I may have a rational solution to this evolution vs creation battle in schools...what do you think?

Question

Don't teach either. Maybe you could possible have both evolution and creation as High School elective courses only and not manditory. That way both sides can be at peace. The Christian parents are not upset that little Sally is being taught evolution againts the parents will. The non-christian parents can feel good that litle Johny is not having Creationism push on them. I think this is a good idea. What do you think?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, if the US wants to be taken at all seriously in the world, we're going to have to have students prepared for math and science a lot better than they already are. Removing evolution, a completely accepted and indispensable theory, from the biology curriculum would just make our kids even less knowledgeable and competitive and would lead to further reductions in the capacity of the next generation of America's scientists.

Evolution is hard science and undisputed by anyone without a pre-existing religious bias. Evolution needs to be taught in our public schools. Creationism on the other hand, can be taught just fine in churches if parents want to impart a faith-based and unprovable worldview to their children. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not science so it clearly has no place in the biology classroom.

Answer 2

I agree that this would be a step backwards. Would you, as a high school student, ever choose to take "Evolution 101," or a similar class on creation? I wouldn't. I go to a Christian high school, and believe in creation and intelligent design, as is the general consensus among the school faculty. However, we still learned all of the major evolutionary theories (along with the creationist ones), and also watched several films detailing exactly why evolution is (allegedly) the true means to the creation of the world. And all of this WITHOUT derisive scoffing from the teacher. Isn't it always to hear both sides of an argument?

Answer 3

We are KIND of on the same page,as I have always said, both sides need to be taught or NONE at all. Fair is fair. Yet, I know this is a country founded on Christian principles and once they took prayer from schools, this nation has continued to go down every since. BUt, yet, even within the Christian ranks, even often in the same church, opinions vary, so how do we know whose will be taught . I know Christians who say they dont believe they have to obey, and that is so far off base, not what GOd says. I wouldnt want them teaching this to my children or grandchildren at all. SO I am veering more and more to neither being taught at all, and we can all jsut raise our own children in our own beliefs, then noone is offended> I see Christianity so often silenced, while false religion is allowed to run amouk. One little example, a child cant sing Christmas carols of a religious nature, due to non Christians not wanting it. BUt, We believe that Halloween is evil, and yet they are particpating in all of this at school. Even teachers wearing witch costumes, but if my kid tries to talk about angels, it all breaks lose, huh? So , seems that everything other than Christianity is ok to teach. Christians we must not stay silent and speak up about our inaliable rights to believe as we believe and not have the other stuff pushed on us. IF we cant talk about what we believe, then the govt needs to make it all non applicable in schools, etc. When the kdis were told they cant carry around Bibles, cuz it is offensive, that was one thing, BUt when they were told they had to write reports about the fasle Greek Gods, that was another. Come on Christians, wake up and speak up. Silence is waht allowed the holocuast and other things to continue on and on. It has got to this point as we stopped speaking up. Gods true ppl will speak up , and I again aagree with YOU as usual.
Speak truth and let the chips fall where they may. God bless you

Answer 4

I agree! Why waste all that class time talking about speculation and theories of origins... when that time could be used to help them learn more scientific fact?

Like you said, evolution/religion can be taught by elective classes or researched independently. I believe the theory of evolution and of other religions can stand independently if they are valid, without using the classroom for proselytization of either view of origins.

Teaching evolution is no more necessary for a child to have a well rounded education than teaching religious morality, in fact religious morality may help them live more peaceable and productive lives.

You have a great solution that is fair to all sides of the debate.

Answer 5

I agree we should teach our children truth but simply denoting a belief held by millions across the world as 'untrue' is pretty uncompromising and denying children an opportunity to learn about faith and belief.

And before you go on about facts, remember that alot of the science surrounding these issues is revealed by selected testing (i.e. they only test for what they want to find).

Science and its fans (of which I am one) has a habit of forgetting it wasn't so long ago that 'facts' said the sun revolved around the earth or that travel faster than sound was impossible or that space flight was impossible or that man impacting the climate at the macro level was impossible...

We learn and we grow. That's what being a human is all about. As soon as you discount someone's view on the basis of assumed intellectual superiority you risk devaluing humanity and making life as sterile as a test tube. People who denounce one view over another are just peddling ignorance (that goes for Christians and Atheists - you guys are so nasty to each other in here sometimes - get a grip!!)

There needs to be a little more give and take in this debate rather than constant mud slinging (from both sides..!)

Answer 6

No.

Should we stop the teaching that the Earth is a sphere because the bible says it is a (flat) circle?

Should remove all reference to PI from the math books because bronze age people could not measure right and made the inerrant word of god say PI=3.0?

Church doctrine said that the sun went round the Earth. That orbits were perfect circles. That lightning was a divine act. So lets strip astronomy and meteorology from the curriculum.

Science an the bible disagree on how old the Earth is, and how old the universe is. There goes any remaining astronomy along with cosmology, geology and any mention of radioactivity in physics class.


In science class you teach the reality that science has shown to exist. If people do not like reality because it clashes with their faith then that is there problem not sciences.

When people die from drinking poison or handling snakes it is not because they did not have enough faith (Mark 16:17-18) it is because in reality poison and snake bites kill you.

Answer 7

I'm not sure that is the answer either. I think both should be taught as this is a great point of divide and forms the basis for our worldview as individuals.

If you believe in creation, you should know the science behind evolution. If you believe in evolution, you should know the science behind creation (and yes, there's scientific, historical, impirical, independent evidence of the Biblical account whether you'd like to believe it or not).

In order to make an informed decision, you should be knowledgable about ALL theories, views, and evidence. Most people believe what they want to without looking at the evidence for themselves - a position of ignorance at best.

http://www.halos.com/
http://www.icr.org/article/3140/
http://www.bibleplus.org/creation/evidence.htm
http://www.answersingenesis.org/cec/guides.asp#creationEvolution
http://www.earthage.org/EarthOldorYoung/scientific_evidence_for_a_worldwide%20flood.htm

Answer 8

When talking about Creationism and Evolution, you are forgetting that there are many other religions in the USA, and parents of those children would probably get upset that their religious views aren't being taught.

Answer 9

Oh great. Let's just not teach ANY Biology. And we better drop the Astronomy while we are at it. And Geology, and the part of Chemistry that covers radiological decay, and we better not do any Physics either. Heck we pretty much can't teach science at all.

Get real. We have enough uneducated people in the world now. In a peer-reviewed journal = Science
Not in a peer-reviewed journal = Not Science.
It is a very simple formula.

Answer 10

It's a lousy idea. Evolution is fundamental to so many different areas of science that not to teach it would leave a large hole in the knowledge of any student.