Evolution in the School System Essay - 1664 Words

Evolution in the School System The debate over the teaching of evolution in schools has been an ongoing issue. It first came to the public’s attention in 1925 during the legendary trial Scopes v. State of Tennessee., also known as the Scope’s Monkey Trial. During that time, a young science teacher from Tennessee was on trial for teaching evolution in his classroom despite the state’s constitution stating that only creationism be taught. After much debate and deliberation, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of John Scopes, giving teachers throughout the state the freedom to openly teach evolution to their classroom (Farris 163). Much legislation has been passed since that trial, to either ban evolution, or further its†¦show more content†¦As a student at Bronx High School of Science in New York, Jerry Won is frustrated at the teaching of evolution alleging that â€Å"[teachers] teach evolution as fact† (Carnes 3) and â€Å"never teach the flaws [in the Darwinian theory].† (Carnes 3). Similarly, in a survey given to 23 high school students, only one subject felt that humans â€Å"gradually evolved into intelligent human beings† (Dunn). Indeed the evolution theory contains many fallacies. According to Doctor Duane Gish â€Å"the probability of a protein of only 50 amino acids forming by chance would be one to the 65th power† (Gish 23). This statistic would make the idea that life arose by chance an impossibility. Also, â€Å"the rate of destruction ...of amino acids by ultraviolet light or electrical discharges far exceeds their rate of formation† (Gish 23). This is like trying to construct a building with someone going behind the builder and knocking down all of the boards that have previously been put into place. Evidence of the false theory of evolution can also be seen in the data gathered from space. Recent scientific study has concluded that the moon is slowly pulling away from the earth at a very st eady rate. If the moon has been pulling away from the earth at a steady rate, it would have been so close to the earth at the dawn of time, that survival of almost anything would have been impossible due to the largeShow MoreRelatedEvolution over Creationism for the Public School System Essay1829 Words   |  8 Pagesgoing to Sunday school, and they’re telling them that God created them, and then they go to school and they’re being taught that man evolved from an ape† (White, Gary). The argument has taken the better part of a century, as to if creationism or evolution should be taught in public schools (Vedantam, Shankar); and no closer have we came to deciding which idea or more appropriately which theory should be taught to the youth of America. Roughly twenty to twenty-five percent of public school educators holdingRead MoreThe Scopes Trial And Its Effects On The American Education System1719 Words   |  7 PagesThe trial was a lawful case in 1925 in which a substitute high school teacher, John Scopes, was charged with violating Tennessee s Butler Act, which made it illegal to teach Darwinism in any state-financed school. This trial was a gathering between various polar opposites, for example, Fundamentalism and Modernism. The fundamentalism and modernism conversion during the Scopes Trial had an extreme impact on the American Education System. The Scopes trial was a trial over a misdemeanor offense by substituteRead MoreA Number Of Years About Evolution And Creationism1592 Words   |  7 PagesThe Gallup organization has asked three questions for a number of years about evolution and creationism. Question one: Do you think God created humans pretty much in our present form at one time within the last 10,000 years? Question two: Do you think we developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process, including our creation? The third question: Do you think we have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, and God had no partRead MoreCreationism vs. Evolutionism in Public Schools1538 Words   |  7 PagesCreationism vs. Evolution in Schools: 1st Affirmative Constructive Speech Creationism and Evolutionism by definition are very different topics. Currently, evolutionary naturalism is the most widely taught view of origins in America. In schools in the modern day, only evolutionism is taught and condoned. But before the 1920s, only creationism was taught, and evolution was forbidden. Then, on February 20, 2008, the Florida State Board of Education voted to revise the public school guidelines to requireRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution Or Intelligent Design1677 Words   |  7 Pagesseem to be shrouded in mystery, but in modern America two main theories have come to dominate as the explanation; either the theory of evolution or Intelligent Design. The theory of evolution was first published by Charles Darwin, a famous figure who is just as controversial in modern society as he was in his own time. He introduced the public to the theory of evolution in his book On the Origin of Species, where he proposed that new species evolve from older ones through Natura l Selection, or the processRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution Of Creationism977 Words   |  4 PagesThe theory of evolution is at odds with the views of many religions, and many people want to allow a religious view of creationism to be taught in the public school system. The foundation of evolution is based upon the belief that the origin of all ordered complex systems, including living creatures, can be explained by natural laws without the initiation or intervention of God. A person who believes in the biblical model of creation is viewed by some non- believers as a naive, narrow-minded religiousRead MoreEssay on Creation vs. Evolution in the Public Schools1342 Words   |  6 Pageswith 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, schools should present information about evolution and creation to students and promote a ‘self-deciding’ approach to learning rather than forcing studentsRead MoreCreation Versus Evolution in Schools770 Words   |  3 PagesCreation vs. Evolution: the School Front Despite great efforts to convince the opposing belief for centuries, 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 theRead MoreEdward Larsons Work Summer For The Gods1199 Words   |  5 PagesDarwin’s theory of evolution. Darwin s account of random variations, coupled with his survival-of-the-fittest selection process, posed a critical problem for many Christians who retained a teleological view of nature.† (Larson, 17) This threat to Christian spirituality sparked an anti-evolution movement in an attempt to revoke the teachings of evolution in public school systems. The Tennessee House of Representatives soon passed a statut e making it illegal for any public school official to teachRead MoreIntelligent Design: A Bona Fide Theory Essay1278 Words   |  6 Pagesthere is no tolerance for it to be taught in America’s public school education system (Discovery Institute, 2012, para. 2). Those against the idea of intelligent design (ID) being taught in schools argue that it would be unconstitutional, going against the separation of church and state, and ID should not be taught due to the significant amount of evidence supporting the theory of evolution. Those for ID being taught in public schools argue that intelligent design is a scientific theory employing