Why does the goverment teach it's students evolution and not creation? why just not offer both?

Question

Why cant they let us choose? is it freedom of choice?

Answer 1

They don't let public schools choose because they are afraid students will learn the truth that evolution simply makes no sense scientifically or morally. Students who attend independent schools have a choice and are often more well rounded because of it.

Answer 2

It's freedom of choice if you believe the Judeo - Christian mythology, but then, that's teaching religion, and we want to keep government and religion separate. If we want to include creation stories, then we would have to teach all the creation stories. There are a couple more out there than just Genesis. As yet, we haven't found a politically correct way to incorporate everybody's religious beliefs into a uniform curriculum. So we stick with the best science has to offer in public schools.

Answer 3

When we say theory of evolution it's the same thing.

Evolution is the explanation for how life changes over time in response to mutations and changing environments. Evolution is part of the discipline of science because it can be proven or disproven and because it explains how the natural world works.

Creation is not a scientific discipline. It can neither be proved nor disproved through scientific means. It concerns something outside the natural world. God is not part of the natural world. We cannot observe him using scientific instruments and we cannot create experiments in which we test for the existence or non-existence of God or his (or her) participation in creation. (Indeed the New Testament has strong proscription about testing God.)

Therefore a discussion of creation is not part of the scientific discipline and should not be part of the science curriculum.

Now, if you want to discuss creationism, intelligent design, etc as part of a philosophy or religious studies class, that would be different.

Answer 4

Education is compulsory in the US, and if by law you are going to require students to be at school you cannot require them to have to learn a religious explanation of how the world began. Unlike a previous poster stated, evolutionary theory hasn't for at least 100 years believed that humans evolved from neanderthals, but rather that they both evolved from one common ancestor. It is a misunderstanding of the facts that keeps this debate going as strongly as it is, which clouds the true goal of providing kids with an education that fosters critical thinking and rational problem solving. Science is a process for explaining the universe and the search for explanations based on observable evidence. Religious faith is the belief in things that are beyond our human understanding, which is an area of study TOTALLY separate from scientific inquiry, and as such creationism has no place in a science classroom. Most of the Old Testament is regarded as mythology by many Judeo-Christian theologians anyway, and was probably man's pre-scientific way of rationalizing and explaining what was happening around him. Do we still believe the stars are embedded in crystal spheres above our heads, above which are the waters of heaven? No, we've moved past that and even the most ardent creationists won't try to support some of the other historically interesting/scientifically inaccurate explanations of our universe that came from ancient texts. Religion and science don't have to be at opposites, each has its own area of dominance and can coexist so long as their realms of influence are respected (What existed before the Big Bang? There's a question that gets me religious in a hurry).

Answer 5

evolution is based on scientific theory (whether you believe it or not) and as such is part of the science curriculum. religion is faith based and as schools are meant to be secular, teaching creation would involve the study of all mainstream religions which is not practical, general religious education is done in primary school in Australia, we teach the children about the main ideas and beliefs of several religions, mainly to promote tolerance and understanding of diversity

Answer 6

They do. They teach evolution is science class. This is because it is part of science and science is part of it. They teach creationism in anthropology, mythology, or human studies. This is because that is what subject it goes with.

Answer 7

one is science a subject that should be taught in schools
the other is matter of religious belief which isn't science based nor is it even Christan, it a small section of non rational non scientific Christan's belive in creationism. the majority of Christan's just find creationists a embarrassing and undermine Christianity

Answer 8

Schools arent allowed to teach religion. The pledge of alligence was on the chopping block for a while because of the whole "under god" thing.

Answer 9

Mixing fairy stories with science is not a viable option in teaching real world skills

Answer 10

They do not teach either here.

Evolution is an unproven theory and creation is a matter of choice and faith. So neither are taught in schools.