Question for everyone?

Question

Agnostic/Pastafarian here, not trying to convert anyone. Just a question about the public schools.

Do you believe, as I do, that proponents of Intelligent Design are right in wanting intelligent design put into the curriculum of the public high school science class? Since evolution has never been proven as a fact, there should be intelligent discussion with alternative theories.

I also believe that the students should learn about the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which I believe created the human 4000 years ago. Even thou there is no empirical evidence, no one has ever disproved the existence of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

So I ask, do you believe as I do, that we should teach children about evolution, Intelligent Design, and about the Flying Spaghetti Monster, since none have been proven as fact, and let the children decide.

Answer 1

oh, absolutely. lol.

i think that the schools should stop presenting evolution as fact, should start presenting creation instead of hiding it, and they should actually teach the kids something in history.

but, about the flying spaghetti monster, i'm afraid that should be kept in the circles that believe in him, or sesame street.

i guess the kids should be taught about medusa, zues, ra.... all that in their history class [not as fact, as folklore], it's interesting stuff too. but spaghetti monsters are a little out of place. lol.

Answer 2

I think that an education setting should foster asking questions. The current system seems to be designed to control the mind rather than expand it. There are HUGE gaps in the THEORY of evolution that evolution cannot explain. Students should have access to hard science rather then just theory's. Intelligent design and evolution should be looked at. As far as the flying spaghetti monster you should put the crack pipe down.

Answer 3

I think intelligent design has a place in our public high schools if Philosophy is being taught. It has nothing to do with science and should be kept out of those classes. I have no problem if evolution is labeled as theory (because anyone with half a brain can see that very compelling evidence for evolution exists). Why lie to our kids? If you want your children taught Theology, send them to a private school.

Answer 4

Well, the difference between evolution/creationism and the Flying Spaghetti Monster is that both evolution and creationism are two seriously considered scientific schools of thought, and both are conisdered valid by known scientific minds. The Flying Spaghetti Monster is something you just made up. (Whether the Flying Spaghetti Monster inspired you to do so to get his word out, who can say? haha) But in any case, I think things that are of great debate in the scientific community should be taught as such. Kind of a here's one side, here's the other, you make up your own mind.
-Duo

Answer 5

For your information, in certain schools like my old school were I studied years ago it is taught about evolution and also about God.

I don't know about the U.S, since they have that Law about the Church separated from the Government so that's a different story. They can't pray in schools nor talk about God, which I find sad.

But that isn't new to me. Even at Christians schools evolution theories are taught at science classes, and also they prepare the students to face the real world that is full of people with diverse believes by teaching them about all the religions and system of believes that exists in the world, which that's a different class.

Theories of Evolution should remain in science classes, but still as Theories not Facts. Children then chose to decide in what to believe.

And I must confess there are still certain things in science that I believe by faith, because I can't see them, only in a book.

Answer 6

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is beating a dead horse. By this time, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, marinara sauce be upon him, ought to be experienced and wise enough as a deity not to try to force his way into children's impressionable little brains, where he will obviously lead the little tykes into a permanent belief in him, causing them to don pirate gear at inappropriate moments, and perhaps make complete idiots of themselves at parties.
I don't believe we ought to teach our kids that a thing is TRUE unless we know that it is actually TRUE. When it comes to ideas about where humanity came from, or how plants and animals got to be the way they are now, we ought to tell them the plain and simple truth...we have some ideas about these things, such as evolution, but we do not KNOW.
I think our kids could respect the obvious. WE DO NOT KNOW.
It is much more of a shame to us as educators to present as facts any theory or idea we DO NOT KNOW than to simply teach that these are some ideas and conclusions people have come to across the centuries, but, kids, the truth is....WE DO NOT KNOW.

Answer 7

The problem with teaching evolution are all the holes in the theory. If they'd only teach the holes then things might be better.

Evolution works great with the "non-sensient" like ameoba and viruses.

But the moment you get self-aware creatures, like lions, tigers, bears and monkeys, you get general animal behavior and animals discard the weak and defective.

A mutated money would be a defect.

How does that survive without weaning?

How does a 1 day old discarded human-monkey live to be able to get it up and mate!

Where do hundreds of mutated human-monkeys come from.

Why don't we see them today.

These are things that are NEVER brought up and can't be answered.

Also you can't evolve from Monkey in 4 or 5 steps. That is astronomically impossible. It would easily take hundreds if not thousands of steps to go from cro-magnon to human.

Only simple life forms like viruses mutate in leaps and bounds.

And for you lovers of evolution, watch for the day AIDS mutates into AIRBORNE and then all you need do is be in the vacinity of someone with AIDS and you catch it.

That is the day the human race might end!

Science and evolution both say that has a good 10% chance of happening, if a flu can jump from a chicken to a human in one leap!

If bird flu and mutate into human flu then liqid transfer AIDs can mutate into airborne transfer AIDs.

If it doesn't maybe something greater in the Universe is keeping man alive on purpose.

Answer 8

Evolution is not a theory that covers the beginning of life.

Science is suposed to address “How” issues, not “Why” issues. Evolution does not address Creation or the Beginning of Life, because of the limitation of its definition, which only starts AFTER the beginning of life. Intelligent Design does not explain “How” issues except to say “and magic occurs” to go from one point to the next. Evolution just tries to see if there might be a more detailed explanation.

Answer 9

I completely agree. I don't teach Science, but I often have this argument with my teacher friends who are in the science classroom. Since none of the theories can be proven, why not just offer all of them as possibilities, and let the students -- with their parents -- make the decision to believe one over the others? Why is this such a hard thing to swallow for my friends?

Answer 10

Yes we should. We should also teach them about 'Inteligent Falling'. Scientis even admit that its 'The Theory of Gravity". So we should teach school children that its possible that all objects actually DECIDE to fall as another equal theory.
And while we are at it, how about "Intilegent Micro Creatures". Electricity is a theory isnt it. So therefore it may be possible that their is a very small inteligent invisible pink unicorns causing the effects we may be foolishly calling electricity.
And how about "Inteligent Gaming" . Afterall we dont KNOW for certain what causes comets. So its equally possible that its actually Alien Gods playing ping pong.

Answer 11

A class about theory in high school or middle school would be a great idea.
Present the subject as beliefs but not proven facts, also present the different religions and what they believe to be true.