Why do creationists want to force their views in public schools?
106520
Creationism was created to protect Fundamentalist's belief in the inerrancy of scripture.  As they see it, the Bible is inerrantly true and if any small part of the Bible, even one word, were to be proven false, then all of the rest of the Bible, including it's spiritual truths, would be called into question.   \n\nThis understanding of the Bible does not make sense to very many people.  Most everyone can see that the Bible is full of inconsistencies, contradictions, myth, and legend.  Further, hardly anyone believes that an error in the Bible's statement of fact casts doubt on its expression of spiritual truths.\n\nThe Fundamentalists and their ilk, the Evangelicals, are way out in la-la land on this.
698559
"Atheists want everyone to be atheists"\n\nThat's not entirely true.  Atheists are fine with people observing their faith.  What they DON'T want is for fairy tales to be taught in school, and illogical laws and bad legislation enacted for no reason other than "it's what Jesus would have wanted".
1094194
Because they are government schools.  The aim is to mold the children into good servents of their government and the prevailing social order, not free thinking individualists with tremendous intellectual curiosity and mental acuity.
669438
Good question:  What we have now is a variety of religions in the U.S. and everyone wants their religion in the schools.  It has created a problem and the Govt. has gone completely atheist.  (no God in the Govt.)  Anyway I think all christian children should go to Christian schools.  It cost me a bundle to do it with mine, and it was worth it.  The public school is not neutral, but really anti Christian and a hard place for a Christian.  Pray about going to a Christian school.  Maybe someone would sponsor you for that.  Pray about it.
276163
My friends in Europe find it outrageous that America would even consider banning evolution from the classroom or teaching creationism along side it.  As far as I know, very few Europeans believe in creationism and reject evolution.  And I'm fairly sure the phenonomon of asking it be taught as science is uniquely American, and is aptly called a psychosis.\n\nshiba: I didn't say anything about the government banning the teaching of evolution (although many states have made frightening leaps in that direction).  However, many creationists do advocate it (spend a few minutes looking around this site if you don't believe me), and the government is taking them seriously enough to pass laws mandating that students be told things like "evolution is a theory, not a fact," and "there are many gaps in the theory of evolution."\n\nWhen you ask that creationism be taught along side evolution you're not asking for equal rights you're asking that Christianity be given more voice than other religions.  Creationism is based in religion.  Evolution is a part of science.  Science is not a religion.  Religion is not taught in public schools.  Teaching creationism in schools infringes on my right not to be Christian (unless, of course, you're prepared to mandate the teaching of Muslim, Buddist, Hindu, Wiccan, and Satanist ideology as well).  Every relgion has its own creation story.  To teach only the Christian one is not giving Chrisitanity equality, it's giving it exclusive favoritism.\n\nThere is no reason under the sun why the Christian story of creation should be taught in a science classroom.  But if it were, you would have to teach EVERY story of creation.  There is no more evidence to support the Christian creation story than there is to support the theory that the universe was created by the Flying Spaghetti Monster.  And don't bother to quote the bible at me, that does not constitute scientific evidence.\n\nYou actually don't have the right to force every child in the country to listen to your religion in science class.  Sorry, but that's not a reasonable request.  You're not fighting for equality, you're fighting for government-sanctioned superiority.
476036
well since the govenment likes to keep the separation of church and state in our faces and creationism is relgious I think you need to look at who is paying for the education...If you want creationism go to a religous school otherwise, teach accepted science and math and english in america and keep the self actualization out of the public schools.
1473
There's no reason that all three shouldn't be taught.  However, creationism and intelligent design should certainly not be taught in a science class because they're not scientific at all.  It's not a question of "making up minds," it's a question of science class.\n\nItelligent design and creationism should and could be taught by parents or at Sunday school or during a religious studies class at school.  They're not science, but there's nothing wrong with that.  The fact that they're not science does NOT mean that they aren't true.
996510
That is a very interesting insight.....however i dont think evolution should be taught in sunday school, everything has a time and space. In school, I think there should be taught both things, that way the person has a right to choose whatever view they desire.
56051
Because of Charles Darwin and his theories on evolution. Personally, I feel that if they can teach Darwin's theory they should be able to teach biblical theory of creation as well.
376023
I think the Catholic Church doesn't like divorce but never asked America to ban divorce.\n\nI think this should be the model.  Government exists to protect people's different religions. \n\nWhen someone says I am going to consider my religious believes when they run for something, I am all for it.\nIts not a violation.\n\nWhen a person wants creationism taught in a science class in a public school, this is I think a violation of church and state, and recent court cases seem to think it unconstititional to teach creationism in science class.\n\nI think Jesus and creationism should be taught in something called comparative religion, maybe it should only be an elective, but we need to be able to present the option for people to learn to become culturally literate if they desire.\n\nThats just how I feel.
288021
yes.  not teaching evolution in the public schools would accomplish nothing except denying our youth a decent background in science and damaging our country's scientific standing in the world.  despite what a lot of people would like to think, science is not a matter of opinion, and evolution has a very strong scientific basis.  Ignoring facts do not change them, it only harms the person who ignores them.
44859
The idea of fundamentalism arose around this time. One aspect it regarded was the teaching of evolution in schools. One teacher was put on a trial, and it was actually quite famous, for teaching about evolution. It supposedly went against the teachings of Christianity and creationism.
198144
The only evil I see is from those who want to force their beliefs on everyone else.\n\nWhat do you mean by "let him in our schools?" What are you referring to?\n\nPrayer in school? Intelligent Design? The pledge?\n\nIf you're referring to prayer in school, I recommend checking out this site: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/church-state/prayer.html\n\nIf you're referring to ID, I recommend checking out this site: http://www.talkdesign.org\n\nAnd if you're referring to the pledge...\n\npledge: A solemn binding promise to do, give, or refrain from doing something. (http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/pledge)\n\n...well, I just can't see how one would want to force young and impressionable children to "pledge" themselves to anything, let alone under a god they or their parents might not even believe in.\n\nTheists often think that just because they're the majority, they're the only ones who matter. They're wrong.
107023
Rev. Mummert is the pastor at Brethren in Christ church just outside East Berlin who supports Intelligent Design.\n\nHe has enjoyed some media attention this past year with the Dover School Board case.   Among his quotes is the above one which he said last March.  It is the same idea he promoted in an interview last Dec when a judge ruled against having ID taught in science classes.\n\nMummert said he doesn't want to convey the idea that he is against education. Rather, he said, "the push for secularism is coming from the educated segment of our culture."  .... Those who are better educated often develop more confidence in their intellect and grow to rely less on God, he said. \n\nMummert certainly does not speak for all pastors.  On Feb, 12th, Darwin's Birthday over 400 pastors across the country preached on the compatibility of the bible, evolution and science. Over 10,000 had signed a petition indicating the same thing.
706011
Creationism is not "against" modern science! In fact, the Biblical mandate to "subdue" the earth (Genesis 1:28) requires us to understand it, which is what science is all about. "Creation Science" is simply the practice of science with the assumption and acknowledgement that there is a creator God, versus the now standard operating assumption of naturalism (that nature is "all there is").\n\nNo one, including creation scientists, disputes that so-called "micro-evolution" (variation within a type of organism) caused by natural selection occurs and may be responsible for the large number of species found within a type. Almost all touted evidences for evolution are of this category (like Darwin's finches, the "peppered moth", or bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics). However, it is important to note that "micro-evolution" is a misnomer, as it implies that "a little" evolution is taking place. In actuality, NO evolution is taking place, as no increase in complexity (such as the development of a new organ) is being generated, but merely the emphasis of some already present traits over others.\n\nLarge scale change of one type of organism into another, so-called "macro-evolution", is beyond the ability of mutation coupled with natural selection to produce. Evolutionists acknowledge this is a "research issue". Even non-creation scientists (such as Denton and Behe) have written books giving the hard scientific facts that document why this is impossible.\n\nThe "geologic column", which is cited as physical evidence of evolution occurring in the past, is better explained as the result of a devastating global flood which happened about 5,000 years ago, as described in the Bible. Even evolutionists acknowledge that the fossil record is one of "fully-formed abrupt appearance" and "stasis" (that is, no change over time).\n\nThe belief that the atoms of a "Big Bang" eventually produced people ALL BY THEMSELVES (that is, without any intelligent guidance) is contrary to the well-proven Second Law of Thermodynamics, and the fundamentals of Information Theory. The universe is known to be "running down" yet evolution postulates it is "building up". Atoms to people evolution is much more a "religious belief" than a scientific fact.\n\nThere is no reason not to believe that God created our universe, earth, plants, animals, and people just as described in the book of Genesis!
55442
sharkgrl1991-Your my kind of fighter. ;)\n\nBut no. The dedication to hypocracy forbids public school from teaching opposing theories. If the school system wanted to be true, then it should STOP teaching evolution completely and leave it to the individual to search out our origins, rather than stuffing an incomplete theory down their throats.
1004385
The public school system is designed not to educate but to control and to produce a complacent non-individualist populace.  Read the book Dumbing Us Down (written by a teacher, no less).