Creationism in the Classroom
Derek Dougherty
English 1302
Turman
11/1/2010
Creationism in the Classroom
Many Christians believe that the earth and all things on it were created by God in six days. This is denied by the theory of evolution. Since the origins and development of life are an important part of the school science curriculum, the question of what schools should and should not be allowed to teach is an important one. There are many problems that present themselves when attempting to tackle the issue of teaching creationism in a public school setting. The first being, does creationism even qualify as a science? If it is not scientifically testable then it should not be taught alongside evolution in a classroom setting. However some creationist supporters claim that it is scientifically testable and that its theories are consistent with the scientific method. The next logical question to ask is should the controversy be taught in a science classroom setting? Many people are against the idea of teaching two conflicting ideas in the same classroom setting because of the implications it would have on the children. Others say if creationism is to be taught, it shouldn’t be taught in a science classroom. If you have two conflicting ideas that cannot come to terms and be taught in harmony then one must be selected over the other. Creationism is not science; it is not scientifically testable, and does not belong in the science classroom. While both creationist and evolutionists have very convincing arguments, the question isn’t what is best morally or ethically for the children. The question is what will best prepare them for their continued education, and seeing how evolution is the basis for biology and a wealth of other sciences, creationism holds no ground and was even found unconstitutional to be taught.
According to the Center for Science and Culture Intelligent design can best be described as "Certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an
English 1302
Turman
11/1/2010
Creationism in the Classroom
Many Christians believe that the earth and all things on it were created by God in six days. This is denied by the theory of evolution. Since the origins and development of life are an important part of the school science curriculum, the question of what schools should and should not be allowed to teach is an important one. There are many problems that present themselves when attempting to tackle the issue of teaching creationism in a public school setting. The first being, does creationism even qualify as a science? If it is not scientifically testable then it should not be taught alongside evolution in a classroom setting. However some creationist supporters claim that it is scientifically testable and that its theories are consistent with the scientific method. The next logical question to ask is should the controversy be taught in a science classroom setting? Many people are against the idea of teaching two conflicting ideas in the same classroom setting because of the implications it would have on the children. Others say if creationism is to be taught, it shouldn’t be taught in a science classroom. If you have two conflicting ideas that cannot come to terms and be taught in harmony then one must be selected over the other. Creationism is not science; it is not scientifically testable, and does not belong in the science classroom. While both creationist and evolutionists have very convincing arguments, the question isn’t what is best morally or ethically for the children. The question is what will best prepare them for their continued education, and seeing how evolution is the basis for biology and a wealth of other sciences, creationism holds no ground and was even found unconstitutional to be taught.
According to the Center for Science and Culture Intelligent design can best be described as "Certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an
Cited: "CSC - Top Questions." Discovery Institute. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <http://www.discovery.org/csc/topQuestions.php#questionsAboutIntelligentDesign>. Drange, Theodore M. "Can Creationism Be Scientific?" Secular Web: Atheism, Agnosticism, Naturalism, Skepticism and Secularism. 1998. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/theodore_drange/creationism.html>. Glanz, James. "Darwin vs. Design: Evolutionists ' New Battle - New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 08 Apr. 2001. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/08/science/08DESI.html?ex=987825797&ei=1&en=bd625bf6f202fa3d>. Moore, Randy, Mark D. Decker, and Sehoya Cotner. Chronology of the Evolution-creationism Controversy. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood/ABC-CLIO, 2010. Print. "Religion in the Science Class? Why Creationism and Intelligent Design Don 't Belong." ADL: Fighting Anti-Semitism, Bigotry and Extremism. 2010. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <http://www.adl.org/issue_religious_freedom/create/creationism_QA.asp#top1>.