Why Creationism Should Not Be Taught in Public Schools...

A hotly debated topic concerning public schools centers on the origin of life. Now more than ever, science and religion are butting heads. What should public schools teach to their students? Alex Rainert reasons that both â€Å"science and religion are engaged in the same project, to discover the origin of life† (141). In short, one could better describe the debate as a crusade between evolutionists and creationists; both sides have their well-founded arguments, but when one looks at the decisions of the courts, clearly only one side may win the battle when deciding biology curriculum in schools. Despite an overwhelming number of individuals in favor of teaching creationism in public education, science classes should refrain from becoming a†¦show more content†¦Otherwise, teaching creationism encroaches upon separation of church and state. Certainly many Americans in favor of teaching both theories may do so for the sake of imparting critical thinking skills to our schoolchildren. Costley and Killins agree with this notion, emphasizing that true academics teaches schoolchildren alternate theories as well as analytical thinking (5). As a result, creationists weigh in heavily at schools, compelling them to introduce other scientific theories dealing with the origin of life (Raymo 152). In this regard, when it applies to all area of academics, many more people would agree. Teaching only one theory on any matter seems indicative of a totalitarian form of education. Therefore, teachers should want to introduce students to as many alternative theories as possible. However, the dissenting theories they present must have factual ground on which to stand on. Since the theory of creationism stands on shaky ground scientifically, it should have no place in science education classes. Interestingly, Alex Rainert, a man in favor of teaching both creationism and evolution, states that evolution is as much a theory as the theory of plate tectonics or Einstein’s theory of relativity. Yet, he explains, a campaign against those theories in courtrooms is, in essence, nonexistent (140).Show MoreRelatedThe Creationism Debate Essay examples698 Words   |  3 PagesCreationism being taught in public schools is not right because there are many beliefs about how the earth was created. Many science teachers have different beliefs on this particular subject. Some believe it should not be taught in public schools but on one’s own time at home, church, or another place. Other science teachers think students should be taught all the believable theories about evolution and creationism. 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