Evolution - its a beautifully simple theory. So tell me why its teaching is banned in some american schools?

Question

it just seems lazy of the bible bashers to ban it cos it doesnt agree with a 2000 year old book.

I live in england and it seems incredable that this kind of thing can happen

Answer 1

Laziness doesn't come into it, it's doctrine. They also take the age of the Earth from a calculation made in the 18th century. The eprson who did it (whose name escapes me) calculated the age of the Earth using the ages of people in the Bible and came up with 4500 years old. As Evolution, Geology etc state the Earth is older than that, they verge on heresy.

Answer 2

Honestly, I'm American, and I wasn't aware that the teaching of evolution is banned in any American public schools. "Creationism"--a "scientific theory" that supposedly supports the Biblical account of the earth's creation--is banned in most or all public schools, and evolution is the standard theory taught. However, science teachers do have some leeway, and I suspect they sometimes abuse it.

Now, evolution is effectively banned in many private American schools, which are often run by churches or Christian organizations. I had the misfortune to attend such a high school, and the biased teaching was pretty disgusting. In some American universities as well--not very many, but some--evolution is also effectively banned. These are also private Christian universities, and these are the most radically conservative/fundamentalist universities. Even most universities with Christian roots teach evolution. (I go to such a university now, and appreciate the change from my high school).

I am not very familiar with how the English school system is structured. The American school system (a mix of private and public) is known, even by many Americans, to suck. There is probably more control at a more local level with American schools than with English schools, which gives each individual school its own unique style and "feel." Especially in more rural or Southern areas (I live in Texas, for instance), the teachers and principals of both private and public schools tend to be more fundamentalist/conservative, and that seeps into the teaching (whether visibly or more subtlely). These religious groups aren't lazy, I'd say: but they are very scared, though they'll never admit it. The atmosphere within such churches/private schools can be almost cult-like. The teaching and mindset is very black-and-white. I grew up in such an atmosphere (thought I've escaped it by leaving my hometown and going to college), so I'm all too familiar with it. People with those religious views cling to the belief that every word in the Bible is literally true, so evolution is devestating to their belief system. (If creation didn't happen, then what else in the Bible isn't true/accurate?) While people don't like to make this connection, radical Christianity is really very little different in some respects from other radical religions/groups, like Nazism or radical Islamic groups. Can you imagine a Nazi group allowing their teachers to teach about respected Jewish historical figures in an unbiased manner? Be glad you're in England, is my best advice. :)

Answer 3

I do not think its teaching has been banned. In fact in the recent Dover trial, where parents took the school board to court for insisting that the teachers teach Intelligent design in addition to evolution, the case was won by the evolutionists.

Unfortunately less than half of Americans believe in evolution.

One of the problems is that most people do not understand what a theory is in science terms. It is not just a guess. It is a model based on observations made. During the dover trial I read a very good definition of a theory. " a theory is more than a fact, a theory explains the facts"

A theory will make predictions. If these predictions are found to be true this supports the theory If the the predictions are found to be false then the theory has to be looked at and amended or changed. However even where flaws are found it is rare that the theory has to be thrown out entirely. Take Newtons theory of gravity. Einstein revised this theory with relativity. However this simlply improved on Newton. Newtons theory and calculations are still used today for many application because they still work. It is only in extreme situations where you have to start using Einsteins calculations.

Darwins theory of evolution through natural selection continues to be supported by observed facts. When he wrote his book Darwin was unaware of Gregor Mendels work in genetics, However Mendels findings were later found to support evolution. Similarly research into DNA, completely unknown in Darwins time, is found to be consistant with evolution.

Some people have stated that schools should teach alternative theories. However there are no other valid theories. Intelligent design is not a theory in scientific terms. It does not make predictions. The only evidence put forward to support it are simply attacks made against evolution such as claims of "irreducable complexity". However even if you could prove evolution wrong, and no one has yet, that does not make intelligent design right. If I were to prove that grass is not red it does not mean that I have proven that grass is blue.

Demanding that Intelligent design be given equal time to evolution is like demanding that claims that the Holocaust did not happen be given equal time in history lessons to providing information about the horrors perpertrated by the Nazis.

Answer 4

Evolution is not banned in American schools. That is a myth.
In fact, in nearly all states (I think 47 of the 50) it is REQUIRED to be taught if the school is meeting the state standards for science education. There has been a flap a couple times because religious extremists want some religious views taught as well. That has been evaluated in the USA courts numerous times and the religious viewpoint has been thrown out every time. The latest case was in Pennsylvania last year. The judge basically told the religious guys to stop wasting everyone's time and just get over it. Incidentally, the judge was not a bleeding-heart liberal, he was a longtime conservative appointed by President Bush.

Answer 5

My personal opinion is that it's a terribly complicated theory, but a popular one nonetheless. To my knowledge things are the other way around - most schools ban creationist or religous views of creation and support and teach evolution.
I went to a public school, but I thought the general teaching of creation theories was good. At my school they presented bits of both religous and secular theories and were careful not to say anything was definate - these were all theories, some steeped in religeon, some steeped in science.
Personally, I believe that species do adapt over time to adjust to new environmental conditions, which technically, is evolution. I do believe that everything had a definative start from a supreme being (God, an alien, whatever) and didn't just "happen". I think that all views should be presented in school with no particular emphasis on any one way.

Answer 6

Other than in some Christian schools, evolution is taught in American schools. Some states have tried to promote the simultaneous teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to the theory of evolution, but this has not really gained a lot of traction. Yes, there is a lot of rhetoric on the subject, and there is a segment of the population that would LIKE to ban teaching on this subject, but the vast majority of American school children learn about the theory of evolution as part of their science curriculum.

Answer 7

I agree... I am Catholic, but I'd be a bl**dy idiot to deny that evolution is occurring every second of every day. Just look at the common cold, the HIV...things that have a high turnover rate...they make evolution very easy to see. Creatures that have longer lifespans just take a bit more time to evolve...it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Strict Christians that wont open their minds to the fact thta there is nothing anti-God about His creations adapting to their environment (seems to me it's a pretty good idea as no environment is perpetually constant) are living in the Dark Ages and are just afraid that their faith isn't strong enough to withstand the availability of CHOICE in what they believe...

Answer 8

It's not really banned. Most legislation is simply to include creationism (oh, sorry: Intelligent Design) along with evolution, or to include a disclaimer that evolution is "only a theory". Funny how they don't require the same disclaimer for gravity when they teach physics, isn't it.

I live in America, and it seems just as incredible to me.

Answer 9

Because some people are so narrow-minded, self-centered, uber-conservative and religiously zealous and intolerant, that they honestly and truly (albeit delusionally) think that THEIR beliefs are the ONLY beliefs that are true. Therefore, everyone ELSE can, and should, be railroaded into following those SAME misguided zealous beliefs.

It sounds like I'm being sarcastic, but sadly enough, what I'm describing is the truth -- at least here in the U.S. :( It really does scare me sometimes. I know these people are not the majority, even though the President is one of them, but it STILL scares me! Then again, I don't think I'll be having children, so at least I don't have to worry about this on a personal level. But I still worry about it, because it affects my home country.

Answer 10

I personally don't believe evolution and creation are necessarily opposing ideas. Based on the opposition to the teaching of evolution, that puts me in the minority.

All of evolutionary theory and all theories concerning the origins of life start with the building blocks of life already in place - none of these theories attempts to explain where these building blocks originated.

It must be very difficult to dismiss a theory with so much supporting evidence - and cling to a belief with nothing to support it but faith. And, in all fairness to these people, it must be a very strong faith.

It's a good thing that the Good Book didn't pronounce the earth was flat!