Creationsim vs. Evolution

Creationsim vs. Evolution

For a long time school administrators, teachers, parents and even students have

argued for and against the teaching of either creation and/or evolution. Evolution has

been taught in many public schools for generations because of the scientific methods and

support it has as a scientific theory of how we as humans came to be. Many religions

hold different views of how humanity as we know it was created and these people believe

that students should be able to hear their side as well. There is one main problem, the

separation of church and state and the limits that are set within this statement. Should

creation be taught as theory just like evolution? Do other creation myths need to be told

to support other religions? Where must we as parents and teachers and students draw the

line?

In my opinion evolution should not be taught in junior high or high schools for

several reasons. First of all, there is obviously too much conflict to make it worth while.

When I was taught about evolution in ninth grade it was covered in a fifteen minute

period and dismissed. It wasn’t something that was central to understanding the rest of

the natural science that I was being taught and the teacher foresaw problems with

discussions surrounding the issues of creationism versus evolution. If evolution is taught

in a Christian majority classroom, the students are bound to want to discuss how they

have been brought up believing things differently. These students are in a difficult part

of their lives as it is; trying to establish their own personal identities, figuring out what

they want to do with their lives and trying to rebel against their parents. Why should

science teachers add to this w...

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...epresented in the books and curriculum. We will always have

conflict in the school system, we just have to work around these conflicts. The issue of

religion is very important to many people and this is the reason that I believe that neither

evolution nor creationism should be taught in a mainstream science classroom.

If students want to know what the scientific explanation for the universe is they

can go to a library. If they want to know what the main religious belief about the

creation of the world is, they can go to a church and ask a clergy man. Why do we have

to get teachers and school administrators in the middle and create an unstoppable

conflict? If the history of this issue isn’t enough to convince, try teaching one or the

other to a group of ten high school students that haven’t learned about evolution yet and

see what you come up with.