US states consider laws allowing Creationism to be taught by science teachers

[JA]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-states-texas-creationism-science-teacher-state-law-evolution-religion-a7632931.html

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[Santander]

Yes, I wish I was taught the truth in school.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

I had hoped we had left this "issue" behind in the Bush era, where it belongs.

[JA]

Yes, I wish I was taught the truth in school.

Except that it's not - and it's highly unlikely that there is even a deity.

[pbrower2a]

Creationism? In the same league as flat-earth and hollow-earth nonsense. It teaches no moral values.

So a bunch of people barely out of the hunter-gatherer stage of economic and social development get  natural history and earth science terribly wrong? What else would you expect?

The only way in which I could accept creationism as truth would be to accept that God created the Universe in six literal days to look more than 13 billion years old just to trick the rationalists and free-thinkers  into believing things that damn them to Hell for insufficient faith.  But even that requires blaspheming God as a vindictive forger.
 

[The Arizonan]

There are actually indigenous cultures that are several thousand years old. Australian Aborigine culture, for example, is at least 50,000 years old. How can people still believe that the earth is only 10,000 years old?

And no, creationism shouldn't be taught in public schools.

[Blue3]

Wasn't this stuff thrown it by the courts in the mid-2000's?

[Virginiá]

Yes, I wish I was taught the truth in school.

How would you even prove creationism? If you could, we wouldn't even be having this debate right now.

[Reaganfan]

How about teaching both viewpoints? Or teaching evolution and atleast mentioning the ideas of creationism?

[Blue3]

How about teaching both viewpoints? Or teaching evolution and atleast mentioning the ideas of creationism?

You can teach creationism... in a social studies lesson on Christianity, as well as social studies lessons on Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Taoism, Confucianism, and Sikhism.

Or maybe as a political issue in a civics/current events class.

Or reading Genesis in English class... along with the Qur'an, Greek Mythology, Norse Mythology, and other creation stories.



Science is: the process of verifying knowledge, and the sum total of verifiable knowledge that was generated by that process.

[Virginiá]

How about teaching both viewpoints? Or teaching evolution and atleast mentioning the ideas of creationism?

We can see evolution at work and how genetics change with time and diversity, but what we can't see is God's invisible hand guiding it. There is no proof for it. Absolutely nothing. I'm sorry, but that doesn't belong in any science class. It goes contrary to the entire discipline.

[emailking]

How about teaching both viewpoints? Or teaching evolution and atleast mentioning the ideas of creationism?

An example where it might be good to teach both viewpoints could be the "metabolism first" and "genetics first" viewpoints on how life began. This is because there are many scientists on both sides of the issue, and almost all of them would concede the other viewpoint could yet be proven correct. So they're both credible scientific viewpoints.

Creationism is not a credible scientific viewpoint, because there are not a non-trivial number of scientists arguing for it. And the scientists in the consensus see absolutely no merit to this viewpoint. So it meets the threshold of not being worth the students' time discussing it. And mentioning it in a science class is only going to confuse them.

[JA]

How about teaching both viewpoints? Or teaching evolution and atleast mentioning the ideas of creationism?

We can see evolution at work and how genetics change with time and diversity, but what we can't see is God's invisible hand guiding it. There is no proof for it. Absolutely nothing. I'm sorry, but that doesn't belong in any science class. It goes contrary to the entire discipline.

[Zioneer]

It's the responsibility of parents to teach their kids about their religion (if they so choose), not schools. Unless it's a comparative social studies lesson, or a completely optional course.

A teacher can explain why their religion informs their beliefs, but they need to make that absolutely clear that it's their belief.

[The_Doctor]

How about teaching both viewpoints? Or teaching evolution and atleast mentioning the ideas of creationism?

Because it's a dumb idea to teach creationism/intelligent design in a scientific curriculum in which there is no scientific basis or proof God exists? Because the very concept of faith is that you believe in something in which there is no objective conclusive proof? Because it leads to uneducated children who then stumble around their lives in an evangelicalized torpor bleating #alternative facts, with no real understanding of logic?

All of the above, really!

[The_Doctor]

How about teaching both viewpoints? Or teaching evolution and atleast mentioning the ideas of creationism?

Because it's a dumb idea to teach creationism/intelligent design in a scientific curriculum in which there is no scientific basis or proof God exists? Because the very concept of faith is that you believe in something in which there is no objective conclusive proof? Because it leads to uneducated children who then stumble around their lives in an evangelicalized torpor bleating #alternative facts, with no real understanding of logic?

All of the above, really!

Apparently this was reported. I don't see it violating mod rules in the slightest but it's hilarious nevertheless that this got reported by Naso (I'm speculating but still)?

apparently the butthurt is strong.

[Bismarck]

Things like this make me wish we lived in country with a system that provided for many parties. I can't stand that the anti-science loons get pandered to by portions of my party.

[Reaganfan]

apparently the butthurt is strong.

I didn't report anything in this thread.

[The_Doctor]

apparently the butthurt is strong.

I didn't report anything in this thread.

Sorry. It apparently is my other post about Ralph Shortey and someone did it. I don't actually care, neither post violated mod guidelines.  

[OSR stands with Israel]

If it is taught in an elective class yes but not in a science class

[Mr. Smith]

If it is taught in an elective class yes but not in a science class

[Santander]

If it is taught in an elective class yes but not in a science class

All science classes should be electives, except for math. I do agree that evolution should be taught in science classes.

The only required classes in school should be math, post-classical European history including the secular study of Abrahamic religions, and civics. Why is teaching Darwinian evolution to every student a good thing?

[Rjjr77]

Instead of evolution or creationism let's teach them how to balance a checkbook, and what APR means.

[Virginiá]

All science classes should be electives, except for math. I do agree that evolution should be taught in science classes.

The only required classes in school should be math, post-classical European history including the secular study of Abrahamic religions, and civics. Why is teaching Darwinian evolution to every student a good thing?

All science classes should be electives, but required classes include study of history and religion? I'm not saying history shouldn't be taught, but not requiring science in the 21st century is patently absurd. If anything, science/STEM needs to be pushed harder and taught more effectively.

[Associate Justice PiT]

If it is taught in an elective class yes but not in a science class

All science classes should be electives, except for math. I do agree that evolution should be taught in science classes.

The only required classes in school should be math, post-classical European history including the secular study of Abrahamic religions, and civics. Why is teaching Darwinian evolution to every student a good thing?

     Students would benefit from a solid conception of how the world operates. If science can be dispensed with, then why not math after the grade school level?