Should religion, such as Christianity, be taught in public school? Many people, theists and atheists alike, ask and answer that question every day, but it’s usually met with much scorn and heated arguments. Even though Creationism is not scientifically supported, Creationism should be taught in public schools, but only in history classes, because it has contributed to important events in history and it gives more perspective.
A common argument that a lot of people use when they don’t agree with creationists on their stances is that creationism is not able to be proven scientifically. But a counter to that argument is how the theory of evolution is just as much as a theory as the theory of Creationism, so it renders that argument as a moot point.
…show more content…
What about with science? Well, that’s hopping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Religious people and scientists have been debating for years, due to the theories of creationism and evolution. The former claims that a god placed us here and sends us either to an eternal paradise, or eternal damnation, depending on how good you acted in your living life, while the latter claims that life on Earth started with random cellular organisms adapting to the environment and eventually changing so drastically that it could be considered an entirely different organism. Though the difference is that evolution has tangible evidence-- such as fossils, rock dating, and the fact that some animals from a million years ago are still here-- while creationism, as a theory, does not.
So creationism isn’t able to be scientifically proven. With a holy book, lots of paintings, and a lot of conspiracy theories to “back it up,” it definitely does not belong in a science classroom. But it does belong in history classrooms. How so? Well, the aforementioned Crusades and Inquisition have contributed to it quite a bit, giving everyone a negative view of the religion of Christianity, which is the main religion seen behind
…show more content…
Not to call them out and belittle them every time that even a sliver of either theory is brought up, but to talk about why they have so much faith in it. In fact, some people don’t fall under the categories of ‘evolutionist’ or ‘creationist,’ some completely ditch those ways of thinking and go outside of the box, like a calm, religious life style of a Buddhist monk that focuses on meditating and getting in touch with one’s spiritual self, or the life-long way of thinking all of the time, like someone in the Hinduism religion, which mostly focuses on concepts like karma and reincarnation. Thinking about it, it does sound like a nice way to live, doesn’t
Robert Root-Bernstein and Donald L. McEachron, “Teaching Theories: The Evolution-Creation Controversy,” The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 44, No. 7 (Oct…1982). This article, written by Robert Root-Bernstein and Donald L. McEachron sheds light on the controversy of evolution vs creationism in schools and the validity of each being called a scientific theory. The work was created to answer the questions, “Which of these theories is truly scientific and which is a religious belief? Which should be taught in schools?” The article concluded in favor of evolution as a valid scientific theory that should be taught rather than creationism, but also mentioned the worth of understanding the latter.
The history of opposition between science and religion has been steady for about half of a century. As early as the 1500's, science and religion have been antagonistic forces working against each other. Science was originally founded by Christians to prove that humans lived in a orderly universe (Helweg, 1997). This would help to prove that the universe was created by a orderly God who could be known. Once this was done, science was considered by the church to be useless. When people began to further investigate the realm of science, the church considered them to be heretics; working for the devil. According to Easterbrook (1...
In the United States, the average child goes through public funded schools that have a basic curriculum. According to the Texas Education Agency, some of the subjects include science, mathematics, social studies, English, and more. Nowhere in the subject is religion included. The basic curriculum is made in order to give students skills, knowledge, and to help develop the minds of the future. In science class, evolution is taught either briefly or detailed. It is taught because it is a popular theory that did not seem to choose a certain religion. So why believe that religion and science can be taught together? The evolution of Earth and the universe can be believed in any way an individual chooses.
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.
Evolution, otherwise sometimes called the “Devil’s hoax,” is a controversial topic that ignites a rather substantial reaction, particularly in Christian religious communities. Through the years, the heated debate over whether God or evolution is right has become a major breaking point for people of faith. Evolution suggests that God didn’t miraculously place humans in their present form on Earth and that the Bible isn’t the ultimate scientific truth. In this world, science is pitted against religious faith, suggesting neither can exist mutually with the other.
evolution, and religious myths can not be taught in public schools in an officially non
The clash between evolutionists and creationists seems to be far from its finale. Both sides come up with potent arguments in favor of their positions. Evolutionists stress the absence of factual evidence in favor of God’s existence, point to fossils as a proof of the evolutionary process, and name the Big Bang as the reason of the universe’s appearance and further development. Creationists, in their turn, stress that there are no intermediate links between species in found fossils, consider complexity and diversity of nature to be an indirect evidence of God’s existence, and refer to the second law of thermodynamics to argue against the Big Bang theory. However, none of the sides seem to see that both points of view can not only co-exist, but be successfully combined. Such a combination could explain everything at once.
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...
Until the early 1960s, religion was accepted in most public school systems across our nation. One of the main purposes for school in early America was for religious purposes (Prothero). Benjamin Franklin stated, "It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand." Thomas Jefferson stated, "The question isn't what religion is true. The question is what religious traditions do we need to know something about in order to be an effective citizen." Something that can be beneficial to our nation should not be taken away. Even though religion offends some people, it should be allowed in public schools because of its influence on America and western civilizations, and its ability to help form closer relationships.
To begin with, creationism is a great example of an ongoing religious conflict which has caused a lot of discussion. It is a lesson that all students should learn, whether in public school or private. The main concern is how teachers can teach creationism without crossing religious boundaries. Anderson addresses the importance of teaching creationism:
Christianity and science are seen to conflict with each other because people approach both views the same way; instead, they should be taken differently. There are certain things that can be explained with science and other things with Christianity. There are incidents that science cannot explain and people believe that those things are still true without evidence. Christianity is not opposed to science unless it contradicts the word of God written in the Bible. Scientific method is not the only way to find the absolute truth. The scientific and Christian view of the world will always have some conflict and misunderstanding because they attempt to explain in essence two different things.
In the history of science vs. religion there have been no issues more intensely debated than evolution vs. creationism. The issue is passionately debated since the majority of evidence is in favor of evolution, but the creation point of view can never be proved wrong because of religious belief. Human creation breaks down into three simple beliefs; creation theory, naturalistic evolution theory, and theistic evolution theory. The complexities of all three sides create a dilemma for what theory to support among all people, religious and non-religious.
Understanding science and religion historically most individuals would assume that the two differ more than they relate. For decades, there has been the overwhelming debate about the differences between science and religion, and the issues that have set them apart from each other. However, personally, when it comes to the views, and goals of the two they share very similar ideologies and attributes.
Ever since the idea of evolution came about there have been all kinds of debates, including trials, over the subject. When Charles Darwin first thought of his theories he did not know what would come of it. Evolution contradicts religious beliefs, which makes teaching it a touchy subject for some students. However, students can take it if the subject is approached in the right way. Students must learn the sound science behind evolution and realize that religion is different than science. Overwhelming evidence shows that evolution is real and should be taught in all schools.
In today’s society, many topics create a very substantial amount of controversy between different groups of people. From abortion to the healthcare reform, there are countless topics of discussion. One of the major and ongoing controversial topics in the religious society is the Big Bang theory versus Creation. One side of the controversy is, predominately, the scientific community, with the other end obviously being the religious community.