. we'll change the law. with god's help, we'll bring the almighty back into the classroom. not on my taxes. the children must be served.

yeah, let him speak. i'd like to ask my son cameron to stand up and speak his mind. ( sprinkling of applause ) i had another life before god took me away. now that i'm back from the dead, i'm different. so i shouldn't speak for them. but i have a new friend-- someone who just moved here. i know the lord wants to hear from him. tom halstrom?

today's my first day in mr. crawford's class. i liked what he had to say. i never seen no miracle before, but you got one in this town. ( amens ) i say if god's given us a message we better hear it. i didn't come here to listen to brother halstrom testify. i want to know who burned the new science textbooks. man: no, i did. no, i did. i did. i did. i did. woman: i was there, too. so was i. it was me. i was there. so was i.

( faint noise downstairs )

( bell rings ) i'm sorry i'm late. i had some... where is everyone today? take your seat. i came to give you this. you're all being kept out of class by your parents. it's just until the next chapter. great.

josh, you're excused. let's get into how accurate ancient fossil records are. hi. hi. you're protesting biology class, too? me and shannon thought maybe you and tom might want to come over to my house tonight and we could study the bible together. you really want to do that? sure. i want you to teach me. tonight. yeah, sure.

miss wallace: how come you don't have a note? i'm just here to learn. nobody says i got to believe it, right? thank you. do you believe in god? tom, scientists can believe in god every bit as passionately as you or mr. crawford, or the pope. the two are not mutually exclusive. why don't you tell people that? because i shouldn't have to state religious beliefs to keep monkeys out of my house.

o you that beyond a shadow of a doubt... that god really existed? how can you prove it? i can prove it. he will come by my house? call me? i can prove it. prove it. okay. when i was little i was alone in the bathroom. i don't want to hear this. there's a mirror in front of me and behind me. i'm looking at the reflection to see how many there are. when i get to, like, the 33rd reflection way in the back i see this little guy and he's waving back at me. it's the truth. thank you, doug.

i got another story. go away. more truths doug? hey, i'm on a mission from god. you call this a report? b&e, arson. destruction of public property. vandalism. harassment. no suspects. it was a weird situation. it looks clear to me. you want me to lie? we may need a lot of backup. what's that mean? the town confessed. the town? yes. they all stood up and any of them could have done it. are you trying to solve this case, hanson? yes. can i ask you a question? sure.

what they want to teach? even the president wants prayer back in school. they want the laws changed, fine but they won't to do it by burning books nor with mob fanaticism. you got a point. i know you're having a hard time, hanson. ( doorbell ) i'm not walking into an ambush, am i? come on. this is my fault. i apologize. let me talk straight through without stopping. i know-- get off the soap box... straight through. half your students were out today. besides what's happened to my home...

fights are breaking out. parents are threatening each other. no one is learning. all because of a two-week section of biology. no. no, this goes far beyond one single issue. the town's behind me. i came from a meeting. we'll boycott stores carrying pornography. let's add censorship to the list. we'll vote out board members who oppose us. we owe the children that much and i owe god at least this much. jim... what happened to you? i was cheating my family and myself and god. god took my son from me to get me on the path.

come on in. hi, guys. you want some drinks? some potato chips? i'll have some soda. you sure you don't want something stronger, cameron? how about you, tom? i'll have the same, thanks. they're at the movies. they'll be back. i told them you were coming for bible study. i brought my bible. good, let me see it. my father gave me a different bible. i'd like you to see it. come on upstairs. it's by my bed.

i thought it was cool when you spoke in front of those people the other night. i was very nervous. you know what-- cindy's sister is away at college. you want to see her room? it's real private. i'd like to, but i'm in training for a fight. who are you fighting? satan. what's your favorite bible story? i like samson and delilah. there are so many love stories in the bible. it's to ward us away from temptation. haven't you ever been tempted?

i did not. it's okay. i like it. you do? not with everybody. but you're special. you came back from the dead. that kind of makes you like jesus. it wouldn't be wrong for you to touch me, would it? what's wrong? you haven't said a word. my hand's dirty. what? your hand's clean as a whistle. i never touched a girl before. how can i be a vessel of the lord when i'm unclean? cameron, it's okay. i've offended god. he brought me back to teach the path of righteousness

do wrong. i've betrayed the lord. "a whip for the horse a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back!" "be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as god hath forgiven you." the water's freezing. "and whosoever toucheth her bed "shall wash his clothes "and bathe himself in water

but we've made a good start. we'll do it. in two hours, the whole town will be there. come in. hi, mr. crawford. cameron's upstairs. i came to see you. okay. should we go into the study? sure. this thing has gone too far. what do you mean? everybody's using cameron as a marching song. it's not fair.

cameron has inspired people to fight for the truth. what about cameron's truth? i'm not following you. he's 16. he should be thinking about girls and playing baseball-- not leading some crusade. this might be difficult for a boy your age but god has a bigger plan for my son. does he, or do you? that's not a very fair thing to say to me. you're using him. i see. exactly what is your business here, officer... hanson? i'm here as cameron's friend. last night he was baptizing himself because he felt unclean for touching a girl. he's not unclean, he's normal! do you see what you're doing to him? i think you better leave. i'd like to see cameron.

oh, my god! what are you doing? you crazy? you cannot know the mysteries of god. i have seen them. this has to stop! i have to purify myself for the rapture. no! they're using you. don't do this. it's god's will. that's why he made the miracle. it's happened before. it never happened! yes, it has! g alive. you don't have to be a saint. i want you to leave. look at his hand. i said get out! we've been told teaching the word of god is illegal. woman: it is against the law. not god's law.

the president of the united states wants it changed. righteous americans stand behind him. we can repetition the supreme court and join the fight to revoke this heresy. it will take years. by then my children will think they're monkeys. we've got to do something now. our children need jesus, too. we can't turn our backs on our own children while waiting to revoke an immoral and unjust law. willing to face that injustice at personal peril. i believe god sent us this miracle to give us courage to fight for the bible. we must fight! our children can go into the school library and check out this book which teaches them to lie, cheat back talk and curse but you won't find one copy of the bible in that library.

lasphemous books. yeah! over my dead body. that can be arranged. stop it! that's enough. you people can be arrested for this. to teach religion in schools but right now you can't because it's against the law. so is burning books. who do you think you are? i'm a police officer. i've been undercover to stop the burning of books. this stops now! we got a miracle that says different, judas goat! there was no miracle. you're talking blasphemy, officer.

the proof is before us. the miracle was your sign from god? absolutely. what made it a miracle? he raised my son from the dead. and that doesn't happen often? when's the last time god raised the dead? so god doesn't throw these miracles around? it tends to cheapen them. a one-in-a-million chance? one in a billion! hate to disappoint you times this winter. liar! got the proof right here. one schoolboy in texas pulled from a frozen river-- dead for 25 minutes. another baby in virginia pulled dead from a swimming pool. both are alive today. that has nothing to do with this. it's a miracle but a miracle of science. jim, you're a scientist. you know this. these children experienced hypothermia. their organs were partially frozen.

don't believe me, just read! there are thousands of miracles for all of us. the lord has sent us a miracle. my son is the proof. cameron: i am the miracle and the light. woman: don't jump. cameron: i came back once before and can do it again. cameron! i have the message. don't turn your backs. : tell him. cameron, come down. you don't have to prove anything. come down. don't. i'm not afraid. hanson: tell him, crawford. i'm innocent before thee, o king. tell him he has a right to be a person not your holy symbol. it's okay to be himself. please, son. god chose me to carry the word. don't let him fall. he doesn't have to be a miracle.

god picked me. i was wrong. don't say that. cameron, please, come down. i need you to be my son.

when they were created

before any plant of the field was in the ground and before any herb of the field had grown. for the lord god had not caused it to rain on the earth and there was no man to till the ground. but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. and the lord god formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being. [captioning sponsored by fx networks

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