How should Creationism be taught in science class?

Question

I've asked a number of questions about Creationism. Not once have I gotten a satisfying answer. I have yet to see one shred of scientific evidence for Creationism.

No matter how many Creationist websites I read, there is not one shred of scientific evidence here.

I'm probably not a lot smarter than most highschool kids, so they will have the same questions I have. Questions that will remain unanswered.

I don't intend to be close minded, so let's give it a fair shot in schools. But how? How should a teacher do this, without becoming the laughing stock?

Answer 1

I have a younger friend who is in his third year as a high school biology teacher. If he had his way, they'd screen biology students to remove any students with Creationist sympathies before the semester begins. Creationist students are so disruptive in his biology classes that he's starting a small business so he can quit teaching. He's very sorry he became a public school teacher because he never imagined he'd have to deal with kids who are so openly hostile to science education. He's got a mountain of student loan debt, a wife and kids of his own, a house payment, and he utterly hates his job because "disrespectful home-schooled Creationist punks" shout down even the few kids who are actually trying to learn something. If all goes well, his pizza/sub-sandwich shop will open when the current school year ends.

Answer 2

Well, like most other subjects, you will be given a teaching guide to go by! If you are not capable of teaching this topic then I suggest you do the children justice by saying so!

By the way, it takes creation and science to back the Biblical view. If you are open minded to this then you should not have any problems in answering the questions. An example: Look at the time of Noah and compare it to geology!! Indeed, there is a layer of total silt which leads the geologists to believe that the world was covered by water during the same time Noah lived!! This is fact...not fiction! There are many more proofs of what science says and what the Bible teaches.

I wish you wisdom to know the facts and the grace to understand the total picture!

Answer 3

I don't think Creationism should be taught in schools.

"I've asked a number of questions about Creationism. Not once have I gotten a satisfying answer. I have yet to see one shred of scientific evidence for Creationism. No matter how many Creationist websites I read, there is not one shred of scientific evidence here."

Substitute the word Creationism/Creationist for Evolution/Evolutionist and we are identical.... But I am going to get to take Biology in my college class soon, so maybe they will actually show me some evidence besides a hand-drawn picture of an ape becoming a man.

Answer 4

The only appropriate thing a teacher might do is present the scientific evidence, then test students by offering some young-earth creationist claims and seeing if they understand why they are disproven by the scientific evidence.

Answer 5

Teaching anything is difficult when there are opposing views of the subject matter. Getting someone to teach opposing views honestly is even more difficult because there will likely be bias for one and against the other.
There is more evidence for creation than for evolution but both are still theories. Why is evolution and old-earth theory taught more commonly (religiously?) than creation? Romans 1:20 has the answer - its natural.
While science is turning itself into pretzels trying to show their theories correct, they just run into more and more questions until they finally find a group of theologians sitting there with their answer.

Check out icr.org. They may be able to help with answers to your further questions.

Answer 6

I asked the exact same question a while back and was very disappointed with the responses. Mostly it was "show that evolution is false and point out that stuff is super complex and that a designer just HAD to've done it".

Creationism, Creation Science, Intelligent Design, whatever it's calling itself these days, it's hinged on the desire to prove evolution wrong. Strange how it doesn't stand on it's own, how it's bent on focusing on another issue instead of itself...

Answer 7

The questions will remain unanswered, at least scientifically. I could only imagine what the teacher of intelligent design would say if he/she couldn't use the Bible as a reference. In fact, the Bible is the only reference for creationism. I would hate for my child to be taught that in school. I would rather home school him than to subject him to such pseudoscience.

Answer 8

Nope. Science class is about science. It's about observable phenomena and repeatable results.

Creationism is about people's beliefs, history and religion. Discuss it in classes about ethics, comparative religion, literature (read "Inherit the Wind," it rocks!) and history.

That whole Intelligent Design stuff is just an effort to blur the lines. It tries to say that since we don't understand every mechanism of evolution, it must have been guided by an intelligent force. The problem with that reasoning is that good science never claims it has all the answers -- it does claim that it is still looking for them!

Answer 9

I am all for teaching creationism in a religion course. Just about all religions have some good things to say, Christianity is no exception. Students would benefit from learning about religions so they could be exposed to the good things they have to say as well as whatever faults the various religions might have. Science should be taught in science classes. Religion should be preached in churches, or taught about in an unbiased fashion in religion classes where the goal is not to save souls but to educate about religion.

Answer 10

Creationism is not a question of science, it's a question of religion and therefore should be left to be taught in SUNDAY SCHOOL. Church is church and school is state. Never the two shall cross. The Founding Fathers put this in the Constitution for a reason.