What do you think should creationism be taught in public schools? Why or why not?

I'm a little fuzzy on the term, it's not one that I've heard until recent years. By creationism is that to say 'God created everything, the universe, the planets, the plants, the animals, the people, etc' or is there more to it than that?

There's a lot more to it than "God created...". The teacher/professor I had the most respect for was the one who not only shared the scientific theory of where we came from, but also shared the creation stories of various nations. It was a history class (university) and he said that we were going to go right back in history to the beginning. He brought in someone from the geology department who shared the geological history and then the following class he went on to share creation stories from different cultures and nations.

TSJFan4Ever wrote:

... shared the creation stories of various nations. It was a history class ... He brought in someone from the geology department who shared the geological history and then the following class he went on to share creation stories from different cultures and nations.

Yes, that is a legitimate class where this kind of stuff can be taught. It is part of history, just like all the other mythologies in the world.

In fact I have always appreciated the evolutionary progression in Genesis. Whoever wrote that was very observant of life, wrote of the plants first then sea life and finally life on land.

Yeah - our prof shared the Christian creation story but he also shared the Australian one, or one of them, a variety of First Nations stories, as well as stories from other nations. I just wish I'd been able to remember them all. I remember one in particular that told how the people had come out of a clam shell. There's actually a carving of that story in one of the airports - a huge clamshell with people peeking out of it.

Creationism is a religious philosophy and that's a no-no for public schools.

I'm sort of indifferent to it. In theory, I guess it should be kept to religious schools, but public schools teach a lot of other crap to kids they got no business teaching so might as well just toss creationism in there. And of course ID should be taught as theory as well since in regards to the origin of the species, it's all scientifically just theory. So cover it all.

No, but I don't think that any teacher should tell young children that it is wrong. I am sure that many teachers struggle with this particular topic.

It shouldn't be taught, per se, but I don't think schools need to shy away from acknowledging either Creation or Evolution. Both are universally known (even if not universally-held) theories. Let people buy into whatever explanation they feel most comfortable with.

Creationism should not be taught in schools. However I do think that perhaps a course in religious history could be appropriate in public schools. It's such a big part of this world, and were it perfect, children would have the right to choose their own set of beliefs. I think a lot of bigotry and religious separation has to do with ignorance. If there were a year-long course that objectively and briefly ran down the list of religious theory and questioning, I think that would be a good idea. But just Christian-based Creationism? Fuck no. Talk about obvious agenda.

Supernova wrote:

I'm a little fuzzy on the term, it's not one that I've heard until recent years. By creationism is that to say 'God created everything, the universe, the planets, the plants, the animals, the people, etc' or is there more to it than that?

That's just what it means. "Creation" being the Big Bang/Adam-Eve opposed to the theory of "Evolution" (man evolving from apes.)

I just saw this on FB and had to share. If anyone ever considered that creationism is even in the same universe of scientific theory of our existence, then they should move to Tennessee where the inbred thinkers deny all facts and sell fantasy as reality.



Let Wiki run it down for you that this is actually serious and not some sarcasm as we would like to believe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_Museum

I cannot believe that these nutcases are actually arguing with real educators that this shit should even be allowed near a school much less taught in a class other than creative writing for fiction movies.

Teach it as comparative religion, philosophy, anthropology but not science.

One of the South western Native Americans believe that the great spirit baked people in in an oven, one group turned out too light, they got tossed across the ocean, another group was burned and they were tossed in what today is Africa, the last group turned out just right and they stayed right there. The Zuni's believe they lived in the center of the earth and one day climbed out of a big hole to live life on the outside of the earth. Who's creation would schools teach?

Shale wrote:

I just saw this on FB and had to share. If anyone ever considered that creationism is even in the same universe of scientific theory of our existence, then they should move to Tennessee where the inbred thinkers deny all facts and sell fantasy as reality.



Let Wiki run it down for you that this is actually serious and not some sarcasm as we would like to believe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_Museum

I cannot believe that these nutcases are actually arguing with real educators that this shit should even be allowed near a school much less taught in a class other than creative writing for fiction movies.

I wish I could say that's surprising, but having grown up in the south I know all too well. I heard the "good enough for Paul", "Jesus used the KJV", "the language in the KJV is closest to the way Jesus spoke" ELIZABETHAN?


Even if you step back from some of the crazy ideas, they can't even agree with themselves. If they could why would christianity need so many separate denominations? Then there are all the OTHER religions of the world. Those views would have to be included. Any kind of religious notions about the world are better taught in church, at home or a religious school but not the public school setting.

How did this all come to be? You know...there's not a damn thing wrong with saying "We don't know."

Suzi wrote:

Who's creation would schools teach?

My point exactly.