America has seen its share of famous trials: the Salem witch trials, in which hysteria replaced justice. The Watergate hearings, in which trust in government was shattered. And of course, the trial of O.J. Simpson, which brought courtroom drama into every living room.
Yet, 100 years later, one trial held in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, is still managing to make headlines. It appears in countless classrooms and documentaries. And for many Christians who hold fast to the truth of Scripture, it still stirs a deep ache — a sense that something sacred was misrepresented, misunderstood, and ultimately mishandled in the court of public opinion.
The 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial began as a test case, challenging a Tennessee law known as the Butler Act banning the theory of human evolution from being taught in public schools. John T. Scopes, a high school teacher, stood accused of breaking that law. William Jennings Bryan — a three-time presidential candidate and devout Christian — joined the prosecution, determined to defend the Bible’s account of creation. Clarence Darrow, the famed defense attorney and agnostic, represented Scopes.
What unfolded in a stifling courtroom that summer was far more than a debate over curriculum. It was a cultural flashpoint between two worldviews: one rooted in the authority of divine revelation, the other in the assumptions of human reason and naturalism. And while the jury ultimately found Scopes guilty, the lasting impression the trial left was far more damaging to the Christian cause than any legal ruling.
Perpetuating Fallacies
Many myths about the trial continue. Here are some of the ways the play Inherit the Wind, films, and other artistic works deviate from what truly happened in that summer of1925.
Perhaps the biggest myth was that the state forbade the teaching of evolution in public schools. According to the Butler Act, instructors could teach plenty of evolution, like the supposed progression of reptiles turning into mammals. The law simply did not allow instruction concerning humans’ supposed evolution from an ape-like ancestor.
John Scopes was never jailed for teaching evolution.
What’s not generally known is that Tennessee schools used a science textbook at the time that taught blatant racism. Hunter’s Civic Biology advocated the evolutionary superiority of whites over “Negroes.”
In the movies and play, Christians of Dayton are portrayed as ignorant, closed-minded, and unfriendly. But Darrow acknowledged at the trial that the town’s residents were kind and hospitable.
Much of the evidence for evolution presented in the trial records has been thrown out today, even by evolutionists themselves. Darrow supported the theory of human evolution with examples like Piltdown Man (later shown to be a hoax). Furthermore, alleged “vestigial organs” in humans like the appendix and the tailbone were discussed; today, we know those organs have functions.
The Cost of Compromise
For those of us who believe the Bible is historically accurate, the Scopes trial was a missed opportunity — a moment when truth could have been boldly proclaimed, yet instead was diluted. Bryan was sincere, but in key moments, he faltered. Rather than standing firmly on the literal truth of Genesis, he wavered. He allowed for the possibility that the “days” of creation might not be literal, and that some biblical narratives could be interpreted metaphorically.
That concession ultimately surrendered more than it preserved. To say that parts of the Bible might not mean what they say is to weaken its authority. The watching world did not see a man defending the unshakable Word of God — they saw a man unsure of his own footing.
Today, Christians must be equipped to defend their faith with both Scripture and sound reasoning. We must not fear science but understand it through the lens of God’s Word. We must teach our children that faith is not a leap into the dark, but a step into the light — guided by a God who has spoken truthfully from Genesis to Revelation.
One hundred years later, the case for creation and against evolution has grown even stronger. We are privileged to employ several full-time scientists with doctoral degrees who reject evolution. But it’s now creation that is being censored in almost all public schools and atheistic evolution is presented as fact.
The Scopes trial may feel like a distant chapter in American history, but its lessons remain as urgent and important in our lives today. It reminds us that truth must be spoken clearly, especially when the culture is listening. It reminds us that compromise — even with good intentions — can lead to confusion. And it calls us, even now, to proclaim without hesitation: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
That is not a metaphor. It is a foundational truth.
Ken Ham and Mark Looy are the founders of Answers in Genesis and the Ark Encounter attraction.
