1 of 6 Should Schools Teach Creationism

Creationism in the UK! We are catching up with the US, HELP!

Debate held in the National Library of Scotland in February 2009 and organised by the Institute of Ideas and the Humanist Society Scotland. Debate Outline The debate over Creationism is one of the hottest flashpoints in the battle between secularism and religion. While the US has seen extended conflict over the theory of evolution, new challenges to Darwinism under the guise of intelligent design (ID) have arisen in the UK. Concerns centre on school science education, from Sir Peter Vardy's Emmanuel Schools Foundation to the controversial teaching packs distributed by the anti-evolution group Truth in Science. Although the Royal Society and much of the scientific establishment have denounced the teaching of Creationism, and the Royal Society's embattled director of education resigned last year after causing controversy by suggesting teachers should discuss Creationism in class, a recent MORI poll revealed that over 40% of the public believe that creationism or ID should be taught alongside evolution in school science classes. While few seriously endorse the literal Biblical story of Creation, ID on the other hand claims to highlight Darwinism's shortcomings on scientific grounds. Evolution is 'just a theory' after all. Surely in the spirit of encouraging critical thinking we should 'teach the controversy'? As science is about questioning received truths rather than establishing certainties for all time, does this not permit a more flexible approach to science education, where debate is encouraged? Further, the sheer complexity of evolutionary theory leads ID advocates to claim it is best to cultivate a critical eye in pupils, rather than have them take as truth a misunderstood Darwinian theory. Is science, or 'scientism', just as fundamentalist as religion, arrogantly claiming to know everything, or are doubts such as these a reflection of scientists' failure to make the case properly for what science does have to offer? Is this merely another case of the 'balance fallacy' the mistaken belief that even falsehoods should be given air time? Or should schools teach creationism in science lessons? Speakers: * Alex McLellan, Founder and Executive Director of Reason Why * Dave Perks, Head of Physics at Graveney School in London * Christopher Brookmyre, Novellist, including Boiling a Frog * Julian Baggini, writer and philosopher * Marc Surtees, Edinburgh Creation Group and Paradigm Shift * Chair - Dr Tiffany Jenkins

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Schools
• Teach
• Creationism
• Creationist
• Reason
• Debate
• ID
• Intelligent
• Design
• Evolution
• Charles
• Darwin
• Origin
• of
• Species
• Science
• Religion
• Freetheworldof

[ScholarlyGentleman81]

Creationism SHOULD NOT be taught in schools. There is absolutley no reason to teach it.. at least not a justifiable one. If you are going to teach creation, which is supported by absolutely no facts, then you should teach astrology too. Teaching creationism has several negative outcomes... it makes people think that there are "2" sides to facts.. it tricks children into not respecting known science.. and it blatantly lies to all, possibly hurting the future applications of evolution.

[freetheworldof]

@ScholarlyGentleman81 Well said. I know it sounds niave of me, but it astounds me that people believe in this creationist cra*

[ScholarlyGentleman81]

@freetheworldof Thank you. It doesn't bother so much that nutcases are out there who believe this. It's the teaching of this to children that forces me to act on my thoughts.

[freetheworldof]

@ScholarlyGentleman81

Exactly.

I wonder how they would react if the 'flat earth' people wanted to have their thoughts taught in schools.

[freetheworldof]

My pleasure.

I'm always looking for more.

[CarajilloDulce]

Why do religious types try to hijack science when trying to deliver their "message"? Religion is at best philosophy, and at worst a mechanism for social control. Trying to teach so called "intelligent design" as science severely disadvantages students, particularly those who wish to follow a career in scientific research. We know so little about life, the universe, and everything that to claim divine knowledge of such is supremely arrogant. Leave science to explore the mystery; free of religion

[TheVampireavatar]

fuk off at 9:25 he said only recently has the creationism stoped being taught thats because evlolution has facts and creationism does not it is just rubbish there are people how still believe the world is flat and that it is a huge conspracy so should we teach that to know so fuck of we are in the 21st century it's time to move on and leave the supernatural stuff behind

[FiverBeyond]

Sandman quote FTW!

[BluJugganaut]

thanks very much for the vids!