Again, just asking for some equal "air time" in the classrooms. ALL theories should be taught otherwise it's academically dishonest to censor other theories just because secularists believe it's the only one that "makes sense."
If ALL theories, regardless as to whether they were actually
scientific theories, were taught equally in science classrooms people would graduate from high school at age 30. So you believe equal air time should be given to teaching the creation theories of the
Law of Manu about Brahman thinking the world into existence, or Boshongo who vomited the world into existence, or the African Fon mother-creator Mawu who created everything from the back of the rainbow serpent Aido Hwedo? They really aren't any stranger than the Genesis fable of God speaking the world into being; they are just less familiar. Creation myths are ubiquitous throughout humankind because humans have an innate curiosity to know the how, when, and why of life. Religion scholar Charles Long categorized the types of creation theories as creation from nothing (ex nihilo); creation from a preexisting, undifferentiated or chaotic state represented by primal elements or sometimes a primal object such as the cosmetic egg (chaos); creation from the union, division, sacrifice, or separation of parents (world parents); creation by way of a hole in the earth (emergence); and creation by means of diving into the depths of the primordial waters (earth-diver). Each classification has numerous distinctive creation theories that human civilizations have used to formulate their religious beliefs and ethos; organize their lives; and provide an explanation for how the world was created, why, what happens when they die, and what their purpose should be. It was common for creation theories to be treated as etiological and given credence by the scholars of their time. Their beliefs were as immutable, proud, and confident as some YECs are today. All you need to do is go to Greece, Italy, and Turkey to see the ruins of the majestic temples to understand how sacred and profound their creation theories were to them. The creation theory you are most likely to subscribe to is the one your parents and those in your community believe in. It's why Young Earth Creationism is prevalent in certain rural communities and virtually unheard of in others.
Many Christians view the Genesis creation story as a hallowed allegory, as having profound truths about human nature and God's, but not being a literal explanation of how the universe and life within it were created. There are parallelisms between it and the creation theories of other enduring religions that were or are dominant. Viewed in that light it's actually harmonious with the scientific facts that have been established. What's resonated to me the most about teachings of evolution is how universal it is; it doesn't belong to one religion, or one culture; it's the science of humankind. I first learned about it when I was seven from an exhibit at the Australia Museum in Sydney, and when we were back in the States I saw how it was aligned with what is taught at the Smithsonian. I've also gone to natural history museums in Shanghai, London, Madrid, Buenos Aires, New Zealand, and Russia and found remarkable consistency, whereas religious beliefs vary dramatically around the world.
