Should Schools be Required to Teach Evolution?

[serge546]

Varies by college, but in general:

English
Zoology
Botany
Chemistry (organic in depth and inorganic basic)
Physics (not in depth)
Biochemistry
Biophysics
Taxonomy and Phylogenetics
Evolution
Genetics
Reproductive Biology
Human and Comparative Anatomy
Cell Biology
Physiology
Ecology
Developmental Biology
Statistics
Basic Math
Basic Geology

Yup, that's pretty darn close to what I had to take. I, however, took all microbiology related classes I could instead of botany. I respect and appreciate plants but the things bore me to death :/

 

[rikerjoe]

I say we shame and scare our kids into believing evolution and force them to perform a ritual of being dunked in water in front of their peers as a sign of their rebirth as evolution believers.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Why?

It would satisfy the indoctrination aspect of the teaching.

 

[loktai]

Evolution should be taught in schools as part of a biology class. If people bring up creation, or ID in class the teachers should say 'neither of these are scientific theories and do not belong in the science clasroom, however the religious education classroom would be a perfect place to discuss these.' Or something similar.

Nothing wrong with teaching kids about the arguments for creation and ID in the correct class, but it should not be part of the science class.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Originally Posted by sandwiches

"I say we shame and scare our kids into believing evolution and force them to perform a ritual of being dunked in water in front of their peers as a sign of their rebirth as evolution believers."

Or better yet, dunk them in 'primordial soup'.
​

 

[Tomk80]

Originally Posted by sandwiches

I say we shame and scare our kids into believing evolution and force them to perform a ritual of being dunked in water in front of their peers as a sign of their rebirth as evolution believers.

Or better yet, dunk them in 'primordial soup'.
​

With or without the noodles?

 

[DaneaFL]

See that's the difference between creationists and secularists... As a secularist I'm all for teaching the Bible is school. As long as they don't teach it as literal history since we don't have evidence that it is. Also I believe they should teach creationism and ID as long as they also are taught it the proper class... not in science where only objectively verifiable knowledge should exist, but perhaps in a religious study class.

On the other hand, creationists wouldn't DREAM of allowing science to have an equal footing in the classroom if they had a say. They would completely remove most parts of biology, geology, paleontology, anthropology, medical science, and anything else that relies on evolutionary theories.

The truth has nothing to fear from investigation. A good idea will stand on it's own merits. What does that say about the creationist idea where they don't want any dissenting opinions to be heard?

 

[loktai]

With or without the noodles?

Definitely with, all the best soups have noodles

 

[driewerf]

I say we shame and scare our kids into believing evolution and force them to perform a ritual of being dunked in water in front of their peers as a sign of their rebirth as evolution believers.

Submit them rather to the atheist hair dryer.

Edwin Kagin profile on ABC's Nightline 07/16/2010 - YouTube

Atheist Debaptism Ceremony - YouTube

 

[OldWiseGuy]

On the other hand, creationists wouldn't DREAM of allowing science to have an equal footing in the classroom if they had a say. They would completely remove most parts of biology, geology, paleontology, anthropology, medical science, and anything else that relies on evolutionary theories.

Actually evolution isn't a requirement of those studies. A doctor doesn't have to consider the evolution of the body in order to treat it. He only needs to know how it functions now. Of course evolution is required if the subject is Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Geology, Evolutionary Paleontology, etc.

 

[DaneaFL]

Submit them rather to the atheist hair dryer.

Edwin Kagin profile on ABC's Nightline 07/16/2010 - YouTube

Atheist Debaptism Ceremony - YouTube

LOL wow... I can't believe I've never heard of this guy... That's awesome... Now I want to be de-baptized! I can't wait to get this nasty YMCA pool water off me that my pastor dunked me in.

 

[Elendur]

Actually evolution isn't a requirement of those studies. A doctor doesn't have to consider the evolution of the body in order to treat it. He only needs to know how it functions now. Of course evolution is required if the subject is Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Geology, Evolutionary Paleontology, etc.

Evolution of the body? What is that?

 

[Loudmouth]

A doctor doesn't have to consider the evolution of the body in order to treat it.

However, the treatments that the doctor is told to use is the product of research that did use the theory of evolution.

Just one example off the top of my head . . .

The human innate immune response is a vital part of understanding how humans react to pathogens. A huge piece of that puzzle are toll-like receptors, or TLR's. Where did that name come from? Toll proteins were first found in fruit flies as part of their innate immune system. They then compared the fruit fly genome to mammalian genomes and what did they find? Strongly conserved homologous proteins that lined up with fruit fly toll proteins leading to the name toll-like receptors or TLR's.

TLR's are also evolving in humans. Small changes in TLR's are being studied for possible links to disease and immune disorders. Some people are looking at drugs that interact with TLR's to help reduce immune responses that could lead to sepsis.

IOW, there is a lot of research going on behind the scenes that doctors never really see. All they see is the recommendation at the end. The people who need to understand evolution are the biologists.

 

[Loudmouth]

It would satisfy the indoctrination aspect of the teaching.

That isn't needed. All students need is to understand what scientists are proposing when they talk about the theory of evolution. No belief is needed.

 

[Jamin4422]

Actually evolution isn't a requirement of those studies. A doctor doesn't have to consider the evolution of the body in order to treat it. He only needs to know how it functions now. Of course evolution is required if the subject is Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Geology, Evolutionary Paleontology, etc.

You may want to look at the university and look at the medical school to see just what is requried to be a doctor. For example to get any sort of a science degree at all requires a class on Evolutionary Biology. The university here also requires these classes for a science degree: Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, Genetics, Ecology, Physiology, Microbiology, calculus, statistics, oceanography, astronomy, music light & sound physics.

Nurses receive training in patient care or how to talk to people. Doctors usually have to read and study that on their own.

 

[Loudmouth]

You may want to look at the university and look at the medical school to see just what is requried to be a doctor. For example to get any sort of a science degree at all requires a class on Evolutionary Biology.

Doctors are not required to have a biology degree before attending medical school, but it is highly recommended. It is entirely possible that some doctors make it to medical school without learning that much about evolution. Also, PhD's in biology probably do not respect an MD as much as the general public does. Medical doctors are looked down on by many "real" doctors (real = PhD).

The only analogy I can draw is a PhD is a mechanical engineer while an MD is a mechanic. Does that make sense?

 

[Naraoia]

I say we shame and scare our kids into believing evolution and force them to perform a ritual of being dunked in water in front of their peers as a sign of their rebirth as evolution believers.

I should sue you for my sarcasm burns

Or better yet, dunk them in 'primordial soup'.
​

Yuck.

Actually evolution isn't a requirement of those studies. A doctor doesn't have to consider the evolution of the body in order to treat it. He only needs to know how it functions now.

But the doctor better understand antibiotic resistance when treating bacterial infections. Really, the evolution of resistance is a potentially serious issue in any illness caused by agents with a genome. Viruses, bacteria, cancer...

Of course, the doctor can just take the user manual from the people who came up with the treatment and follow it because the smart people said it worked. I'd rather be treated by one who knew why they were doing what they're doing, though.

Of course evolution is required if the subject is Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Geology, Evolutionary Paleontology, etc.

To paraphrase a famous piece of physicists' arrogance, palaeontology without evolution is just stamp collecting.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I should sue you for my sarcasm burns

Yuck.

But the doctor better understand antibiotic resistance when treating bacterial infections. Really, the evolution of resistance is a potentially serious issue in any illness caused by agents with a genome. Viruses, bacteria, cancer...

Agreed, but only if you consider mutation and adaptation integral parts of evolution. I tend to view them as different phenomenon.

 

[Naraoia]

Agreed, but only if you consider mutation and adaptation integral parts of evolution. I tend to view them as different phenomenon.

By the definition of evolution, mutation is a mechanism and adaptation is an outcome of evolution. If you mean something that doesn't include either of these, use a different word or prepare to be misunderstood.

 

[Jamin4422]

However, the treatments that the doctor is told to use is the product of research that did use the theory of evolution.

Wonderful, what class on evolution is required to be a pharmacist or to do research on drugs? This is pretty much like saying that GM food is good for you. Lets all go and worship at the alter of Monsanto. IE invest your money here and they will pay you a very nice return. The Bible calls on people to repent of their: "pharmakeia". If you do not know, that is the Greek word we get Pharmacy from. Translated into English as sorcery, or witchcraft.


[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. [/FONT]Rev 7

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.[/FONT] Rev 18

But you can decide for yourself, I just give a balanced opinion and present the facts for you to examine.