Below are the first few lines from the Declaration of Independence:
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness".
Is the said document taught in US public schools? Isn't creationism very explicit here?
2007-03-17 10:05:11 · 22 answers · asked by flandargo 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Did you know that it is perfectly legal to teach creation in a public school? 150 years ago, that is all that was taught in public schools. In the early 1900's, there began to be laws that forbade the teaching of evolution, like the Tennesseee law that was challenged at the Scopes Monkey Trial. By 1968, the last law banning the teaching of evolution was overturned. However, there has NEVER been a law to outlaw teaching of creation! Teachers are still free to teach it if they want to. However, schools cannot FORCE teachers to teach creation for "equal time". (See the Louisiana law.)
My beef is, if teachers cannot be "forced" to teach creation, then they should not be "forced" to teach evolution, either, since they are both religious in nature. It's just a secular religion.
2007-03-17 10:13:51 · answer #1 · answered by FUNdie 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It was written by Thomas Jefferson. Look it up... he was NOT a Christian. He was a Deist. By god, he meant the deist idea of god = nature; not god = yahweh.
When people talk of teaching creationism in schools, 9 times out of 10 they mean the Christian/Jewish/Muslim version of creationsism... not as an abstract philosophical idea.
Ask a typical advocate of public school intelligent design if they think it'd be fine if a practicing Hindu taught it.
2007-03-17 10:10:01 · answer #2 · answered by Eldritch 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I myself am a creationist and believe that it should be taught in public schools throughout the United States. What is taking place is purely one sided. Evolution is the only theory/thought being taught in public schools throughout the U.S. It is a systematic means of brainwashing the youth of America into believing one side and only one side. In order to even be considered unbiased, both theories would have to be taught to the kids in schools these days, and we all know that is not happening. It is a method for the liberal, non-believing agenda to get pushed on the youth.
2007-03-17 10:20:55 · answer #3 · answered by savmitch1 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a long leap from acknowledging God in a Naturalistic manner to establishing disproven mumbo-jumbo as a school curriculum. This document does not seek to establish religious views, and it predates the Constitution.
2007-03-17 11:43:29 · answer #4 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it is not. As there is no empirical proof of a creator and therefore is theology it belongs out of public schools unless at the university level.
Schools presently have a hard enough time teaching the basics, leave creationism for Sunday School.
2007-03-17 10:14:12 · answer #5 · answered by genaddt 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They don't teach the Declaration of Independence in schools anymore. It's way too pro-American for the socialism being taught.
2007-03-17 10:12:11 · answer #6 · answered by Deus Luminarium 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That is superseded by the Constitution, which is, as it properly declares, the supreme law of the land. The "no establishment of religion" clause has been properly construed as to prohibit the teaching of religious concepts (which creationism most assuredly is) in public schools. Private schools may, however, teach as they please: if they want to teach fiction as fact, they may do so.
2007-03-17 10:12:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Apparently most people don't think so, although God is in there very plainly. But, it is "wrong" to try to get the "science" of evolution out of public schools, but it's okay to demoralize and pound the Christian faith and keep it out of our public schools... what happened to equality???
2007-03-17 10:15:32 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ummm no. and in truth if read literaly this points to a more Pagan tradition than a Christian one. speaking of laws of nature and nature's god. endowed by their creator.....Creator is the name that the Native Americans call their God in many occasions.
this does not show Creationism or Christian roots.
2007-03-17 10:10:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Actually, it says that all men are created equal. It does not say how they are created. It speaks of "nature's God," also, which God is that? What are the laws of nature? Spoken by a true Deist.
2007-03-17 10:10:07 · answer #10 · answered by Justsyd 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋