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There are two questions here, one explicit and one implicit:

The first addresses whether the concept of creationism should be taught in public schools in some class.

The second concerns whether or not creationism should be taught in a science class.

The answer to either has NOTHING to do with the theory of evolution.

Let's address the second question first, because it's the easiest to answer.

Creationism absolutely should never be taught in a science class. The reason has nothing to do with the subject matter; it has to do with Creationism not being a scientific theory. In order for an idea to be science (and consequently, have a scientific theory constructed around it), it must follow certain rules: there must be experimentally verifiable assertions made, and the theory as a whole must be constructed using these (testable) assertions combined with the reproducible experimental data. That is, science consists of making an assertion that can be proven FALSE, and then making a sufficient amount of tests to either prove that assertion false, or increase the confidence that the assertion is true (as a scientific theory is based on a preponderance of evidence, and cannot be shown "true" in the same way a mathematical proof can be).

Creationism cannot produce these testable conditions. There is no test that can be run to show whether there is a God (or Intelligent Designer) or not - that is, Creationism is rooted in faith (a form of, by definition, baseless belief), which cannot be used in science. Thus, Creationism is a form of faith/religion, not a scientific theory, and cannot be taught in a science class. You can't teach Philosophy in Science class.

The first (explicit) interpretation of the question is more tricky, as it concerns the content of Creationism as a belief system. Creationism is inherently a Christian faith system; while it is possible to structure Creationism as some form of general monotheistic belief, the literature and supporting movements of the system are derived (and almost exclusively practiced) by those of a Christian faith.

As a form of religious faith, teaching such a subject in a public school - which has a duty as a government-sponsored institution not to promote one religion over others - can be tricky.

Legally speaking, it is possible to teach Creationism in a class where the context is sociology and/or philosophy, and where the discussion and study is not "accept this as true", but more "analyze what this says and why, and look at the roots of where it came from." It would NOT be possible to teach this in any way which endorsed Creationism as "truth" or which judged people according to their adherence to its tenants, because in both situations, it would be the school (aka government) promoting the views of a specific religion over those of others not of that religion.

Thus, it could be entirely appropriate to discuss Creationism in a Comparative Religions class, or Western Philosophy class, or even a Sociology class. It might even be possible to be taught to younger kids in a Social Studies class. That is, you could "teach" Creationism in the same way you would "teach" Shakespeare or Ayn Rand. The prime point is that Creationism cannot be presented as accepted fact, or as supported by fact.

Whether or not it would be beneficial to students that such a subject be taught is left up to your local community to decide.

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Q: Why shouldn't creationism be taught in public schools?
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How come creationism isn't taught in public schools?

Creationism IS taught in public schools. There are many forms of creationism taught in mythology classes. Creationism, itself, is explored in philosophy classes. Biblical creation is taught in English and literature classes. Musical interpretations of Genesis are taught in music classes. Creationism is not taught in science classes because it is not supported by any scientific evidence whatsoever. It makes no verifiable predictions. It also has no practical application.


How should evolution and creationism be taught in schools?

Evolution can be taught in public schools because it is a verifiable scientific fact based on evidence. Creationism cannot be taught (at least, not as fact) in schools in the United States because it is a religious doctrine, and the Constitution says that Church and State must remain independent from one another. One is of course free to teach about creationism, for instance in comparative religion courses.


Why should creationism not be taught in school?

There is no legitimate reason for not teaching aboutcreationism. To deny students knowledge of common religious beliefs is cencorship. Creationism should be taught in schools - or rather, schools should inform students about creationism, explaining that there exist various religious subcultures that hold their creation stories to be literal truth.


Should public schools teach creationism alongside evolution in science classes?

No. Teaching creationism alongside evolutionary theory would suggest that they are equivalent explanations. They are not. Evolutionary theory is a well-established scientific model; creationism is a religious myth, and should be taught as such.


Is creationism taught in public schools?

Yes. It is in Britian, but i don't know about America or anywhere else. == Not in the Dover Area School District in Pennsylvania it isn't. == If you meant Britain, no it's not taught in public schools. Evolution is. There are some private Christian schools in Britain that do teach the creationist view alongside evolution, but they are very much in the minority. == In the U.S., there is a Constitutional division between church and state. This prevents the teaching of creation ideas in public school because creation ideas are based in religion. This has set the stage for a public fight over the issue, the idea being that some Christians believe that creation ideas should get some "air time" in public schools. There are a number of other questions on WikiAnswers that deal with the issue. Answer Generally, creationism is not taught in public schools due to issues such as conflicts between different beliefs and religions.

Related questions

How come creationism isn't taught in public schools?

Creationism IS taught in public schools. There are many forms of creationism taught in mythology classes. Creationism, itself, is explored in philosophy classes. Biblical creation is taught in English and literature classes. Musical interpretations of Genesis are taught in music classes. Creationism is not taught in science classes because it is not supported by any scientific evidence whatsoever. It makes no verifiable predictions. It also has no practical application.


Is creationism taught in Ohio public schools?

Creationism is not taught in Ohio public schools as part of the science curriculum. It may be taught in a cultural or sociological classroom setting, depending on the teacher or school. Only evolution is taught as a scientific theory for the origin of life in biology/science classes.


Can creationism be thought in school in America?

Creationism can be taught in public schools in America after the Supreme court ruling of Stone v. Graham.


Is creationism taught in Idaho schools?

Not as subject, no. It is illegal to teach religion in public schools in the United States save for social and comparative studies.


Can evolution and creationism be taught in the classroom?

They can both be taught in classrooms. However creationism cannot be taught as if it were scientifically verifiable fact in public schools, as it is not science, and the US constitution prohibits federal or state funded (educational) institutions promoting religion. So if creationism is taught in public school, then it must be taught in comparative religion or philosophy classes, and not in biology classes.


How should evolution and creationism be taught in schools?

Evolution can be taught in public schools because it is a verifiable scientific fact based on evidence. Creationism cannot be taught (at least, not as fact) in schools in the United States because it is a religious doctrine, and the Constitution says that Church and State must remain independent from one another. One is of course free to teach about creationism, for instance in comparative religion courses.


Why should creationism not be taught in school?

There is no legitimate reason for not teaching aboutcreationism. To deny students knowledge of common religious beliefs is cencorship. Creationism should be taught in schools - or rather, schools should inform students about creationism, explaining that there exist various religious subcultures that hold their creation stories to be literal truth.


Should public schools teach creationism alongside evolution in science classes?

No. Teaching creationism alongside evolutionary theory would suggest that they are equivalent explanations. They are not. Evolutionary theory is a well-established scientific model; creationism is a religious myth, and should be taught as such.


When was creationism taught in public schools?

Biblical creation was taught as fact in United States public schools until the latter part of the nineteenth century, because it was simply assumed that the Bible explained what really happened. From the late nineteenth century until the 1920s, the Theory of Evolution was accepted in the United States more or less without comment, and slowly began to be taught in schools. Then, in the early 1920s, a number of southern state legislatures began to pass legislation banning the teaching of evolution in public schools. It was the Tennessee law that was challenged in the infamous Scopes Trial of 1921, leading to creationism being withdrawn from public school science curriculums.The teaching of creationism having been found to be unconstitutional, attempts were then made over the following decades to have creationism taught alongside evolution, to rebadge creationism as 'science' in order to satisfy constitutional requirements, and to place stickers in science textbooks, to undermine acceptance of evolution and draw attention to creationism. All these attempts appear to have failed.For more information on the creationism debate, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/theology/the-story-of-creation


If you want to write a christian persuasive Essay what would be a good one to write.?

You could write about same-sex marriages, prayer in public schools, creationism taught in schools, or gun control according to the Bible.


Does the creationism act violate the establishment clause of the first amendment?

Yes, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States of America in 1987 (Edwards vs. Aguillard), creationism cannot be taught in public schools as doing so would violate the US constitution.


Is creationism taught in public schools?

Yes. It is in Britian, but i don't know about America or anywhere else. == Not in the Dover Area School District in Pennsylvania it isn't. == If you meant Britain, no it's not taught in public schools. Evolution is. There are some private Christian schools in Britain that do teach the creationist view alongside evolution, but they are very much in the minority. == In the U.S., there is a Constitutional division between church and state. This prevents the teaching of creation ideas in public school because creation ideas are based in religion. This has set the stage for a public fight over the issue, the idea being that some Christians believe that creation ideas should get some "air time" in public schools. There are a number of other questions on WikiAnswers that deal with the issue. Answer Generally, creationism is not taught in public schools due to issues such as conflicts between different beliefs and religions.