Should Schools be Required to Teach Evolution?

[mathetes123]

So some children should leave school with an inferior education just because someone might get offended? What makes a person's feelings more important than education?

Should a proper education provide for critical thinking skills?

 

[SithDoughnut]

Should a proper education provide for critical thinking skills?

Critical thinking does not include accepting all ideas equally.

 

[ebia]

Should a proper education provide for critical thinking skills?

Critical thinking does mean avoiding being offended by assumption challenging ideas. Quite the opposite.

 

[Jro]

I voted don't teach evolution. Teaching kids real science encourages them to become scientists, which will increase the competition in the job market. If most scientists had a brain in their head, they'd realize that we should keep the masses ignorant and placid, for our own benefit.

 

[Skaloop]

Should a proper education provide for critical thinking skills?

Absolutely.

 

[mathetes123]

Absolutely.

Then why does evolution have a monopoly in our government schools where the numerous arguments against evolution are not given a voice. What are they afraid of?

 

[Skaloop]

Then why does evolution have a monopoly in our government schools where the numerous arguments against evolution are not given a voice. What are they afraid of?

There are no arguments against evolution that stand up to critical thinking.

 

[Jro]

There are no arguments against evolution that stand up to critical thinking.

What about that one that's based on one particular sect's interpretation of a book that was written before scientific inquiry even started? That's a great argument against evolution.

 

[Skaloop]

What about that one that's based on one particular sect's interpretation of a book that was written before scientific inquiry even started? That's a great argument against evolution.

Yeah, until it's critically thought about.

 

[Jro]

Yeah, until it's critically thought about.

Why do you hate religious people Skaloop?

 

[Skaloop]

Why do you hate religious people Skaloop?

Because they don't believe me when I tell them I don't hate them.

 

[Jro]

Because they don't believe me when I tell them I don't hate them.

Try pamphlets and political lobbying. Fire with fire, what what.

 

[ebia]

Then why does evolution have a monopoly in our government schools where the numerous arguments against evolution are not given a voice. What are they afraid of?

For the same reason we don't teach the numerous arguments against heliocentism.

"Giving a voice..." is not the same thing as teaching critical thinking.

 

[mathetes123]

For the same reason we don't teach the numerous arguments against heliocentism.

"Giving a voice..." is not the same thing as teaching critical thinking.

Evolution is merely a theory with many flaws, not established fact.

 

[super animator]

Evolution is merely a theory with many flaws, not established fact.

Your ignorance is showing.

 

[ebia]

Evolution is merely a theory with many flaws, not established fact.

The theory if evolution is as soundly evidenced as the theory of heliocentism.

But that's beside the point. The place in school where you teach critical thinking is at the level the kids have the thinking tools to be able to do that effectively. It is NOT presenting two sides to every issue and pretending that those sides are equal in some sense nor expecting school kids to be able to determine which is which.

 

[Dave Ellis]

Evolution is merely a theory with many flaws, not established fact.

Your knowledge of scientific terminology is obviously lacking.

I recommend you look up what scientific theory is, then you will understand why your statement is nonsense.

 

[SithDoughnut]

Evolution is merely a theory with many flaws, not established fact.

Evolution is neither theory nor fact. It is a process that happens constantly around the world. It's not something that is up for debate - we know it happens, because we've seen it multiple times, and even controlled it ourselves. To deny it is to admit ignorance. You might as well claim that gravity doesn't exist either.

The Theory of Evolution (note how it is called the "Theory of Evolution - it is a theory about how evolution works, not whether it exists or not) is a theory, but one that has is constantly being proven correct. It will never become a fact, because that isn't how facts work, but it is about as close to one as we've gotten. This is up for debate, because that's how progress is made. Evolution happens - the only debate is over how it happens.

Evolution is accepted in the same way that the roundness of the Earth is accepted. When people complain that schools are ignoring the debate, what they actually mean is that schools are not pandering to the minority of people who have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. Education exists to teach our children about the world, not about whatever piece of guesswork people choose to cling to next. In places where your position on evolution actually matters, evolution is known to exist; schools do not exist to prepare our children for having largely meaningless conversations on internet forums.

 

[selfinflikted]

Evolution is neither theory nor fact. It is a process that happens constantly around the world. It's not something that is up for debate - we know it happens, because we've seen it multiple times, and even controlled it ourselves. To deny it is to admit ignorance. You might as well claim that gravity doesn't exist either.

The Theory of Evolution (note how it is called the "Theory of Evolution - it is a theory about how evolution works, not whether it exists or not) is a theory, but one that has is constantly being proven correct. It will never become a fact, because that isn't how facts work, but it is about as close to one as we've gotten. This is up for debate, because that's how progress is made. Evolution happens - the only debate is over how it happens.

Evolution is accepted in the same way that the roundness of the Earth is accepted. When people complain that schools are ignoring the debate, what they actually mean is that schools are not pandering to the minority of people who have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. Education exists to teach our children about the world, not about whatever piece of guesswork people choose to cling to next. In places where your position on evolution actually matters, evolution is known to exist; schools do not exist to prepare our children for having largely meaningless conversations on internet forums.

+1 Well said!