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Wisconsin school district teaching creationism

A school district in Wisconsin will teach creationism in classes, claiming that it’s just as valid a theory as evolution:

Members of Grantsburg’s school board believed that a state law governing the teaching of evolution was too restrictive. The science curriculum “should not be totally inclusive of just one scientific theory,” said Joni Burgin, superintendent of the district of 1,000 students in northwest Wisconsin.

One of the key problems with many religions is their inability to accept natural facts and explain them. The Catholic Church maintained the Earth was flat long after it was proved that it was round, and that the sun revolved around the Earth long after the opposite was proved to be true. Millions of people today equate science and faith, believing them to be simply “alternate theories” of the same event.

This discounts the whole basis of science: proof, verifiable data, and a willingness to change theories in the face of new evidence. None of these are present in faith, which is a personal matter that has no place in public schools.

I think part of the problem in the evolution versus creationism debate is the word “theory” in scientific circles. A scientific “theory” is not just a guess. Science uses the term “theory” on the assumption that there is no such thing as fact, because new evidence could always emerge. But a theory is as rock-solid as it gets in science; it’s a conclusion drawn after experiments and supporting research. This leads many religious people to falsely assume that a scientific theory has equal validity to a faith-based one.

Personally, I don’t believe that these Wisconsin students will never understand that. I was educated in a religious school where creationism was taught over evolution, and I got over it. That doesn’t mean it’s right to mislead and falsely educate students just because of politics. Especially in public schools. It’s one thing for students to be taught that many people believe in creationism. It’s quite another for them to be taught that it’s as valid a theory as evolution. The politicos who made this decision should be ashamed of themselves.

{ 2 comments… add one }
  • DaninVan 11.07.04, 10:59 PM

    The most comprehensive argument for tossing Creationists out of the Education System :
    http://www.skepticreport.com/creationism/thingscreationistshate.htm

  • Hanthala 11.09.04, 6:38 PM

    Creationism is as valid a theory as evolution, just not from a scientific point of view. Science–as we define it at the moment–happens to be the agreed upon (by a majority?) method of determining truth. I have nothing against that and I’m not a crationist. But I think we have to keep in mind that science is just another invented human paradigm and, as such, is faillible. Also, I’m all for teaching crationism, as part of moral/religious education. It is not a scientific theory and has no place being taught as such.

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