Do you think that science teachers should teach alternatives to evolution in public schools?
3
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Only if they teach alchemy in chemistry classes, astrology in astronomy classes, and quidditch in gym.
RaymondWeaver
Level 1
Nov 8, 2017
4
You sold me in at quidditch . . . but I don't think that was your intention
No. Science teachers need to teach science. However, we do need a class to teach children about religion, not theirs but all as that might help them see the differences between mythology, cults and religions.
mt49er
Level 7
Oct 23, 2017
3
jodyfine - Precisely, I'm not sure why I said differences. There might be differences, but it's the similarity you hope they'll see to question their faith.
Absolutely not. The scientific consensus is clear, and the evidence for evolution is overwhelming. The Intelligent Design folks do pseudo-science at best without legitimate peer review, so Intelligent Design and Creationism have no place in the science classroom. Now if there's a class on world religions with a unit on creation stories, then you could have the Genesis story introduced alongside a reasonable-size sampling of other myths - not taught as fact but explored for themes or patterns.
vertrauen
Level 7
Oct 23, 2017
3
System maybe glitchy today. I had the same problem half an hour ago with someone else's comment.
I'm a science teacher. Which alternatives should I teach: that a great cosmic egg hatched and formed the universe, and we came after that? Or, that we sprung from the land as ancient gods needed to be worshipped? Or, should I teach that aliens brought us here, built the pyramids, and then left? Ooh, my favorite - that we all are descendants of a single male/female pair that was created out of dirt by a deity that later got mad when some of these inbreds didn't worship him properly?? NO thank you. I will teach evolution as closely to science as possible, and will incorporate new info as it becomes available. IF there should ever be evidence of a deity, THEN I'll gladly change my approach. I'm not holding my breath.
SnakePuncess
Level 3
Nov 25, 2017
3
No. Since there isn't any alternative worthy to be taught.
However, they should discuss creationism, intelligent design or similar nonsense in class in order to warn students about it.
OutlanderDave
Level 2
Oct 23, 2017
2
There are only two main alternatives 1) creationism and 2) evolution. Are there any others theories we should know about?
Hugene2002
Level 7
Oct 23, 2017
2
Absolutely not. Evolution is science which is fact based findings reviewed and approved by a sizable community of scientists. It is the only science-based concept broadly accepted. And only fact-based anything belong in a public school. Religious schools can teach anything they want as long as they get no funding directly or indirectly from the deep pocket of the public
AngelaPadovani
Level 3
Nov 1, 2017
2
Should they teach that the flat earth is an alternative to the round earth? Or alternatives to the germ theory of disease? Only because the topic is evolution, and by extension whether humans share a common ancestry with all other animals, is this even under discussion.
If we're a special creation, then the Bible is literally true, we rule the world and what we do to it doesn't matter, because it's all going to be destroyed after the Apocalypse and we're all going to heaven or hell. But if we evolved from common ancestors, then not only might the Bible simply be mythology (casting doubt on the existence of God and heaven and hell) but we're just really smart primates. And we had better start worrying about global climate change, because our great grandchildren are going to have to deal with the consequences of our actions. Also, we should stop fighting wars over whose interpretation of the possibly nonexistent God is correct. All those things flow from the evolution debate.
Paul4747
Level 8
Oct 30, 2017
2
No. I did go to a Catholic school that did teach evolution. The Biology teacher was not a nun. The religious teacher taught us that god caused evolution to happen. I think it was a lame attempt to keep the truth and inject god into the mix.
BlueKitty
Level 4
Oct 29, 2017
1
Hey, that's better than denying it. I can live w/a teacher believing that a god did it so long as everything else is taught accurately. In fact, the Catholic Church has agreed w/the theory for decades now. I was surprised to find this out a little while back.
That is what we were taught in catholic school as well. During my senior year, we also had a required religion course called World Religions which delved deeper in to the belief systems of all the major and minor religions throughout the planet.
It was taught by a priest named Father Stevens who most of the students didn't like because he was the first person who ever got up in their face and challenged what they believed. I thought Father Stevens was awesome and I loved his class. He challenged me as no other person had previously.
Most students performed poorly in World Religions class because their belief systems were already so rigidly set that they couldn't climb out of the box they had been locked in throughout the first 18 hears of their lives. I always thought that Father Stevens World Religions course should have been taught freshman year. Not senior year.
I taught in a Catholic school for 2 years. During the interview, my one question was about whether or not I could teach evolution. I was pleasantly surprised when they told me that Catholicism actually embraces evolution - it's even in the Catechism (whatever that is). As long as I didn't teach about population control, I was golden.
No absolutely not. I went to catholic schools all my minor life and the science teachers infused religiosity into religion. Religions do not follow the scientific method or adhere to falsifiability and have no place in science classrooms/lessons.
demifeministgal
Level 8
Oct 29, 2017
2
*religiosity into science classes.
Aside from a discussion of the difference between Lamarkian vs Darwinian Evolution, there is no reason to, since the alternatives don't have any evidence for them.
glenister_m
Level 3
Oct 25, 2017
2
If you are a science teacher there is no other explanation than evolution!!! If you attempt to provide an alternative as a science teacher you are not being true to your chosen profession because it teaches that you must be able to test your position and and prove it by retesting and obtaining the same result. I have yet to find any proof in religion because it is based on faith (myth).
Marine
Level 8
Oct 24, 2017
2
Of course not . there are no alternatives ... It's about time that people realise the Scopes trial is over , there aren't any sensible alternatives . Other ideas are NOT science , so they have no place in a classroom .
MarcIveson
Level 6
Oct 24, 2017
2
NO! Beliefs can, and should only, be taught in churches, synagogues, temples and mosques etc. Schools are funded by taxpayer money as part of the local government and therefore they are to teach facts. Besides, if you teach one religion, then you must give equal time to all religions and there are approximately 313 religions currently being practiced in the USA. There is no way any school could possibly cover them all. Besides, as an atheist, I don't think ANY of them should be taught to anyone so they definitely should not be taught in schools.
KLMFTFW
Level 5
Oct 24, 2017
2
There is no such thing as alternate facts. No only would we have to teach every religious creation story to make it fair. And we don't teach mythology in science class. Also, it violates the separation between state and church. I'm tired of seeing our country dumbed down in order to please extremists. This is one of the reasons why I hate religion.
daddy4pugs
Level 7
Oct 23, 2017
1
I agree!
Nearly all school science textbooks are printed in Texas and you had better believe they include creationism as science. In many places teachers at public schools have to teach creationism on equal scientific grounds as evolution. The question is how can we help turn the tide on these fundamentalist jerks who are actively trying to get the masses to embrace ignorance at an even greater level.
hotmess69
Level 5
Nov 6, 2017
1
They may be printed in TX (I don't know about that), but the major publishers are now very much in pursuit of each state and having a textbook correlated to that state's learning standards. So, if the state specifically does NOT have anything about evolution, it may not be there. If the state specifically EXCLUDES creationism, it will not be there. Pearson, McDougell-Littel, and all the other big publishers have learned that they cannot have just one generic textbook anymore. As someone that has been on the textbook adoption committees for a couple of districts, I can tell you that each publisher pays well those folks that they hire to customize the text for a particular state.
Just because we do not believe does not mean we should not be tolerant of others in their beliefs. Most schools in the UK give a basic understanding of the main religions. You cannot challenge what others believe if you don't take the time to study their point of view
Mark1
Level 1
Oct 24, 2017
1
But do they teach those in science class, on the same footing with evolutionary theory? Or let me ask it a different question: Do they teach that Christian Science has an equal standing with the germ theory of disease? We wouldn't be having this discussion if the question were anything other than evolution.
I'm fine with science classes teaching the history of scientific thought and discovery, i.e. "we once thought this but now we know it to be wrong..." but there's no reason to teach religious dogma as scientific theory.
And that's the real problem; Creationism is not science. Science means refining your theory in light of new evidence, coming closer to the truth all the time. Creationism is presented as a proven fact. "Creation science" is a contradiction in terms, because it consists of going out and looking for "evidence" to support a preconceived notion that is unable to be challenged.
I feel mit is a crime to teach anything that is lacking a factual base in public schools. I trained myself inthe belief systems of others and still find them to be rediculas. it is not the the purpose of public education to teach any religion.
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