A Question for Christians Regarding Evolution in Schools (non-Americans need not apply)

[Pontifex Maximus]

Why shouldn't evolution be taught in school? If it shouldn't, what should we teach instead? (Do not say creationism)

Really simple question, should get a really simple anwser.

[Tankbuster]

I was under the impression that most christians wanted evolution to be taught in school?

I mean, I thought they had grown up and accepted evolution. Hopefully my view doesn't get shattered in this thread

[Zuwxiv]

Maybe in Europe (not sure where you're from, but I do see Mr. Belgium under your avatar)...

In America, people are... scientifically behind the world.

See this evolution chart:



Americans are... well, all too often, spellbindingly stupid. This isn't to say that all Americans are idiots - in fact, many Americans are very, very intelligent. But I think problems in the school system (such as the reluctance to teach evolution and the push for "intelligent design") really harm Americans in the long run.

I think the majority of Christians are fine with teaching evolution in school. But a large number view evolution as counter-Christian (especially the far-conservative). They honestly want to teach Christian creationism in schools, and call it "intelligent design" by giving it scientific backing.

So I think they would answer your question: "Evolution shouldn't be taught in school because it is wrong, not Christian, and I don't want to expose my children to those sorts of beliefs."

It's an opinion they're entitled to have, but it's also an opinion that effects other people. Believe whatever you want; it won't change the fact that evolution is the only theory that should be taught in schools because it is the only valid scientific and observation-based theory. Besides, I think it is a misconception that evolution is even counter to the Christian story of creationism. (Describe the Big Bang and formation of the planet to someone thousands of years ago, and you'd have a story like: "First there was a big light, then the earth formed, and first it was all water, but then there was land and then plants and then animals.")

[Miraj]

Holy crap, America is only above Turkey. Daym.

You might wanna work on that Yanks. I mean gypsy-hating Romania has a more solid understanding of human origins than Uncle Sam. lol

[Vilhjalmr]

Hey, I'm moving to Britain as soon as I can, so I'm certainly not helping.

[nce_wht_guy]

Hey, I'm moving to Britain as soon as I can, so I'm certainly not helping.

Don't, they don't like immigrants there.

[TaysChreNN]

Don't, they don't like immigrants there.

Erm, immigrants get a shizload of rights / benefits in Britain :|

Alot of us don't like the people who come here, have like 10 children, claim all the benifits that comes along with that and then inject money back into their country.

A somali family down the road (I'm friends with some of the kids) have 16 children, on a side-not: all the boys are called Abdi (makes dinner time a bit of a stampede), steal trolleys from Tesco (a worker has to come by and take them back), don't clean up their front garden - it looks like a dump / stinks, the father has never had to work, all the women never say anything to me (presumably because they don't speak english, I've never heard them) and they got a free house.

I feel sorry for the kids though, two or three of them are really friendly and do well at school etc, but have to come home and live with 15 other children (not counting all the elder people).

[Roman Clone]

I don't mind being taught either one, but I will still believe in what I believe. As long as I am not forced to believe in what they teach, I'm fine.

[jonny duck]

Evolution should be taught in schools. As far as I'm concerned it is a much clearer and truer version of how we came to be than any relgious teaching can offer, and it also helps is to predict changes that might occur in the future. Even if you prefer to believe in "intelligent design", it should be taught because a knowledge of the theory of evolution is essential for survival in the future. Even in our lifetime we have seen bacteria evolve resistance to anti-biotics and fish evolving to become smaller due to the desire for only large fish.

[Ruin]

Failing education
Generally American education is poor, failing and far behind the European equivalent. I'm lucky enough to live in a nation which regularly tops the UK schools and is one of the few places of going head to head with central Europe. We have top American students over every year for competitions, and are always surprised by how far behind they are in almost every subject.

[neoptolemos]

Greece is higher rated than USA and the false answers are quite few....
It is really controversial that the most advanced country is divided between those who accept the evolution theory and those who don't:hmmm:

[jonny duck]

guess thats the price you have to pay for a country for whom some of its early settlers were zealots.

[Pontifex Maximus]

I hate to be limiting, but it would be better if people that don't know about the hot debate between seperation of church and state not comment.

None of the comments I have seen have anything to do with my question.

The quality of American schools is not the point. So stop posting about it.

The question is very simple (and basically for Americans to anwser as we are the only people it affects...)

zuwxiv, I don't appreciate being called spellbinidingly stupid. Take you America hate alsewhere, I'm am so sick of it.

[Zuwxiv]

zuwxiv, I don't appreciate being called spellbinidingly stupid. Take you America hate alsewhere, I'm am so sick of it.

...While I don't think we are 'Spellbindingly Stupid' , (as an after thought, I hope you do realize the difference between ignorant and stupid.) I do believe that we are falling behind the world.

I most certainly did not mean to insult you, or any Americans. In fact, I specifically mentioned immediately afterwards that I believe many Americans to be quite intelligent. Your interpretation of my post leads me to suspect you didn't read my post closely (and probably didn't read the linked article at all). I didn't mean to insult you, Pontifex, and apologize if I did (), but the article is worth a read. But please, don't draw conclusions about me; I don't hate America. I have lived in California my entire life and I think that the USA is possibly the best country in the world - it just has its own problems and needs a little help.

Don't forget: if you love America, remember our history. What makes America so great is the ability to say "Hey, this sucks, let's fix it." America only exists because of a democratic tradition of open discussion about the problems in this country and possible solutions.

(The article itself used the word 'stupidity,' and my choice of the phrasing "spellbindingly stupid" had less to do with diction and more to do with alliteration. What? I take such things into account when I post!)

Anyway, to be on topic. Evolution should be taught in schools.

There. Is. No. Other. Scientific. Alternative.

It is a fact, it isn't even up for reasonable debate. If the only argument against evolution is "My bible says..." then I immediately don't care. I'm a Christian born and raised (although my current beliefs are complicated, to say the least) so this isn't religion bashing for me. It's just common sense; if you cite your religion for something that should be taught in public schools, you're missing something about separation of church and state.

Bottom line: Your beliefs do not change the fact that evolution is fact. You want to raise your children to believe that anyone who so much as utters the world "evolution" without actually pronouncing it "evilution" is a satanic, hedonistic, satan-sexing homosexual pedophile axe-murderer? Go ahead! But schools are places for facts, not beliefs.

[Ruin]

The comment on American schools necessarily leads to comments on which system is better and why. It's easy to correlate between poor schooling in the US and the rise of creationalism, and that is what has been done.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Again, not anwsering my question.
This is not about the quality of American schools.

It's about whether or not evolution should b taught in American schools.


Non Americans need not apply.

[boofhead]

Non Americans need not apply.

Discrimination!

Of course it should be taught in every school across the globe. But it should be taught as a theory.

[Ruin]

The correlation is a point why evolution should be taught, and so is answering the question. Just because it's from a different angle from what you wanted doesn't mean you can just ban it from discussion.

[Pontifex Maximus]

"The Rise of creationism"??

Are you kidding?

How can that at all be associated with American schooling?

Well, we all know Genesis was written about the year 1957 by professor Arnold T. Brown, that crazy, stupid American creationist.

Dude, come on. You're not helping at all and I'm now prepared to ignore you. We don't need to know which system is better and why because that is not the topic.

If people insist on following these offtopic tangents, I will have to PM a mod, and I don't want to do that.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Boofhead! You get it!

I agree with you.

Ideologies should not be forced upon people (even if they are right).

The problem is that in many pivate schools, it is not taught. This leads to obvious problems.