ABSTRACT In recent years, there has been an increase in legal suits and other politically-motivated actions against creation scientists within America’s public education system and scientific research community. This judicial action is in addition to the actions of the executive branch of the federal government. In spite of these affronts to our community, a well-organized grassroots movement can help alleviate certain risks of the pervasive hegemony of those who desire to subvert the First Amendment Rights of creation science professionals. Along with a coordinated effort to help protect said First Amendment Rights through a structured approach to advocacy, our community can work together to achieve more protective measures. Such standards can provide support for individuals who are being targeted such as was found in the research, interviews, and case studies done for this project. In observation, we have seen these proactive steps through grassroots organization produce favorable results. For example, in states such as California and the nation of Portugal just in the past year. By providing a platform for lawyers, advocates, expert witnesses, creation science professionals, and educators to collaborate and strategize. Such a concerted effort is essential to maintaining the well-being of our community. Having the proper structure, creation science advocacy empowers the entire creation science community. KEYWORDS Political science, creation science, first amendment, grassroots, religious freedom THE AUTHORS Steven Policastro is the founder and director of the International Association for Creation, a global Christian 501(c)3 ministry dedicated to bringing quality Christ-centered education to the nations. He leads an internationally-recognized team dedicated to increasing access to world-class institutions, including museums and zoological parks, across Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Recently, Steven worked to strengthen access protections for professionals in California and secure religious freedom rights in Portugal. Today, he equips experienced community leaders worldwide with the tools necessary to provide sustainable, local solutions for students, parents, and teachers to engage with the biblical worldview hands-on. Steven Craig Policastro Jr., International Association for Creation, Inc., P.O. Box 621507, Oviedo, Florida 32762 steven.policastro@associationforcreation.org © Cedarville University International Conference on Creationism. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of Cedarville University. 9th 2023 635 Policastro Jr, S.C. 2023. The effect of American law on creation research and education: Using grassroots organization to respond [abstract]. In J.H. Whitmore (editor), Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Creationism, p. 635. Cedarville, Ohio: Cedarville University International Conference on Creationism. THE EFFECT OF AMERICAN LAW ON CREATION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION: USING GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION TO RESPOND
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