Do you think kids who challenge their teachers about evolution should be publicly humiliated?

Question

Now that Christians are training their kids to challenge their teachers about evolution and the age of the earth etc, do you think teachers should be trained to intellectually humiliate these students in front of their peers?

My first reaction is no, but then it really is their parents who are using them for political eands and in way that can be damaging to the ducation received by other students. So perhaps if these students were made to look like ignorant fools, their parents wouldn't be so eager to use them as weapons.

GodSneeze my point is this. Children are trained to ask questions like: "How do you know the dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. Were you there?" This is a very confrontational argument and unless you were dealing with a child it could be easily countered by pointing out how ridiculous it is. For instance, we know that the Declaration of INdependence was signed on July 4, 1776. Even though nobody who witnessed it is alive today.

You could go into a long argument about how we know things and why we know some thing s through science and others through history. But it would be far easier and more productive for the kids who are there to learn (and not to make political points) to shut the kid up through humiliation.

If the kid gets smacked down once, he's not likely to do it again and would therefore not disrupt the class again. Questions are one thing, but intentionally dirsupting the class with prefabricated arguments is quite another.

Answer 1

I taught science in a Catholic school for some years. I taught the state curriculum which of course involved evolution which I happen to accept as the truth. I told the kids, many of whom were taught at home that it is a lie, that my classroom was not open to debate, that I had to give them a failing grade if they did not study and know the basic theory and corresponding proofs behind it, and that they were welcome to debate it in religion class if their instructor permitted it. Parents who complained were told by both the principal and us teachers that we are required by law to teach it and that kids had to learn it if they expected to score well on standardized tests as required by the state. Parents were allowed to view the films of fossil evidence. Some were upset and some weren't. We basically just told them they would have to live with it. They did. What else could they do? Humiliating a child for what his or her parents do or do not believe has absolutely no benefits for the school, the child or the parent.

Answer 2

What is wrong with offering both (I'll use the word) theories? Why just one side of the coin? To believe something like: after billions of years of evolving from moss,or grass, or whatever, an apple tree finally came about. I guess that somehow or another the apples became pears, pears oranges, etc.and somehow non fruit bearing trees ( elm, oak, maple, birch ash, etc.) got in there too. All the changes, all the time this would take, all the theories, wow! Intelligent design IE-they were CREATED that way individually..apples, oranges, etc. etc. makes a LOT more sense. The Warren Commission, the miracle or magic bullet of the J.F.K. assignation is easier to believe than evolution.

Answer 3

If kids have a different opinion than the teacher shouldn't they just keep their mouths shut? If they really believe in God the teacher is not going to shake their faith and they are not in school to proselytize the other kids.
They call it "public" school for a reason, and beliefs and faiths are there. Not everyone would have time to express there feelings, they wouldn't have time to learn. This is why there are privet schools and people are home schooled.
Oh, by the way, I am a Christian, but these things just make sense to me.

Answer 4

They shouldn't humiliate them, but there should be punishment for these children. It wouldn't be okay if I challenged the theory of relativity. And I agree that they shouldn't be allowed to answer test questions with "God did it." Students do not have a choice about what subjects and issues are taught to them. If they don't like it, then they shouldn't go to public schools.

Answer 5

I say no, because it's not the kid's fault that he's ignorant. It's the parents' faults, and there must be a way to stop the Christians from taking over the government without needlessly humiliating some poor, obedient kid.

Answer 6

A reasonable thought but teachers should NEVER humiliate their students. They should coolly and calmly without humiliation point out the students errors and inform them that they can believe what their parents teach them but not to disrupt the rest of the class.

Answer 7

Yeah, but the kids suffer. It's not THEIR fault their parents are nutjobs.

I think teachers need to fairly implement rules about disturbing the class. That way some kid isn't made to have even lower self-esteem because the parent is living thru the kid.

Answer 8

If the teacher cannot field tough questions about evolution, he or she should not be teaching it. There is no reason for disrespect. Ridicule is for insecure people. I am a professor and have no problems being challenged.

[edit] Go be a teacher and see how far insulting students gets you. It doesn't matter where you teach. Just give it a shot.

Answer 9

Humiliate? No. Educate? Yes.

Answer 10

Absolutely... though I do encourage children to challenge arguments from authority.

In this situation though the problem is they're getting the arguments from their parents.

I always challenged my teachers when I thought they were wrong. lol... I'm sure they loved me for it.