Should ID be taught in public schools?

[tomspug]

I'm not really sure it should. I honestly don't know much about arguments for ID, but it seems, on the surface, to simply desire to insert a religious perspective alongside a scientific one.

I understand the concept, that everything did not come from nothing, necessarily from something. But should that be taught alongside evolution? They are not really related. If anything, it is an idea that belongs in either philosophy or some more complicated science like quantum physics. Doesn't intelligent design accept evolution? Wouldn't it then be unnecessary to teach it as an alternative to evolution?

Honestly, I don't think it is a school's responsibility to make children aware of religious beliefs. That's why we have religion. If parents are so upset about this stuff, that's what bible schools are for, right? We do have private schools.

Intelligent Design isn't science, in my opinion. It is a perspective on science. Should students be made aware that this perspective exists? I'm not sure. What do you think? We teach the histories of religions in schools, don't we? Comparative religions?

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I'm not really sure it should. I honestly don't know much about arguments for ID, but it seems, on the surface, to simply desire to insert a religious perspective alongside a scientific one.

I understand the concept, that everything did not come from nothing, necessarily from something. But should that be taught alongside evolution? They are not really related. If anything, it is an idea that belongs in either philosophy or some more complicated science like quantum physics. Doesn't intelligent design accept evolution? Wouldn't it then be unnecessary to teach it as an alternative to evolution?

Honestly, I don't think it is a school's responsibility to make children aware of religious beliefs. That's why we have religion. If parents are so upset about this stuff, that's what bible schools are for, right? We do have private schools.

Intelligent Design isn't science, in my opinion. It is a perspective on science. Should students be made aware that this perspective exists? I'm not sure. What do you think? We teach the histories of religions in schools, don't we? Comparative religions?

If ID is taught in public schools, it ought to stay out of the science class completely. It just doesn't qualify as science.

At most, keep it in religion classrooms in order to show that it is a religious perspective, not a scientific one.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

If ID is taught in public schools, it ought to stay out of the science class completely. It just doesn't qualify as science.

At most, keep it in religion classrooms in order to show that it is a religious perspective, not a scientific one.

Unfortunatley, I think proponets of ID (at least some of them) argue that it is a scientific perspective...how frustrating.

 

[gnomon]

It depends on what is meant by taught?

A history of science course will "teach" phlogiston. Rather, they will mention phlogiston as one scientific model which seemed to fit available data or perception at the time but did not hold up to empirical investigation. However, the theory of phlogiston is not being taught and, if chemistry courses were like mine, not mentioned at all in the study of the specific sciences.

ID, and any other concepts similar, can be taught in a philosophy or history course but serves no purpose in the sciences. As far as I know, ID offers up no alternatives to the standards of chemistry and physics. Not even biology. It tries to assert a different conclusion on one issue that serves a political rather than an educational or intellectual motivation.

 

[Phasmid]

I find it amazing that it's even an issue over there... do you not have religion and philosophy lessons as well as science lessons? They're completely seperate, ID is to science, what salt is to a slug... keep them apart or it's just wrong.

 

[Storm]

I find it amazing that it's even an issue over there... do you not have religion and philosophy lessons as well as science lessons? They're completely seperate, ID is to science, what salt is to a slug... keep them apart or it's just wrong.

Not in the standard curriculum, no.

 

[Phasmid]

Not in the standard curriculum, no.

Really? It's compulsory over here until you get half way through college (that's the school before university over here... think you call it high school). Then you get the option to drop it.

 

[Father Heathen]

I find it amazing that it's even an issue over there...

Well, the Christian fundamentalists have a frightening amount of influence in this country. Hell, they own the republican party.

 

[Storm]

Really? It's compulsory over here until you get half way through college (that's the school before university over here... think you call it high school). Then you get the option to drop it.

Really. I think they should be added to the standard curriculum, but as things are you're lucky if your school offers them as electives.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Unfortunatley, I think proponets of ID (at least some of them) argue that it is a scientific perspective...how frustrating.

Yes, and we see the exact same debate here at RF from time to time.

Right now the political topic du jour just happens to be focusing on gay marriage/adoption, the mortgage crisis, gas prices, and our military presence in Iraq. But, give it some time, and I'm sure we'll see the debate return.

 

[crystalonyx]

ID shouldn't be offered in any cirriculum of secondary education,

 

[Scuba Pete]

ID is philosophy and not science. It can be discussed in any philosophy class, but not in a science class.

Unfortunately, proponents of ID think they are doing God a favor by pushing this issue. All they are really doing are making it harder for right thinking people to accept their beliefs as being anything more than a collection of myths.

 

[darkendless]

Philosophy is not useless at school, especially when considering history classes where clear bias can be shown due to the beliefs of the time period. I reccomend this only for seniors though, hopefully with enough intellect to distinguish between fact and theory but whos to say what would happen.

 

[Yerda]

What would you teach?

 

[Khale]

Should ID be taught as a science class? Good God, no!

However, I would recommend including ID in a world religion's/theology class. It been playing such a visible role lately that kids should be informed about what is being discussed.

Philosophy is not useless at school, especially when considering history classes where clear bias can be shown due to the beliefs of the time period. I reccomend this only for seniors though, hopefully with enough intellect to distinguish between fact and theory but whos to say what would happen.

I remember being a senior (it was only 5-6 years ago), I remember others as seniors, and I've spoken with many people about their high school experiences. Being a senior does not make you any less susceptible to idiocy (with all respect due to those currently in high school.)

 

[crystalonyx]

Should ID be taught as a science class? Good God, no!

However, I would recommend including ID in a world religion's/theology class. It been playing such a visible role lately that kids should be informed about what is being discussed.

I remember being a senior (it was only 5-6 years ago), I remember others as seniors, and I've spoken with many people about their high school experiences. Being a senior does not make you any less susceptible to idiocy (with all respect due to those currently in high school.)

Public secondary schools don't have religions/theology classes.

 

[Alceste]

Well, the Christian fundamentalists have a frightening amount of influence in this country. Hell, they own the republican party.

I think the Republican party actually owns them, not the other way around. Karl Rove, that evil, clever man, discovered exactly how to make US Christians dance like marionettes to the discordant music of the neo-Cons. All the talk about abortion and gay marriage only served to distract their fan base while the whole country was robbed blind by bankers and the military industry. Now that the deed is done, I expect the Christians who ignored a ten trillion dollar debt because the GOP babbled right-sounding nonsense about abortion are about to find themselves dangling in the wind - jobless, homeless and with their savings and pensions vanishing with the collapse of one bank after another.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Karl Rove, that evil, clever man, discovered exactly how to make US Christians dance like marionettes to the discordant music of the neo-Cons.

It's a shame really, but you are completely right here.

 

[Mike182]

i agree with the general sentiment being thrown around in this thread that ID should stay out of the science class, but can be taught in an RE/Philosophy/Theology class.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Public secondary schools don't have religions/theology classes.

Depends where you are and what school you go to. My high school had World Religions as a senior level elective. I think a couple of the junior philosophy courses may have touched on religion as well, as did history classes.