The Issue of Teaching Creationism in Public Schools
Introduction
The issue of teaching creationism in the public schools has long been debated. Over the years, many different arguments have been made. First, creationists tried to have the teaching of evolution outlawed. This issue went to the Supreme Court in 1968, where in Epperson v. Arkansas the high court ruled against banning the teaching of evolution. Soon after this decision, creationists began to call for 'equal time', or the equal treatment of creation theory and evolution theory. When this attempt also failed, creationists turned to 'creation science' (Grunes 465). Today, the major argument for teaching creationism in public schools is that it is a scientific theory. Thus, should be taught alongside evolution. The combatants against creationism being taught in public schools are those who believe creation science is bad science and those who believe it violates the separation of church and state. Supporters of creation science are organizations that are collectively referred to as the New Christian Right, such as the Institute for Creation Research. On the other hand, those who oppose creation science are usually scientists, educators, and civil liberties organizations (Grunes 466).
Science
The majority of those people who desire creationism to be taught in the public schools cite that it is scientific. They push for the teaching of creation science, which is defined as "scientific evidence for creation and the inferences from that evidence" (Tatina 275). The inferences from that evidence are "sudden creation of the universe from nothing, recent formulation of the earth, creation of man and other biological kinds, a worldwide flood" and "the insufficiency of mutation and natural selection in bringing about development of living kinds from a single organism" (Grunes 470). These creation scientists, as they are called, want the teaching of the two scientific theories, evolution and creation science, to be taught side by side. In 1992, a Vermont school district passed a resolution stating "creation is presented as a viable theory on an equal status with the various theories of evolution" (Scott 12). The main desire is that creation be given the same time as evolution to be presented as a possible theory on the beginnings of this universe.
Many people feel that creation sc...
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... has become, for all potential purposes, the official state religion promoted in the public schools" (Morris iii).
Conclusion
This issue may never end up being resolved. States have passed laws pertaining to the teaching of creation, but these laws have ended up being ruled illegal by the federal courts. The real issue may not be if creationism is scientific, or if it is religious. It may be whether the law, and those who enforce the law, will ever allow anything other than the evolution theory to be taught in the public schools.
References
Grunes, Rodney A. "Creationism, the Courts, and the First Amendment." Journal of Church and State 31.3 (Autumn 1996): 465-86.
"In the beginning God created...." The Economist 19 August 1999:17.
Morris, Henry M. Ph.D., ed. Scientific Creationism. San Diego: Creation- Life Publishers, 1998.
Ruse, Michael, ed. But Is It Science? Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books, 1998.
Scott, Eugenie C. "The Struggle for the Schools." Natural History 103.7 (July 1997): 10-13.
Tatina, Robert. "South Dakota High School Biology Teachers & the Teaching of Evolution & Creationism." The American Biology Teacher" 51.5 (May 1999): 2750.
To take it back ten steps, let's first discuss Achilles' treatment of Hector, before Hector was just a body to be discarded. In Homer's The Iliad, Hector, the son of King Priam and the heir to the Trojan throne, is faced in battle with Achilles, a Greek man made invulnerable to harm (and known for his number of killings), except for a bit of his heel that was not dipped (as he was, as a baby) in the river Styx. Their dual follows the wrongful death of Achilles' close friend Patroclus (who had dressed in Achilles' armor and entered battle) at the hands of Hector. Though Hector was mistaken, and Patroclus' death was arguably unnecessary, Achilles holds Hector accountable, and therefore they meet for battle outside the walls of Troy when Achilles comes seeking Hector, and Hector only.
With countless theories disproving the theory of Evolution still in progress of research, the theory should not yet be taught in schools. It is only a theory and the theory has multiple flaws. There are many aspects that contradict with proven and confirmed scientific laws of nature. Science is said to be logical all the way. Contradictory should not occur. A theory that teaches something which may be a complete false statement should not be taught in schools.
“Wife, all this concerns me, too. But I’d be disgraced, dreadfully shamed among Trojan men and Trojan women in their trailing gowns, if I should, like a coward, slink away from war. My heart will never prompt me to do that, for I have learned always to be brave, to fight alongside Trojans at the front, striving to win fame for father and myself.”(VI, 540-557) Hector’s virtues are also valued greatly by the Greeks. Although they admire the heroic courage and strength of Achilles, Hector remains the sympathetic hero of The Iliad. The power and strength of Achilles has reduced Hector to a non-human thing drawn through the dirt. However, in his attempt to humiliate Hector, Achilles has diminished his own stature among men. Hector, who represents the best in humanity because he loves his family and wants to protect them, exposes the tragic flaw of the excessive pride of Achilles, the great hero on the
Since the time that teaching evolution in public schools was banned as heresy and taboo for contradicting the Bible, most public school systems today take an opposite approach in which creationism is seldom ta...
Based on the statistics, there are nearly 700,000 individuals are released from prisons nationwide annually. Moreover, many of them would continue to engage in criminal behaviour and back to prison which consists two-thirds rearrested and half return to prison within three years of their release. Since they have fewer connections in the community (such as family engagement), and less support on the residence and job-seeking for the prejudice of prisoners, they would less likely to learn to get along with others and losing the abilities to obtain the jobs because of the long-time imprisonment. Therefore, the individuals could be higher risk of recidivism and even have more serious prior
It was one of the greatest battles in Greek history, the battle of Achilles with Hector (Homer. Iliad. 22) and Cycnus (Ovid. Metamorphoses. 14); these two different versions of the Trojan War had both similarities and differences. As we can notice from these two books, there are similarities of character in Homer’s version of Achilles and Ovid’s version Achilles. Furthermore, the similarity of both Trojan heroes having the same enemy in both versions of The Trojan War. On the other hand, the difference between these two battles of Achilles is the character and how both Trojan heroes performed during the battle with Achilles. In addition, the main reason initiates battle of Achilles is different when he fights with Hector and Cycnus; additionally, how Achilles treats their corpse after he kills them, were not the same in both battles. Furthermore, the setting and timing of the battle between Achilles and the two Trojan heroes are distinct from one to another.
In the “Iliad”, written by Homer, there are two soldiers named Achilles and Hector that have an epic battle. Achilles is the youngest Greek soldier to fight the Trojans, and Hector is the prince and the youngest Trojan fighter. The two soldiers have many different characteristics and similarities.
...shows that Achilles the character with which the reader most often identifies, it has exhibited his independence from the heroic code and that he is able of making decision that have no basis in superiority. He is about to choose his own destiny and live his own philosophy and one who follows this is truly a hero by anyone’s standards. A conservative comparison of the actions and thoughts of the two characters provides the reader with a perhaps unexpected insight. It seems that Hector is indeed possessive of a human side that makes him scare from dying in war. He uses both his human gratitude and the warrior value that he learned since childhoods apply, so that there is the least friction between the two and results are indeed attractive and excellent. So they may be flawed, but these characteristic make them both classic literacy heroes of the epic poem The Iliad.
In The Iliad by Homer there are two major excerpts, “The Rage of Achilles” and “The death of Hector”. They both take place during the Trojan war, which was being fought between the Greeks and the Trojans. In “The Rage of Achilles” the Greek leader Agamemnon is forced to give away his war prize and then demands Achilles’s instead. This leads to Achilles becoming furious, resulting in him refusing to fight. “The Death of Hector” takes place later, when Achilles finally rejoins the battle and goes off to kill the Trojan hero named Hector. Based off of ancient Greek values, Achilles is the greater hero due to his honor. bravery and strength. Achilles displays his honor when he gives away his war prize to Agamemnon. He then goes on to fight Hector, a major exhibition of bravery, due to Hector being the best Trojan fighter. Finally, Achilles kills Hector, proving that he possesses great strength.
And far more than anything, there is a trait of Achilles that is of most import which should be addressed. Despite Hector being the most ideal hero, he was alone in this feat of his. When one talks of Hector’s achievements and role in the Trojan War, one can just mention him alone. Achilles however, in his entire splendor, cannot simply be narrated with only himself because he is not just a hero alone even though he far surpassed humans. Even with his
Zacherl, Danielle. “Biology 171 Evolution and Biodiversity.” National Association of Research in Science Teaching 2007 Annual Meeting, New Orleans LA. (2007):n. page. Print.
They both were great warriors and won many battles before they were defeated. Both were considered heroes of their time but there reasons for fighting are very different. Hector is heroic because he decides to leave for the war, even though he does not want to leave his family. Hector does not want to leave his child fatherless and not be there for his wife but he knows that he must ultimately do what will help protect his countrymen. Hector is the type of warrior that can fight when he wants to but has feelings and care for other people. Achilles shows no mercy against his opponents in the story. He taunts them and says that it is there time to die and his time is not today. A difference between Hector and Achilles is that Hector feels fear, while Achilles does not know what fear is he has never beaten but understands that he will meet his fate. Achilles has more of an evil emotion shown when he stabs Hectors body after Hector was killed. Hector motive for fighting is way different than Achilles. Achilles is searching for glory and to be remembered. Achilles is selfish since he would not take of his people only himself. Hector only fights to protect the people of Troy. Both men show there heroics by the authority they have over their army. Both men provide the reader with idea of great courage and valiancy. In the poem, Hector promises Achilles that he will give up his corpse to the Achaeans if he is defeated. Nut Achilles doesn’t do the same he says: ' 'Lions don 't come to with men ,nor does the wolf see eye to eye with the lamp ,they are enemies to the end . It is the same with you and me .friendship between up is impossible, and there will be no truce of any line till one of us has fallen and gluled the stubborn god of better with is blood."(Homer ) Achilles doesn’t show honor Hector when he is dead until Priam comes and begs for the proper burial be giving to his son. Then you
This essay is focusing on whether or not prisons work by exploring how effective they are in preventing recidivism and in turn reducing crime whilst keeping law abiding citizens, including prison staff, safe. It will discuss prisoners’ wellbeing, such as mental health issues, reintegration with society and how prisons aim to maintain order.
and hydrocarbons. There are many types of biofuel; some common ones include methanol and ethanol, biodiesel, and biogas. The combustion of manure produces one type of biofuel known as biogas, which composes of 65% methane. Biogas can be harvested from manure through a process...
"Priam pleads with Achilles to remember his mortal parent, and recognize that every human being, even the most blessed and most powerful king, must suffer loss just as Achilles has. Achilles is still angry and still willful: he declares himself ready to disobey the gods, should he so choose, and he gives Priam instructions as to the precise limits of what he will and will not bear" (astro.temple.edu/~rguay/iliad3.pdf). In short, he is himself. But his rage has finally abated. He can share his pain with another, and he is ready to go on living, even though that means he must be ready to die soon.