Creationism in Public Education

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A hotly debated topic these past few years centers on the origin of life. Now more than ever, science and religion are butting heads trying to come up with a conclusion, and one that public schools would teach to their students. Alex Rainert, meanwhile, reasons that both “science and religion are engaged in the same project, to discover the origin of life” (141). In short, one could better describe the debate as a crusade between evolutionists and creationists. Both sides have their well-founded arguments, but when one looks at the decisions of the courts, clearly only one side may win the battle when deciding biology curriculum in schools. Despite the overwhelming number of people in favor of teaching creationism in public schools, it may be better to leave science classes free from matters of religious belief.

In 2004, Sharpes and Peramas report that “nearly two-thirds of all Americans surveyed favored teaching creationism together with evolution in schools,” according to a poll organized by CBS Broadcasting (qtd. in Costley and Killins). Thus, it seems as if the public has bought into the fair play argument proposed by creationists. After all, why not have a place to teach equally credible theories of the origin of life in schools? (Eldredge 634). Chet Raymo, a noted science professor of physics and astronomy at Stonehill College, rejects this notion, stating, “one might as well give equal billing to those who believe the Earth is flat” since creationism stands on little factual ground (156). At any rate, the U.S. Supreme Court illustrates that teaching creationism puts pressure on minorities to conform to the obviously favored religion when the power of the government backs up the theory (qtd. in Anti-Defamation League ...

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Eldredge, Niles. “Creationism Isn’t Science.” The Conscious Reader. 6th ed. Ed. D.

Anthony English and Eben Ludlow. Needham Heights: Simon & Schuster, 1995. 633-638. Print.

Hickman, Cleveland Pendleton. Integrated Principles of Zoology, sixth edition. St.

Louis: The C. V. Mosby Company, 1979. Print.

"Of Darwin, Dover and (un)intelligent design: scholar says the future of science—

and Church-State separation--are at stake in the creationism/evolution

conflict." Church & State 62.2 (2009): 10+. General OneFile. Web. 23 Feb.

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Rainert, Alex. “Creationism V. Evolutionism in America’s Public Schools.” Cooke 138-

41. Print.

Raymo, Chet. Skeptics and True Believers: The Exhilarating Connection Between

Science and Religion. Walker Publishing Company, Inc., 1998. Print.

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