Evolution vs Intelligent Design: What should be in the public schools? (creation, genesis)

[Ryan2065]

I searched through the forums through April and couldn't find a thread like this, so I hope its not a repost...

Do people here believe that intelligent design should be taught in our classrooms? Or how about creationism in general, should that be taught? Anyone at all believe evolution should not be taught?

My own idea is that it could be mentioned, but seeing as the scientific proof behind it consists of "Look, we don't understand it so it must be god" I don't think it should be given much consideration. Creationism to me is too religion specific to be taught in any public school. I went through 12 years of catholic school and never once was told anything to go up against evolution. I had never met anyone who did not believe in evolution until I came to college (this isn't saying much, the first Jewish person I met was in my Sophomore year of college...)

[Sunstone]

I think if intelligent design is taught in the schools, it should be taught in a religion class and not a science class. I agree with you, Ryan, that intelligent design is mainly a sophisticated way of saying that "what we don't understand must be caused by god". That doesn't seem to me to be an adequate reason to teach intelligent design as science.

[robtex]

Id is taught in schools. In religious ones. Catholic mostly but it certainly is forbidden in schools. If a parent feels the need for their child to learn religious genesis theories they should and have the right to send them to Christian schools. Muslims if they wanted, to my understanding can create similar institutions as well as other belief systems. A public school however, funded with public tax dollars and run by the state should not impose any religious belief in its public institution.

What if they had taoist creation theories or budddhists ones instead of the monothiestic interpretation of genesis? I bet we would see quite a bit of protest to that venue. By the same token a school that is property of the state and run in a socialized fashion should remain neutral on unevidenced theories of our existance.

Evolution by contrast has earned its way into education by being evidenced by DNA, fossil records, selective breeding and other evidence supporting it. When and if creationism gains the same noteriety by the same standards as evolution than a re-evuation may be in store but until that time it isn't reasonable to hold them to completely seperate standards while offering them up as even-keeled theories.

[Ryan2065]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

I think if intelligent design is taught in the schools, it should be taught in a religion class and not a science class.

My girlfriend actually brought up a good point (well don't tell her I said that). Her take on it is to add a philosophy class to the public schools that could teach general logic to the students and you could add intelligent design in that course.

[Ryan2065]

Originally Posted by robtex

Id is taught in schools. In religious ones. Catholic mostly but it certainly is forbidden in schools.

http://www.freedomforum.org/template...cumentID=17115
Ohio allows schools to teach ID now and Kansas just recently (like a year ago I think) put evolution back into the schools (they voted to take it out of the schools a few years earlier)

[Scott1]

Teach science in science class.... religion in your church.

[Majikthise]

Originally Posted by Scott1

Teach science in science class.... religion in your church.

The voice of reason is alive and well.

[ch'ang]

Once they have evidince for ID then they can teach it in school

[Original Freak]

Originally Posted by Scott1

Teach science in science class.... religion in your church.

Bingo....