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Should Creationism be excluded from public school forums?

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2010-06-28 10:10 PM

ChristyR
Denton, TX
Posts: 254

The debate between intelligent design vs. evolution is so polarizing in public schools nowadays that a lot of teachers dread even bringing the subject up. They fear backlash from parents and they don't want to start a fight between students. While debate is a healthy part of any school system, should intelligent design have any validity in a secular institution like our public school systems? My argument is that it's based solely off of religious belief and zero hard evidence or fact. What do you think?

2010-06-30 07:58 AM

Schmidt
Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 852

ChristyR Wrote: should intelligent design have any validity in a secular institution like our public school systems? My argument is that it's based solely off of religious belief and zero hard evidence or fact. What do you think?

My immediate response would be NO. Intelligent Design makes about as much scientific sense as Jesus being born of the virgin Mary. However, I do believe that American kids (high schoolers) could benefit from a course that teaches the key points of various world religions, but not leaving out athiesim. To compete in a global economy, go to war with other countries, or just to travel to other countries (and within our own country), having a knowledge of the language, customs, politics and religious beliefs of the country or area is something that we could all benefit from. Learning only one's own religion means we'll live our lives in a bubble.

When we went to war with Iraq, for example, the American public's ignorance of Islam was appalling. Not only that, we did not understand some of the basic fundamental tribal customs and beliefs that drives the thinking and discourse of the Iraqis...let alone differences between Shites and Sunni Muslims. In fact today that ignorance prevails as many in the Christian community demonstrate by the way they demean Muslims in their everyday discourse.

The public school course, therefore, should include be a mix of geography, culture, politics and religion. It's hard to separate religion from politics in many societies including our own. The course would address the important points of the different sects of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other less known religions like Pantheism. Athiesm would be taught as alternative to religion where science overrules faith based thinking.

The benefit of such a course would be to expand one's thinking and tolerance for other views. I find that many religious people have an intolerance of other's religious beliefs, and at times that intolerance leads to wars and conflicts...Sunni versus Shite, Catholic versus Protestant, Hindu versus Muslim, and yes also Christians and Jews versus Muslims. Those fundamentalists and zealots that mix their religious beliefs with politics in my view are some of the most dangerous to society as a whole. While we can easily point the finger at Iran, one only needs to look at our own politicians to see good examples. One's faith should not be a reason for war.

Displaying all 2 Forum Posts for the Thread:

Should Creationism be excluded from public school forums?

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