This week's Tiger Weekly included this article on Intelligent Design & whether or not it should be taught in schools. http://www.tigerweekly.com/story.php?iidart=300 What do you think? Should schools be required to teach Intelligent Design? Discuss.
Schools should be required to teach math, english, science, history and any other subject conclusively backed up by facts. Schools should not "teach" theories. Classrooms should be open to the discussion of theories of where we came from. Creationism shouldn't be excluded just because folks like marty the monkey don't buy in. Conversely, the theory of evolution shouldn't be excluded because some religious fanatics don't agree. I went to a small private school in 1st - 12th grade, and we discussed numerous theories of the creation of the universe. Until someone presents concrete indisputable evidence, no theory should be "taught" in classrooms. We don't need to brainwash kids toward either side. Educate them and give them the ability to think for themselves.
additional folks besides marty the monkey don't buy intelligent design. they are called scientists. among actual scientists, intelligent design is a theory in the same sense that flying spaghetii monsterism is. so we should teach that too. when people are sick, other people often pray for them, and sometimes they get better. should we teach prayer as a "theory" on how to cure people? should surgeons be educated about prayer? little kids are stupid, they get tricked by magicians. when i explain to them how a magician made my quarter disappear, should i remind them of the possibility that magic did it? after all, that is a theory held by morons. we gotta give equal time to all theories. -marty the monkey
Evolution is, in fact, science. The scientific evidence for evolution is overwhelming. You understand very little of the scientific method, amigo. Of course, in theology classes or social studies. There are many thousands of creation myths out there, every society has one or more. And there are people who study this in valid academic environments. But it ain't science. It's culture. This absurd notion would set science back two millenia. There are 100 years of evidence that evolution is valid and that Darwin was right. It has been tested time and time again and never disproved. This is called science and it should be taught in schools as scientific facts. I know of no evidence whatsoever that creationism or intelligent design are valid scientific facts. These ideas are matters of faith and should be taught in churches as religious beliefs. Bible zealots have no more right to demand that religious beliefs be taught in schools as science, than scientists have to demand that facts be taught in churches as faith.
a few minutes ago i saw a sticker on post outside that said "bush engineeered 9/11". maybe that theory should be taught in history classes as a possibility. after all, some people believe that, it is one theory among many for the reasons behind 9/11.
Much of science has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. These facts should be taught. Theories should not be presented as fact. As you say, they are only theories. They should be presented and open to criticism in the classroom setting. If you only offer one theory to students, then it will indeed come off as being presented as factual. Like you say, tons of information for and against both. Present it as such in the classroom.
Gee Red, I didn't realize you and the scientific community had already proven evolution as fact. And I thought you just sat around in your office on the computer taking pictures of Tiger Stadium all day. Little did I know you were earning that state pay doing such good work. Perhaps you'd like to share your absolute proof with the rest of us. No Googling please, I can Google just as much information that contradicts the theory.
