Creationism — the idea that mankind was created by a divine super-being, a being most often considered the god of one of several Abrahamic religions@@http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/themes/religion/@@. Could this concept be coming to a public school near you?
The Indiana Senate Education Committee@@http://www.jconline.com/article/20120129/COLUMNISTS30/201290331/Bangert-evolution-misguided-choice-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE@@ approved a bill last week that would allow in-state public schools to teach creationism along with evolution in the science classroom. This bill is moving on to the full Indiana senate and hopefully to politicians with more common sense.
There is a plethora of reasons to keep creationism out of public schools. For one, it is not a theory in the scientific sense. Theories are backed by physical evidence, scientific data and peer review. Creationism has none of these.
As time goes on, the United States is seeing more sly bills attempting to sneak religion into every aspect of American law and life. In 1954, “under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance@@http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm@@. In 1956, “In God We Trust” was deemed the official U.S. motto@@http://www.gcveterans.com/US_Motto.html@@; the phrase is printed on all U.S. currency.
While these things might make the average American Hindu, Buddhist or atheist uncomfortable, they are easily forgettable — one is not forced to say the pledge, and one is not required to read currency.
But new bills are popping up daily that would force Abrahamic religion on those who would not otherwise have it. Last week, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives@@http://www.house.state.pa.us/@@ passed a measure that declared 2012 the “Year of the Bible.” The bill explicitly states “Whereas, The Bible, the word of God, has made a unique contribution in shaping the United States as a distinctive and blessed nation and people.”
Putting aside for now the staggering arrogance of this statement, this bill too is easily ignorable. It’s a grotesque display of entitlement and misplaced superiority, sure, but nonbelievers can still just turn the other cheek (if you can excuse the pun).
When religion begins to pervade itself into public schools, however, we have a problem.
“I don’t feel that creationism deserves any place in the public science classroom at all,” said Keaton Stagaman@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Keaton+Stagaman@@, evolution and ecology student and treasurer of the University’s Graduate Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Students group. “Science classes in public schools should be places where students are taught the fundamentals of the scientific method, along with the current best evidence that this method provides for how our universe, and everything in it, works.
“Requiring or insisting that creationism be given the same weight as evolution is just as ridiculous as insisting the same weight be given to the ideas that the Earth is the center of the universe and that it revolves around the Sun.”
Evolution deserves the title “theory” because physical and tested evidence support it. Evolution is a continually tested and studied concept that continues to be expanded upon by experts in the field. Evolution requires no “faith” because faith is blind acceptance, a notion that has zero weight in the scientific community.
“To be required to spend time on something like creationism, that does not have substantial physical evidence, would take away from valuable classroom time that could be better spent preparing kids for college science courses,” said Daniel Johnson, a human physiology and psychology major at the University@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Daniel+Johnson@@. Johnson served as a teaching assistant for chemistry last year. “Schools that teach creationism would ultimately put the students at a disadvantage.”
If creationism is taught, why not teach the origin stories behind Shintoism, Baha’i or Jainism@@spelling is correct@@? The simple fact that a majority of Americans identify as a follower of an Abrahamic faith should not allow for this faith to be pushed on everyone else. This new Indiana bill would let each district decide whether to add creationism to the curriculum, but no one should have the authority to subject the children of others to religious beliefs as though it were fact.
Religions belong in churches, private homes and philosophical debates — not in science classes.