teaching kids that they are nothing more than modified pond scum IMO is more damaging than teaching them they are the creation of a loving God.

Your are perfectly entitled to your opinion, pete. I have said several times that, while I disagree with many of your conclusions, I admire your honesty about what and why you believe it. I ask you to recognise that there are plenty of Christians who do not see those two viewpoints as contradictory and that the fact God chose to create people through that route is a source of wonder, not something offensive.

Equally, you will find there are not very many scientists who object to people being taught about creationism in religious education or social awareness classes. The main and ongoing objection is the insistance that creationism is not science, and so should not be taught in science classes.