Evolution Creationism in Education Essay - 3937 Words

Evolution Creationism in Education The twentieth century has witnessed the escalation of the creation - evolution debate through famous court cases and Supreme Court decisions on the teaching of evolution in public schools, culminating most recently in a Kansas Board of Education decision. As this highly controversial issue of the teaching of evolution in American classrooms rages on, it may be difficult for some individuals of Christian faith to form an alternative belief other than the extremes of creationism and evolutionism. Before discussing this issue any further, when I refer to strict beliefs in creationism or evolution as extreme views I am not necessarily implying that they are wrong, but are simply two views on completely†¦show more content†¦Many Christians today would answer no to this question. Accepting the theory of evolution as a possible explanation of how we came into existence does not deny God as our Creator or that He remains at work today. Instead, it is entirely possible to believe tha t God used the process of evolution to create the human species. In addition, evolution should continue to be taught in public schools, even if this requires the presentation of dissenting views so that students may formulate their own beliefs. History of the 20th Century Creation - Evolution Debate The creation - evolution debate entered the education realm in the early 1920s when several states prohibited the teaching of evolution in the classroom. Stephen Jay Gould (1999) reports that this led to the famous 1925 Scopes monkey trial in Dayton, Tennessee, and the conviction of high school teacher John Scopes on the grounds of teaching evolution in a public school. An article on the world wide web entitled The Scopes monkey trial, says the trial pitted prosecuting attorney William Jennings Bryan against defense attorney Clarence Darrow on the issue of the constitutionality of a Tennessee law, the Butler Law, which specifically forbade the teaching of evolution in the state. Oklahoma, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Kentucky already had similar laws. David L. Marcus (1999) adds, however, that the Tennessee Supreme Court later overturned the ruling on a technicality.Show MoreRelatedCreationism And Evolution : Louisiana Education Act Essay1763 Words   |  8 PagesCreati onism Evolution: Louisiana Education Act In the United States, the theory of evolution and creationism has been strictly debated as far as which method if any should be taught in science classes across the globe. How was the earth created? Where did humans come from? These are questions that arise in most science classes. 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