America is swiftly becoming one of the dumbest nations in the world, a place where intelligence and education are not regarded with the importance they deserve. If Missouri House Bill 1472 is allowed to pass, not only does it promote stupidity, but even encourages it.

The bill, which requires schools to notify parents if the theory of evolution is being taught so their children can “opt out” of learning it, is another religious-fueled step by Republicans, this time House Representative Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, to ensure we have an ill-educated populace.

“It’s an absolute infringement on people’s beliefs,” Brattin told the Kansas City Star. Some people don’t believe that certain histories are taught correctly in schools; should they be exempt from those classes? Is that not infringing on another’s beliefs? Or is this just another chance for Republicans to overlook the first amendment as they so often do.

Separation of church and state should include our schools, and this is another show of how Republicans wish to omit what parts of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights they don’t deem worthy as to be followed.

And while the Republican god is so stumped by the process of evolution that it can’t be taught in our schools, other nations are getting ahead by allowing students to learn actual science and scientific theories.

According to National Public Radio (NPR), 22 education systems scored above the U.S. in science in 2013. Is it really shocking, when officials with an agenda can make people exempt from learning? And just because a person is learning evolution does not mean they have to believe it, but it definitely gives them much needed knowledge for the real world, especially if they want to argue the point. There’s nothing worse than someone being against something they don’t understand; it doesn’t make them strong in their faith, it just makes them lazy idiots who didn’t take the time to know what they were opposing.

In the end, if we allow our schools to start removing necessary education that is taught on a global level, where do we think it will end? Will it just be schools? Will it leak into our colleges and universities? Will people be given degrees without proper schooling? It may be a choice to opt out now, but will it always be a choice, or will those in government one day make the decision for everyone based on their religious beliefs?