My response to those who clamor for the 'fairness' of equal representation in the classroom is that if they want to teach creationism alongside evolution, then creationism should be subject to exactly the same degree of scientific rigor that evolution is subject to.

Even apart from all the framework of theorems, hypotheses, and observational evidence, one of the primary tenets of scientific rigor is the concept of disprovability.

Without getting into the boring parts, what disprovability means is that the premise needs to be at least theoretically capable of being proved wrong (whether through further observation, refined theories, etc.).

It's a clear bet that the creationists would be singularly unwilling to place the concept of creation (and therefore, God), as being disprovable. Even if it were possible to disprove God, they would balk at the result.

Simply put, the creation story is a matter of faith, and should be taught in the venue of that faith.

But isn't both creationism as well as evolutionism both taught in school? The former in religion class and the latter in science class.

paxx in my state of maryland, there was no such thing as religion class in school. And to be perfectly honest, neither were taught at all.

Seems to me they should teach religeous studies right along beside history and social studies.How can you possibly separate them?If everyone understood how other people believe,we might be more tolerant and get along better.
(Hi there X)

What if everyone's right? Is it possible that all of these theories and beliefs can co-exist, or do they all cancel each other out? Perhaps the Christians were created by God, but the Athiests evolved.

Actually, I think the story goes that Adam and Eve were created by God, and at the time I don't believe they had any religious affiliation. After millenia of procreation a group called the Israelites emerged, and well, the story just takes off from there.......

#230 by Citizen grayhaze - 9/14/2003 3:09:57 PM What if everyone's right? Is it possible that all of these theories and beliefs can co-exist, or do they all cancel each other out? Perhaps the Christians were created by God, but the Athiests evolved.

I like that, except I now can't figure out where agnostics came from....... 

paxx, I know of no school that has a religion class (other than private, religion based schools).

Koasati, unless things have changed in the few years it is since I went to school, most schools in the UK teach Religious Education. The subject covers most religions and their beliefs.

I've seen enough of this sick world to know exactly where man's origins lie...

Yes, I remember RE at school. I remember also commenting in one of my essays that I thought we were supposed to be at school to learn fact rather than fiction.

All primitive cultures need something almighty to explain away ordinary things they don't understand. Once man evolves into a more knowledgeable being such relics of the past will no longer be of importance.

Hum unless it changed recently, we still have religion taught in school in Quebec. Except non-religious kids had the choice of taking "morals" instead, which was basically very similar to religion class (catholic) but without any notion of God. Same values were taughts though.

Paxx,
hehe
not only did we not get religious studies, I can assure you we didn't get values or morals either


Please tell me I am not the only one that was so crudely educated!
I had
no religious studies
no morals
no values
and no evolution either.

I had none of those in school either Xerraire....... those things were up to our parents.

K...
Well I got loads of that from my parents, yes indeed.
I am glad you did too.

We were taught evolution in science class. A fellow student stood up at the beginning of that lesson. (He was a member of that religion that likes to come to your door at the worst times, you know the ones,...I'll give you a hint.....the Jimi Hendrix song All Along the Watchtower ). Then he began to protest the teaching of evolution without his being allowed to teach a lesson on creationism.

The teacher slapped him down immediately. Told him it was not his class to teach. Everyone in the class applauded.