Okay, This seems to be a big issue these days;
Should schools teach children about Creationism / Inteligent Design Or Evoloution Or Nothing
If we are all liberal and decent people, I'm sure we believe that beliefs should not be forced on anyone and no one should be stopped from exercising thier beliefs.
So should schools teach children religion (bearing in mind the diverse religious backround of students) or evoloution (in the knowledge that they may offend people religious beliefs).
My belief is both should be taught, by people passionate towards them, all valid point should be presented and children encouraged to make thier own choice, allowing them to create thier own beliefs and ideas without over pressure from outside sources?
What do we think?
I think both arguments are flawed and should be taught as no more than as a set of belifes people find dear and students should treat with respect. As a scientific principle, it is my view that neither hold much water. There must be better explenations!
Creationism / Religion isn't provable and so therefore cannot be deemed as "knowledge".
Evolution is observable and has been experimented on so it falls into the realms of science. If we are to stop teaching Evolution because it might upset people then you are going against every single scientific principle. People didn't like Galileo's theories about the Earth moving but it didn't make them any less true. Likewise with Newton's theories. Nothing has changed here.
As Philip K. Dick once said: "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
Evolution isn't going to go away just because people don't believe in it. It is a fact and should be taught. If any theory comes up that challenges it *with evidence* to back up the claims then that should be taught as well. As far as Creationism / I.D go, there is no such evidence.
Good Stuff DrPoodle, As i say I firmly believe in evoloution, it is fact and it is one of the most ground breaking intelectual advances we have had, I believe it should be taught to everyone.
I also however, believe in tolerance, we should permit the teaching of religion as just that, An optional IDEA...nothing more, the only reason it should still be taught is because of it's prominence and the number of people asing thier beliefs on the irrational ramblings of fundamentalist clergy...hopefully we could teach the nuianced religion of Bonhoffer and Co.
Dagda I'm afraid as always we differ in opinion here, we've aleady discussed evoloution and despite your personal reservations it a unanamously accepted scientifc theory which has a capacity to broden peoples horizons like no other, it should be taught, without question.
Sam,
Since I.D / Creationism has nothing to do with science it shouldn't be taught in a science classroom. I'm not against it being taught in some kind of religious education classroom, but keep science in the science classrooms.
DrPoodle
I completley agree, i should have been more specific here, What i was getting at is should they be taught at all...
I share the feeling that I.D. and creationism should not be presented as part of a serious intelectual subject matter, but more in a philosophical context.
Apologies for the ambiguity
Sam
Creationism is a belief created by religion before science came to explain the world around us without any actual evidence at all. Evolution, however, is a scientific theory that explains we evolved from ape-like species in an extremely slow process that we are still going through today and it is based on evidence.
So, my idea is that all schools should teach evolution because it is actual proof on how humans came to be.
Exactly. Churches do a fine job of teaching Creation, so schools should do the teaching of Evolution.
Apparently in America creationism is quite a popular belief, but in England most people take genesis metaphorically, including myself, so i would have to go for evolution being taught in science, and creationism being taught in religion. That's what they do here, and it's working.
Apparently in America creationism is quite a popular belief.
You've got it in one. Belief has nothing to do with science (at least the blind kind that creationism has). Science is all about evidence, and doesn't adhere to any doctrine.