Creationism Christian School That Gave 'Dinosaurs-Genesis' Science Test Closes Due to Lack of Funds
A Christian school that was criticized earlier this year for teaching creationism has closed due to a lack of funds.
Blue Ridge Christian Academy (BRCA) in South Carolina gained national attention in May after a photo of one of their creationist tests went viral. One of the test's questions asked students to state whether it was true or false that the earth was billions of years old. The correct choice was false.
Another asked, "On what day did God make dinosaurs?" The right answer was the "sixth day."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The photo, which was was taken by a friend of a student's parent, was originally posted on popular internet community, Reddit, where many commenters attacked the school and its test. One post labeled it "child abuse," while another wrote "whoever takes the bible and calls it science shouldn't be in any position of authority."
In the midst of the criticism, two of the co-founders of the creationist ministry, Answers in Genesis, wrote a blog post railing against critics and defending the Christian school.
"Now, this Christian academy is not a large school. Yet the atheists went after it with incredible fervor," they wrote.
The men then asked readers to financially support the struggling school.
"We want to help this school be a good example to the entire Christian community of how all believers should defend our faith," the men wrote. "We ask you to contact the academy through its website and offer your words of support—and also send it a donation as another means of encouragement."
When the blog post and other media attention did result in financial contributions, administrators cautiously expressed hope that the school would receive enough funds to stay open.
"We are hopeful that the recent unexpected interest in our school and in Christian Education will provide support for a future for BRCA," Diana Baker, an administrator at the BRCA, said in a press release emailed to The Washington Post in May.
But in the end, BRCA only collected $15,000 of the $200,000 it needed to remain open and was forced to close for the upccoming school year.
"BRCA will not be open for the 2013-2014 school year. The Board is researching options for future funding and re-organization," the school recently posted on its website.
The school will use the money gained through the donations to pay off its existing debts.
