With regard to the importance of individuals receiving effective education in order to function well in society, curriculums of education, including those related to issues of religion, have been popular topics among people ever since the 20th century. In America, religious education is often provided in private schools and banned in public schools. However, teaching issues of religion in public schools is beneficial for students by helping them understand cultures and histories; gain inspiration from religious stories that can evoke realization of useful life principle. As long as teachers always put scientific truth in the first place, religion education should be implemented at public schools.
First of all, learning religion in a school
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In his book “Church and State”, James W. Fraser provides an overview of the history of the controversies related to religion and American public schools. He describes one of the most famous debates in teaching what may be against some religious beliefs in schools, the teaching of evolution with the Scopes Trial. In 1925, a biology teacher whose name is John T. Scopes was condemned in a trial in Dayton, Tennessee because he taught the evolution theory of Charles Darwin in his classes. At that time, according to the Tennessee law, and even in almost all states of America, teaching evolution theory was forbidden in public schools (Fraser 130). The issue of what teachers should choose to teach in public school when facing religious beliefs potentially being violated has been a heated debate not only in America but also in the rest of the world. Although teaching about religious issues and stories in religion is beneficial, it should not interfere with the education to increase students’ science literacy. Many theories that have been tested and proved by science could be regarded as “truths” that are backed up with strong evidence from scientists. When such scientific truth is contradicted with some of the religious beliefs, teachers need to choose the scientific truth to teach …show more content…
Ever since the last century, people holding such belief have been opposed to having evolution taught in public schools. However, religion is only a personal belief but not the absolute truth. Believing in anything, including religion, wholly can make people shy away from finding flaws in the current beliefs and limit them in accepting new ideas and gaining new knowledge. If people only stick to religious beliefs, it may even hinder the development of science. To be more specific, in 1200 to 1280, a period that was once known as the European anti science “Dark Age”, the religious fanatics would not allow autopsy and medical anatomy to happen. The idea of anti-anatomy is very fatuous since it once delayed the treatment of the plague, which made the population of Europe and the Middle East reduce greatly. 25 million people that suffered from the plague died between 1347 and 1352 (“The Black Death,” par.11). Similarly, the propagation of scientific truth in education, including the teaching of evolution theory, should not be hindered by religious concern. According to the Declaration of Human Rights, “We all have the right to an education…”, indicating that people have the right to access to education and such education should contain concepts that represent a universal truth well-supported through time and examples. The theory of evolution was
Robert Root-Bernstein and Donald L. McEachron, “Teaching Theories: The Evolution-Creation Controversy,” The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 44, No. 7 (Oct…1982). This article, written by Robert Root-Bernstein and Donald L. McEachron sheds light on the controversy of evolution vs creationism in schools and the validity of each being called a scientific theory. The work was created to answer the questions, “Which of these theories is truly scientific and which is a religious belief? Which should be taught in schools?” The article concluded in favor of evolution as a valid scientific theory that should be taught rather than creationism, but also mentioned the worth of understanding the latter.
In cases having to do with constitutionality, the issue of the separation of church and state arises with marked frequency. This battle, which has raged since the nation?s founding, touches the very heart of the United States public, and pits two of the country's most important influences of public opinion against one another. Although some material containing religious content has found its way into many of the nation's public schools, its inclusion stems from its contextual and historical importance, which is heavily supported by material evidence and documentation. It often results from a teacher?s own decision, rather than from a decision handed down from above by a higher power. The proposal of the Dover Area School District to include instruction of intelligent design in biology classes violates the United States Constitution by promoting an excessive religious presence in public schools.
The Scopes trial, writes Edward Larson, to most Americans embodies “the timeless debate over science and religion.” (265) Written by historians, judges, and playwrights, the history of the Scopes trial has caused Americans to perceive “the relationship between science and religion in . . . simple terms: either Darwin or the Bible was true.” (265) The road to the trial began when Tennessee passed the Butler Act in 1925 banning the teaching of evolution in secondary schools. It was only a matter of time before a young biology teacher, John T. Scopes, prompted by the ACLU tested the law. Spectators and newspapermen came from allover to witness whether science or religion would win the day. Yet below all the hype, the trial had a deeper meaning. In Summer for the Gods, Edward Larson argues that a more significant battle was waged between individual liberty and majoritarian democracy. Even though the rural fundamentalist majority legally banned teaching evolution in 1925, the rise of modernism, started long before the trial, raised a critical question for rural Americans: should they publicly impose their religious beliefs upon individuals who believed more and more in science.
In Inherit the Wind, a 1960s film adaptation directed by Stanley Kramer, the battle between religion and science was tested, portrayed through the Scopes Trial of 1925. In the trail, John Scopes, a high school science teacher, was accused and convicted of teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, curriculum that was forbidden by Tennessee state law. It is clear that a focal point of the film was the discussion of whether religion should be the driving force behind education, or if science and empirical study is a better alternative. This discussion is alive and well in 2017, crucial in a time where Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, is a known believer in theories of ‘intelligent design,’ a theory that suggests divine guidance in the
The teacher John Scopes was only teaching evolution in a relation to science evolution. The Scopes trial was the first occurrence of a teacher teaching evolution in their classroom. “The John Thomas Scopes trial checked the influence of Fundamentalism in Public Education ( John.)” The trial started because John Scopes broke the Butler law. “In 1925, the Tennessee legislature passed the Butler law which forbade the teaching of Darwin's theory of evolution in any public school or university(The Monkey
The concept of creationism has a strong religious history and very deep religious overtones, and the constitutionality of teaching the subject in a public school immediately was questioned. Called to preside over the resulting legal case was U.S. District Judge William Overton. Thu...
The Scopes Trial, which was also known as ‘The Monkey Trial’ or The State of Tennessee vs. Scopes, was a very popular legal dispute in court that was between the theory of evolution and creationism, and played a major role which shaped the 1920’s. What was just as popular was the interpretation of the case, if not more than the actual result of the dispute. This case received world-wide attention and the media coverage produced many different opinions world-wide. A major factor of why the Scopes trial had received so much attention in such an insignificant town was because of the stage the trial was played out on. The Butler Act is what made the Scopes trial possible. The Butler Act stated that it was prohibited for public schools in Tennessee from teaching evolution, or to go against the words of the Biblical story of creationism. The Act made it ‘unlawful for any teacher in in any of the Universities, Normals and all other public schools of the state which are supported in whole or in part by the public funds of the state, to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible and to teach instead that man has described from lower order of animals’.
In the United States, the average child goes through public funded schools that have a basic curriculum. According to the Texas Education Agency, some of the subjects include science, mathematics, social studies, English, and more. Nowhere in the subject is religion included. The basic curriculum is made in order to give students skills, knowledge, and to help develop the minds of the future. In science class, evolution is taught either briefly or detailed. It is taught because it is a popular theory that did not seem to choose a certain religion. So why believe that religion and science can be taught together? The evolution of Earth and the universe can be believed in any way an individual chooses.
Freedom of religion is a right that is granted to all citizens under the First Amendment of United States Constitution (U.S. Const. amend I). This gives individuals the freedom to express their religious views however they may please. Controversy arises when the topic of religion is brought up in schools. A great example scenario is when a student submits an assignment representing Jesus Christ when asked to come up with a paper and drawing of their hero. It is important to understand what rights students have when it comes to incorporating religion in their schoolwork. This paper will examine the legal issues regarding the grading and display of the assignment containing religious expression that is submitted by a student and how the First Amendment applies to classroom assignments in schools.
Since the time that teaching evolution in public schools was banned as heresy and taboo for contradicting the Bible, most public school systems today take an opposite approach in which creationism is seldom ta...
"God help, I'm so lost!" If you listen carefully, this is a common thought that is heard throughout many schools in the nation. Is this thought appropriate? The following statement clearly shows that the law allows students and adults to practice religion, but at the same time be respective of others and their beliefs even if they do believe or if they don't. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, or to petition the government for a redress of grievances." (First Amendment, The Constitution of the United States). Prayer is not normally permitted as a scheduled part of classroom activities, because it would result in the violation of the principle of church-state separation, which has been defined by court interpretations of the 1st Amendment to the U.S, Constitution. The separation principle is extended to Public school as an arm of the government, with an exception which can be permitted if, during the school year, a mixture of prayers, statements, etc are delivered, using material derived from a number of different religions and secular sources. So far, this has never been tried in a school or ruled upon by a court (Religion in Public).
In the uncertainty that the modern world is, there is one law that stays petrified in stone no matter what happens: “Things change with age.” No matter if it is in history, science, or even Pokémon, things change as time passes by and this process is called evolution. The theory formulated by Charles Darwin is the belief that all organisms have come from earliest creatures because of external factors (“NSTA…”). School boards everywhere have accepted the theory of Evolution as fact making it essential to be in the curriculums of science classrooms. However, over the years, controversy has arisen as the fact that is evolution is still only a theory with flaws and setbacks, efficiently making other theories (i.e. intelligent design) a viable alternate in the classroom. The law, on the other hand, had a different idea about these other theories with numerous bans them from schools, claiming them to be against the second amendment. Despite the bitter debate of rather or not it is valid and right for teaching (primarily alone) the theory of evolution lies as being the most reliable and accurate way to teach how the modern world came to be.
Scott points out that school districts have boards in place that have people who “...may or may not know much about the field of education” (Pg. 87-8). He goes on to say that these people, despite the state mandated curriculums that are supposed to be used to guide the districts, have the final say in what their educators can teach. There are parallels between the disorganization of our school system and the religious matters in that there are many sects of Christianity, from which most of the antievolution ideals stem. The Fundamentalist movement in the 20’s is one of the main culprits against evolution as it called for a strict interpretation of the Bible. This movement led to the push to eradicate the concept of evolution from the curriculum due to the fear that it will shake the faith of the youth. This push resulted in the Scopes trial which put the controversy in a new light. Despite the odds, Scopes won but even after that even less schools taught evolution. Much later on, schools began to teach concepts that were scientific alternatives to evolution as creationism was viewed as a religious view and was not allowed to be pushed
“If we ever forget that we are “One nation under God,” then we will be a nation gone under” -- Ronald Reagan (BrainyQuote). Ronald Reagan makes a great point. America was created as a place for religious freedom. Now that freedom is beginning to be stripped away from us. One of the biggest reasons is due to the argument concerning whether or not religion should be allowed in school. It is believed, by many, that allowing education and religion to coincide is going against the first amendment. This argument is one that dates back to the eighteen hundreds, and has yet to be resolved. It is an American citizen’s right to freely express and learn about religion wherever they please, including the public school system.
While students are attending public schools they should be aware of their religion options. The student should have the right to practice their religion as they please, just on the own time. Yes, religion plays a huge part in molding a person but, should be practiced when the time is available, not in a classroom setting. The government should have the ability to control the protection of the students that just want to learn. The capability to regulate the religious practices while attending public educational institutions should be left to the government. Faith, religion and belief, usually are three words that are used to describe one situation, although these words have three different meanings. To have faith in something or someone you must first believe in it and also accept it as well, but have a belief without evidence. Religion is a belief in a heavenly superhuman power or principle, such as the almighty or creator to all things. Everyone has faith and belief, but not all believers believe in the almighty. Allowing religion into public schools while everyone attending not having the same belief is unfair, unconstitutional and is complicated to teach to a verity of students.