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From: kurtzman@uscvax.UUCP (Stephen Kurtzman)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.origins
Subject: Re: creation or evolution in schools
Message-ID: <56@uscvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Oct-85 15:37:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: uscvax.56
Posted: Wed Oct 16 15:37:35 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Oct-85 20:37:59 EDT
References: <1619@umcp-cs.UUCP> <2363@sunybcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: kurtzman@usc-cse.UUCP (Stephen Kurtzman)
Organization: CS&CE Depts, U.S.C., Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 51

In article <2363@sunybcs.UUCP> colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) writes:
>> I say, let them keep their kids out.  If creationism is so obviously wrong,
>> they'll realize this in college (or wherever they run into evolution as
>> adults).  For the most part, it doesn't matter anyway.  If not knowing
>> evolution is so advantageous, people will begin to realize this and will
>> back away from hardline creationism.
>> 
>> And if it isn't, then, maybe it isn't all that important to teach it in
>> school.
>
>Of course it's not.  What difference does it make to kids whether
>they're descended from Eve and Adam or Java Man?  Will this "knowledge"
>help them get jobs as surgeons or stevedores?  Will they feel better
>believing that their great-grandparents a thousand times removed were
>simians or sinners?  Will they hang their parlor walls with pictures
>of a naked couple or an orangutan?
>
>Schools don't teach what's actual or important, they just teach what
>they can.


Re: they'll realize this in college.

How marvelous an idea. Lets teach children things that are not true (such as
creationism is science) and let them figure it out for themselves if they
ever need to. Does something sound wrong in this argument? But supposing
that to be a valid view, take into consideration the fact that
only about 33% of the population has attended college (only 20% graduate
with a four year degree). Of those that attend college how many will take a
biology class where evolution is taught? Under this type of shortsighted
policy we could very well wind up with over 90% of the population believing
that creationism is part of science. That is a repugnant thought.


Re: Importance of teaching evolution and/or creationism

Teaching evolution is not as important as not teaching creationism as
science. Every science class I had in high school and jr. high (6 years
worth) started by explaining what the scientific method is and how it works.
Concepts such as observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and validation
were taught as the bases of science. Where does creationism fit into this?
Teaching an article of faith, such as creationism as science debases science
and gives a student a very warped view of what scientific inquiry really is.

Not teaching evolution is a mistake. By avoiding a scientific theory because
it is controversial we are teaching our children that there is good science
and bad science and that the demarcation criterion is whether or not
politicians and preachers feel threatened by it. Do we really want
to teach this sort of hogwash? Do we really want religionists to determine
what questions science can ask? Do we really want to teach our children that
certain answers to scientific questions are taboo?