I have always been a science-centered girl. Science and math, no matter how hard, always kept my attention and interest. The science of evolution has always aroused my mind, as the part of biology that sparks my interest most is genetics and the findings of Darwin. All throughout learning the basics up to my AP biology class, I believed evolution to be a fact. This is because it was taught as factual, and I saw no evidence against it. My teachers always seemed well informed and because they were the “all-knowers” of the field I loved, I idolized them and believed every word that they spoke. However, I have also always gone to church, my grandparents are all very religious people and believe most of what the bible has to offer. I have …show more content…
As soon as I found time, I got reading, exploring the arguments for and against evolution that Bill Nye, my childhood idol was seeing. As each chapter passed I grew more skeptical as to what was correct; I thought evolution was a factual science? I soon asked my mom what she believed about the controversy and got an answer that made perfect sense to me, but that I had never heard before. She said that she “sees the bible as a guide to life and how the earth was made, that evolution is a valid science, but God guided it and altered it as necessary.” This was when I knew that I wanted to explore the debate further, and the assignment of this paper, is the perfect opportunity. The largest controversy that I have found while exploring the issue of creation versus evolution is what should or should not be taught to children hearing about either side for the first time. On one hand, “Personal faith is the basic element in… mental health,” and creationists believe that teaching evolution, the scientific alternative, can interfere with their beliefs, thus producing a detrimental effect on mental health. (Howell 13). However, the sciences of genetics and inheritance have been backed up with evidence, tested heavily and shown as factual (______). In The Great Non-Problem of Evolution vs. Creationism, the author states that evolution is
I. Acceptance of Creation is growing in spite of overwhelming evidence proving Evolution There is no easy resolution for whats true and evolution or creationism. It is a complex topic with profound scientific, religious, educational, and criticism. How can a student or parent come to grips with this issue? Evolution vs. Creationism provides a badly needed, comprehensive, and balanced introduction to the many facets of the current debates about what should be taught in a classroom or in reality itself. Evolution relies on scientific facts while creationism clings on biblical beliefs. But the legal and
The riddle of the origin of man has been subject to many ponderings and theories for thousands of years. In America, two theories concerning this timeless question have driven a spike through the general populace. These two beliefs, Evolution and Christianity, have driven a riff through the American populace and fueled several debates and conflicts over which is the truer theory. Incidents such as the decision of the Kansas school board to ban schools from including the Evolution Theory from their curriculum are becoming a tragically frequent and threaten to escalate if not checked soon. However, there is a growing belief in America today in the possibility of believing that evolution is an inescapable fact while still
Through the 1920s, conflicts regarding the teachings of religious values versus Evolution, along with the increasing fight for women’s independence, caused a great deal of tension within America. Prior to the ‘20s schools taught the Bible and Christianity’s principles were stressed. It was in 1925 when Clarence Darrow defended John Scopes, a biology teacher, who was put on trial in the court for teaching the theory of Evolution (Doc C). This document illustrates the dialogue of
My major of interest is pre-nursing. I aspire to be an Obstetrician Gynecologist, upon completing undergraduate school. I am aware that over the long course of several hundred years humans have developed and evolved in various ways, I am interested in the role that evolution has played in living organisms. I chose my topic because I am interested in how evolution has been perceived by scientist and how it still remains as only a theory. The knowledge and understanding I will gain from reviewing this topic will be beneficial to my studies and future career choice. My paper will primarily focus on gaining the answer to the questions: How was the earth formed? Why does Evolution seem to be the most logical? How can you prove creation or evolution? Those few questions have mystified humans, especially biological scientist for eternities. There are two main theories that explain how the earth was created. These are the theories of evolution and creation. Evolution and creation are seen from two opposing viewpoints. The theory of creation has been separated into different groups. There are many various beliefs behind the creation theory but, individuals who are religious and believe in divine beings seem to accept the biblical creationist as one of most accepted forms of the creation theory. Biblical creationists
The debate over teaching evolution in public schools is not new at all but the debate has been elevated through the media over the past few years. Conservative Christians and other conservatives serving on school boards (particularly in the South) have been insisting that if schools are going to buy textbooks that have evolution chapters then they should also have a place in that textbook near the evolution chapter for creationism. Progressives and scholars that understand the scientific basis for evolution argue that there's nothing wrong with putting creationism or "intelligent design" in textbooks but that subject is not science-based and therefore should be published in the "religion" chapter (if there is one). Should evolution be taught in public schools? The answer is yes, most certainly; to ignore evolution is to deprive public school students of some of the most important knowledge relating to our planet and our society. Scientific ignorance is unacceptable in a country that calls itself the "greatest nation on earth."
I have always love science since a young age. During high school I began experimenting with all the different science classes that the school had to offer. Out of all of those classes I found the one that brought incredible amount of fascination. That class was Botany where I had studied plants and learned their functions. I learned about how they grow from a seed to how they reproduce. Even with that class I have always found that plants bring a certain amount of curiosity. I had dreamt many ways to the perfect yard with all sorts of plant species. The yard would be overflowing with plants. Also the house would have so many plants inside that it would be a jungle. The courses required for botany are very heavy with science. I know that I will be taking fifteen different science classes. I looked forward to the challenges that each class will bring. During the time in my freshman year I would like to know what reading and writing I will need for botany.
The late Stephen Jay Gould, a noted paleontologist who once described himself as an “agnostic leaning towards atheism,” wrote the classic treatise Evolution as Fact and Theory for Discover magazine back in 1981. His distinguished career and scientific achievements did earn him respect amongst his peers, but to the general public he is best known for his popular science writings and, to smaller circles, as a champion of evolution. As his treatise was written for a non-academic, science themed magazine, a basic understanding of science, and specifically evolutionary mechanics, was assumed of his audience. The treatise itself is on the often overlapping distinction between “theory” and “fact”; two words, he asserts, that creationists
With the rise of modern science over the centuries came a vigorous attack on Christian theology; most universally recognized is Darwin’s theory of evolution. Although it has been taught throughout schools across the country since the 1960’s, recent legislature entitled “academic freedom” bills has encouraged skepticism of Darwin’s theory due to the inherent contradictions of it. Still, some people challenge Christianity on the basis of a lack of evidence, yet they’ll turn to theories of evolution which lack empirical support without enquiry.
Darwin’s theories and discoveries caused much controversy to the world and still does today. These controversies occur more in
However, to truly grasp the essence of the controversy, one must understand the terminology of what school boards consensus as guiding definitions for science, the theory of evolution, and intelligent design. The common generalization shared by most Americans about science is that it’s a systematic and logical approach to discovering how things work in the natural world. This is correct, however, it is worth mentioning that this is based on fact – not on opinion or preference – and all research is held accountable to the scientific method; a rigorous process that begins with a hypothesis (an educated guess), followed by the formulation of an experiment to test the relationship of the variables in question, and ultimately an analysis, conclusion and critique of what the results yield. Darwin’s theory of evolution describes the biological processes of the
The objection to evolutionary theory and it's teaching began well over 100 years ago. Charles Darwin proposed in 1859 that populations of organisms underwent evolution through a process known as natural selection. Three years prior to the publication of this theory, in 1856, he wrote of "creationists" in a personal correspondence (Darwin, 1856). The notion that scientific theory conflicts with and rejects religious dogma has been a persistent, pervasive one. Religious organizations continue to push for the acceptance of creationism or intelligent design in school today. Despite the numerous legal cases brought to forth to force the teaching of creationism in public schools, we of the school board maintain that creationism has no place within our schools.
Despite great efforts to convince the opposing side, a battle still brews amongst creationists and evolutionists over the beginning of life and the universe, but neither opinions’ palpability can be firmly upheld through scientific manners. Since science can only prove hypotheses that are testable and based on current observations, neither creation nor evolutionary concepts can be proven with irrefutable evidence. However, regardless of the inability to prove either concept, most public school systems promote evolution as a scientific fact. Many students who lack firm beliefs about the origin of life believe what they are taught without giving any personal thought to the matter. Instead of robotically absorbing biased information,
Teaching Creationism or Intelligent Design to our youth can be done in a way that is neither opinion based nor completely fact based, but may hold some risk of personal interpretation. The first thing needed to be considered is how can children of the middle school age range grasp such a deep subject and have the capacity to reach their own conclusion. Information found regarding the development of children in this developmental range was found in the book titled "Characteristics of Middle Grade Students,” Caught in the Middle by the Sacramento Department of Education. It was found that students of this age hold a variety of learning attributes that support the belief that children can handle both sides of this controversial issue. Some
Public schools are a place to learn proven facts and some very well—known and accepted theories. These schools have been led this way for a long time and show no signs of changing. Many states around the country have rejected the teaching of creationism in public schools, since the subject is so controversial among teachers and parents. In Ohio, a bill to develop new science content standards was not successfully passed. Many creationists were upset when they discovered that the first drafts of the standards were filled with evolutionary content, without any allowance for alternative explanations of life’s origins. In the uproar, the state board held a special meeting to investigate the process that the writing team and advisory committee used to draft the science standards (Matthews, Answering Genesis). This is why learning the facts about evolution should be taught at school. By doing this, there would be much less confrontation between teachers, students, and parents. If one has the desire to learn about creationism or any other beliefs of how the world came to be, one should learn it at a place outside of school, such as church or at home.
Being raised as an Evangelical Free Christian, evolution was considered somewhat of a dirty word. This being said, I knew that there were parts of evolution that were undeniably true. I also thought that science usually pointed towards evidence of there being a God.