James Irwin Charter Middle School Pulls Creationist Content

In a school honoring a creationist, young-earth creationism cannot be taught.

The James Irwin Charter Middle School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was planning to include “intelligent design” and “creationist theory” alongside evolution in its eighth-grade science curriculum, according to a parent’s report to the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). FFRF is an atheistic organization that opposes religion, especially Christianity. After receiving the complaint, the FFRF wrote a letter to the charter school on March 5, 2026, demanding that they teach only evolution.1

FFRF is an atheistic organization that opposes religion, especially Christianity.
Jason, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“Intelligent design will not be taught in the middle school or in any other James Irwin Charter School as part of a science curriculum.”

When the school received the letter threatening litigation from the FFRF, the school removed the offending portion of its science curriculum featuring creationism. The school’s chief executive officer, Rob Daugherty, wrote to the FFRF and “confirmed that, in the past, instruction referencing intelligent design had been included as part of an eighth-grade evolution unit at James Irwin Charter Middle School. Please know that this practice has ceased. Intelligent design will not be taught in the middle school or in any other James Irwin Charter School as part of a science curriculum.”2

Students will now unsurprisingly hear only one side of this issue, a practice known as indoctrination. The local paper reported on the issue, claiming that “in 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that teaching creationism in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.”3 In fact, this US Supreme Court case clarified that aspects of Louisiana’s Creationism Act were violative, but regarding “requiring schools to teach creation science . . . The Act does not grant teachers a flexibility that they did not already possess to supplant the present science curriculum with the presentation of theories, besides evolution, about the origin of life. Indeed, the Court of Appeals found that no law prohibited Louisiana public school teachers from teaching any scientific theory.”4

James Irwin, a Leading Creationist

Since he was a young boy, James Irwin—whom the school was named after—had been fascinated by the night sky. When he was about 12 years old, “He told his mother that he would like to go to the moon someday and would perhaps walk on its surface. The mother smiled at the boy’s enthusiasm, little dreaming that his ambition would one day become a reality!”5

Although reared a Christian, James eventually became an evolutionist, as explained in a biographical sketch:

At school, teachers scoffed at the old-fashioned notion that God created the earth in six literal days. Already, the pernicious teachings of evolution were eroding the faith of young people such as Jim, causing him to doubt the teaching of his parents and question the accuracy of the Bible. As Jim pursued his quest for scientific knowledge, he gradually abandoned the faith of his parents.6

But during the Apollo 15 mission, Col. James Irwin became the eighth man to touch the moon’s surface, and only four have done so since. The trip to the moon allowed him to observe the beauty of the earth from space, which caused him to say he “felt the power of God as I’d never felt it before.”7 For the first time, James Irwin was able to witness the truth of Job 26:7, which says that God “hangs the earth on nothing.” In reference to his trip to the moon, he wrote,

In the three days of exploration, there were a couple of times when I actually looked up to see the earth. . . . That beautiful, warm living object looked so fragile, so delicate, that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble and fall apart. Seeing this has to change a man, has to make a man appreciate the creation of God and the love of God.8

The original “Blue Marble” photograph is officially NASA’s most requested image of all time. It is one of the most reproduced and widely distributed images in human history.9
Image courtesy of the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center

When on the moon, James Irwin “explored the Hadley Rille area and collected valuable rock samples, including the famous ‘Genesis Rock,’”10 named after the Bible book of Genesis, which he brought back to earth. He famously summarized his shift from evolutionism to creationism with his signature quotation: “God walking on the earth is more important than man walking on the moon.”11 Surrounded by the lunar mountains, Irwin quoted Psalm 121:1 (KJV), which states, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”

Astronaut James B. Irwin
NASA, scanned by Kipp Teague, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

After that mission, Irwin was a vocal advocate for biblical creationism. He frequently spoke about the intricate design of the universe and how his lunar experience reinforced his Christian faith. As the biographical sketch says, “For the rest of his life, Colonel Irwin dedicated his time and energy to the cause of giving glory to the King of Creation.”12

Irwin was a vocal advocate for biblical creationism. He frequently spoke about the intricate design of the universe and how his lunar experience reinforced his Christian faith.

One achievement of his to support the cause of creation was to publish several books and articles supporting creationism, including Destination Moon: The Spiritual and Scientific Voyage of the Eighth Man to Walk on the Moon. He also founded the High Flight Foundation to spread the Christian message about creationism, and he traveled and spoke hundreds of times globally for roughly 20 years representing his High Flight Foundation. He was so popular that he sometimes accepted multiple events in one week. He also was known for searching for Noah’s Ark, which he reported on in a book about his trip.13 Col. James Irwin thus believed in the two greatest geological events of earth’s history: its creation and the global Flood of Noah’s day, both of which were recorded in Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

Conclusion

It seems ironic not to even acknowledge the beliefs that Colonel Irwin held in his life and legacy at a school named after him. This is, however, nothing new, as regulations have for decades pushed out any hint of anything not fully naturalistic, which is foundational to another religion: humanism. So it’s not really an issue of not establishing a religion! So what should Christians be doing? Please see “Should Christians Be Pushing to Have Creation Taught in Government Schools?” and “Christian Education vs. Public School” for thoughts on this matter and some practical tips for students and educators.