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Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary​

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary​

| footnotes=Keith's career in theLouisiana legislature ended after a single term, as his 39th District became majority [[African American]], and voters replaced Keith with a black funeral home owner and Shreveport City Council member, Gregory Williams Tarver,  Sr., who still holds this Senate seat.​

| footnotes=Keith's career in theLouisiana legislature ended after a single term, as his 39th District became majority [[African American]], and voters replaced Keith with a black funeral home owner and Shreveport City Council member, Gregory Williams Tarver,  Sr., who still holds this Senate seat.​

 

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'''Billy P. Keith''', known as '''Bill Keith''' (born August 19, 1934), currently resides in [[Longview, Texas|Longview]], [[Texas]] with his wife, Vivian. A writer of fiction and nonfiction, he served from 1980 to 1984 as a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] member of the Louisiana State Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legis.state.la.us/members/s1880-2012.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana State Senate, 1880-2012|publisher=legis.state.la.us|accessdate=November 23, 2009}}</ref> As a legislator, he was particularly known for his promotion of a state law which had it been upheld would have required balanced treatment in the instruction of [[creation science]] and [[evolution]] in public schools.

'''Billy P. Keith''', known as '''Bill Keith''' (born August 19, 1934), currently resides in [[Longview, Texas|Longview]], [[Texas]] with his wife, Vivian. A writer of fiction and nonfiction, he served from 1980 to 1984 as a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] member of the Louisiana State Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legis.state.la.us/members/s1880-2012.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana State Senate, 1880-2012|publisher=legis.state.la.us|accessdate=November 23, 2009}}</ref> As a legislator, he was particularly known for his promotion of a state law which had it been upheld would have required balanced treatment in the instruction of [[creation science]] and [[evolution]] in public schools.

A native of Tahlequah in Cherokee County in northeastern [[Oklahoma]], Keith graduated from [[Wheaton College]], a private American four-year Christian liberal arts college in [[Illinois]], with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in [[Fort Worth]], Texas. While at SWBTS, he worked in the public relations office with [[Bill Moyers]], a [[liberal]] journalist who later was the [[press secretary]] to [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. After the publication of Keith's 2009 book, Moyers sent him a note of goodwill.<ref>"A Personal Note from Bill Moyers," Billkeithbooks.com, October 27, 2009, accessed November 25, 2009; no longer on-line.</ref>​

A native of Tahlequah in Cherokee County in northeastern [[Oklahoma]], Keith graduated from [[Wheaton College]], a private American four-year Christian liberal arts college in [[Illinois]], with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in [[Fort Worth]], Texas. While at SWBTS, he worked in the public relations office with [[Bill Moyers]], a [[liberal]] journalist who later was the [[press secretary]] to [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. After the publication of Keith's 2009 book, Moyers sent him a note of goodwill.<ref>"A Personal Note from Bill Moyers," Billkeithbooks.com, October 27, 2009, accessed November 25, 2009; no longer on-line.</ref>​

 

==Career==

==Career==

Keith's law was subsequently overturned by the [[United States Supreme Court]] in the 1987 decision ''[[Edwards v. Aguillard]]'' because the court held that the law was specifically intended to advance a particular religion.<ref>Justice [[William Brennan]] in the majority opinion said, "as in ''Stone'' and ''Abbington,'' we need not be blind in this case to the legislature's preeminent religious purpose in enacting this statute," opinion, 482 U.S. 578, page 588; and "Here, it is clear that religious belief is the Balanced Treatment Act's "reason for existence," opinion, 482 U.S. 578, page 603.</ref> Keith recalled that his interest in the matter developed in 1978, when his then 13-year-old son came home from school to report that a teacher had ridiculed the youngster's belief in [[God]] as the Creator of human life.<ref name=aguillard>Ridicule sparked creationism law, ''St. Petersburg Times,'' June 20, 1987, accessed November 25, 2009; no longer on-line.</ref>​

Keith's law was subsequently overturned by the [[United States Supreme Court]] in the 1987 decision ''[[Edwards v. Aguillard]]'' because the court held that the law was specifically intended to advance a particular religion.<ref>Justice [[William Brennan]] in the majority opinion said, "as in ''Stone'' and ''Abbington,'' we need not be blind in this case to the legislature's preeminent religious purpose in enacting this statute," opinion, 482 U.S. 578, page 588; and "Here, it is clear that religious belief is the Balanced Treatment Act's "reason for existence," opinion, 482 U.S. 578, page 603.</ref> Keith recalled that his interest in the matter developed in 1978, when his then 13-year-old son came home from school to report that a teacher had ridiculed the youngster's belief in [[God]] as the Creator of human life.<ref name=aguillard>Ridicule sparked creationism law, ''St. Petersburg Times,'' June 20, 1987, accessed November 25, 2009; no longer on-line.</ref>​

 

Upon hearing of the Supreme Court decision, Keith, who was then living in Jefferson, Texas, where he operated a [[Christian]] book publishing firm, said that he was "shocked and disappointed. What this means is that the vast majority of American school children will continue to be [[indoctrination|indoctrinated]] in evolutionism and will be denied the right and freedom to hear the evidence that points to creationism."<ref name=aguillard/> Donald Aguillard, a plaintiff in the case who was then an assistant principal at Acadiana High School in Scott, near [[Lafayette]], said that he was pleased with the overturning of Keith's law: "We just don't have the money now to be spending on bad science. . . . I'm thrilled that after six years we finally have a decision. The law would have cost the state monies that we do not have right now."<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/20/us/elation-relief-and-sadness-in-louisiana-as-fight-ends.html|author=Frances Frank Marcus|title=Elation, Relief and Sadness In Louisiana as Fight Ends|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=June 20, 1987|accessdate=November 25, 2009}}</ref>​

Upon hearing of the Supreme Court decision, Keith, who was then living in Jefferson, Texas, where he operated a [[Christian]] book publishing firm, said that he was "shocked and disappointed. What this means is that the vast majority of American school children will continue to be [[indoctrination|indoctrinated]] in evolutionism and will be denied the right and freedom to hear the evidence that points to creationism."<ref name=aguillard/> Donald Aguillard, a plaintiff in the case who was then an assistant principal at Acadiana High School in Scott, near [[Lafayette]], said that he was pleased with the overturning of Keith's law: "We just don't have the money now to be spending on bad science. . . . I'm thrilled that after six years we finally have a decision. The law would have cost the state monies that we do not have right now."<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/20/us/elation-relief-and-sadness-in-louisiana-as-fight-ends.html|author=Frances Frank Marcus|title=Elation, Relief and Sadness In Louisiana as Fight Ends|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=June 20, 1987|accessdate=November 25, 2009}}</ref>​

In despair, Keith replied, "Evolution is no more than a fairy tale about a frog that turns into a prince, but this is what we are teaching our schoolchildren today."<ref name=nyt/>​

In despair, Keith replied, "Evolution is no more than a fairy tale about a frog that turns into a prince, but this is what we are teaching our schoolchildren today."<ref name=nyt/>​

 

Then Louisiana Attorney General William Guste, who had judicially defended Keith's law, said that the high court had "unshackled teachers and enabled them to teach all scientific evidence with regard to the origin of human life, plant life, animal life and the universe."<ref name=nyt/> However, Guste said that the law was not "patently unconstitutional, and our position was agreed with by seven of fifteen judges of the United States Court of Appeals and by two of the judges of the United States Supreme Court."<ref name=nyt/>​

Then Louisiana Attorney General William Guste, who had judicially defended Keith's law, said that the high court had "unshackled teachers and enabled them to teach all scientific evidence with regard to the origin of human life, plant life, animal life and the universe."<ref name=nyt/> However, Guste said that the law was not "patently unconstitutional, and our position was agreed with by seven of fifteen judges of the United States Court of Appeals and by two of the judges of the United States Supreme Court."<ref name=nyt/>​

In 1983, Keith was defeated for a second term for the District 39 state Senate seat in Caddo Parish by the [[African American]] Democrat Gregory Williams Tarver, Sr., the owner of J.S. Williams Funeral Home and insurance companies. Tarver received 9,264 votes (51.4 percent) to Keith's 8,769 (48.6 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 19, 1983.</ref> After the 1980 census, the 39th became majority black and has not since elected a white senator. Keith soon left Louisiana and lived thereafter in east Texas. For several years, he published a conservative weekly newspaper in Marshall, Texas.​

In 1983, Keith was defeated for a second term for the District 39 state Senate seat in Caddo Parish by the [[African American]] Democrat Gregory Williams Tarver, Sr., the owner of J.S. Williams Funeral Home and insurance companies. Tarver received 9,264 votes (51.4 percent) to Keith's 8,769 (48.6 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 19, 1983.</ref> After the 1980 census, the 39th became majority black and has not since elected a white senator. Keith soon left Louisiana and lived thereafter in east Texas. For several years, he published a conservative weekly newspaper in Marshall, Texas.​

 

==References==

==References==

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Keith, Bill}}​

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keith, Bill}}​

[[Category:Louisiana People]]​

[[Category:Louisiana People]]​