Evolution: Just teach it

[deadparrot]

In the beginning, creationists tried to ban the teaching of evolution altogether. Most famously, 80 years ago, John Scopes was tried for breaking a Tennessee law outlawing such instruction. He was found guilty, and evolution effectively disappeared from the high school curriculum shortly thereafter, though it continued to be taught in universities. (Related: Debate evolution)

But when university scientists began writing high school biology textbooks in the late 1950s and early '60s, evolution returned to the curriculum, provoking a second outbreak of anti-evolutionism during the '70s and '80s.

Creationism was repackaged as "creation science" in the hope that it would be taught along with evolution.

In the '70s and '80s, at least 26 states tried to legislate equal time for creation science with evolution, bringing the courts back in. The 1982 U.S. district court decision in McLean v. Arkansas- Scopes II - showed that such laws violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause by promoting a sectarian religious idea inappropriate for the public school science classrooms. In 1987, the Supreme Court reached the same decision in Edwards v. Aguillard.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/evolutionjustteachit

[Fritz67]

1. You know...

...I'll start to feel comfortable with the idea of Creationism (Intelligent Design, whatever the heck you want to call it--it's all the same really) being taught in schools the minute they start teaching biology in Sunday school.
:sarcasm:

Everyone is entitled to their religious beliefs, but this is insane: the evolution theory is the result of careful examination of the facts, retesting, and corroborating evidence over time. Science makes theories to match the facts.

Religion, on the other hand, says "Don't bother me with facts. My book written by guys living in grass huts before we knew anything about astronomy or geology or physics says it happened this way, and if the facts don't match it the facts must be wrong or planted by Satan"

If someone doesn't believe in evolution or that the Earth was created billions of years ago or that it's round and revolves around the Sun, that's their right. But don't try to get the schools to teach that. Because the FACTS say that all of that is wrong.

[SharonAnn]

4. I want Alchemy taught in Chemistry class. The 'other side" should

be presented so that students can make up their own mind.

And, Astrology should be taught in Astronomy classes. Same reasoning.

[rambler31]

2. Keep religion separate

The First Amendment has been interpreted to mean separation of church and state -- where religious belief cannot be funded by government but also that freedom of religion means that people are free to practice their religion, but not funded by government (not in the schools)

So, we have to maintain this separation I believe

[newyawker99]

3. Hi rambler31!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: