A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution

1« Previous thread | Next thread »
- gonzo
- Capitalist
- Member
- offline
A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
OP - November 07, 2008, 01:04 PM

I'm sure this will delight Os.

Quote
Nearly a third of teachers believe that the theories of creationism and intelligent design should be given the same status as evolution in the classroom, according to a survey. However, 50 per cent disagreed.

Of the 1,200 questioned, 53 per cent thought that creationism should not be taught in science lessons, while 29 per cent thought it should. However, 88 per cent agreed that if pupils raised the issue in a science lesson, they should be allowed to discuss it.

Creationism is based on a literal interpretation of scripture as an explanation for the origins of life. Intelligent design is a more modern version which says that life is so complex it cannot be explained solely by evolution. National curriculum guidelines state that creationism has no place in science lessons. The Rev Professor Michael Reiss, a biologist and Royal Society director of education, provoked a furore last year by calling for creationism to be treated in science lessons as a legitimate “world-view”.

Professor Reiss, who estimates that around ten per cent of British schoolchildren come from families with creationist beliefs, later stepped down.

The poll, commissioned by the broadcaster Teachers' TV, found that 50 per cent of teachers agreed with Professor Reiss's view that excluding alternative explanations to evolution is counter-productive, and could alienate pupils from science.

Source: The Times

I think they should be allowed to teach creationism as science on the condition that we can preach evolution as gospel.

Regards,
Gonzo

"The spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum. Whenever evil wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic principles" - Ayn Rand
- Baal
- Arab Slave Overlord
- Pub Regular
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #1 - November 07, 2008, 02:41 PM

If they really want to teach creationism, fine, so be it. However we have to teach ALL creationisms. Every possible creationist idea that came along. Hindu, Judeo-Christian, Buddhist, Papuaa Niu Guinia (they have 800 languages so you can imagine how many creationist idea they have), zorastrian, pharaonic, greek, roman, etc.. etc..

"Ask the slave girl; she will tell you the truth.' So the Apostle called Burayra to ask her. Ali got up and gave her a violent beating first, saying, 'Tell the Apostle the truth.'"
- Cheetah
- Global Moderator
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolut
Reply #2 - November 07, 2008, 03:46 PM

A third of UK teachers should be sacked then. Creationism in the biology class, ffs. Lets teach astrology in the physics class and numerology in the maths class. Idiots.

"Befriend them not, Oh murtads, and give them neither parrot nor bunny." - happymurtad's advice on trolls.
- awais
- Ex-Muslim
- mulhid taqwa
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolut
Reply #3 - November 07, 2008, 04:09 PM

Quote from: Cheetah on November 07, 2008, 03:46 PM
A third of UK teachers should be sacked then. Creationism in the biology class, ffs. Lets teach astrology in the physics class and numerology in the maths class. Idiots.

That sounds like a curriculum based off of Harry Potter.

I chose to get circumcised at 17, don't tell me I never believed.
- BerberElla
- Class A'sexual
- Creator Goddess
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #4 - November 07, 2008, 08:48 PM

I don't mind if creationism is taught as long as it is taught in perspective. I learnt about greek myths, and celtic myths, why not add some creo craziness to the mix?

Inhale the good shit, exhale the bullshit.
- Cheetah
- Global Moderator
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolut
Reply #5 - November 07, 2008, 09:16 PM

I wouldn't mind if they'd stick to teaching it in the Crazy Myth class, (aka Religious Education), its the way they keep trying to get it onto the biology curriculum which annoys me.

"Befriend them not, Oh murtads, and give them neither parrot nor bunny." - happymurtad's advice on trolls.
- osmanthus
- Cave dwelling
- Pub Regular
- Fingerer of piglets
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #6 - November 07, 2008, 10:27 PM

Yep. It isn't science so therefore it doesn't belong in science classes. You might as well insist on teaching every theory which has been proven to be false. That isn't the point of science classes.

The theories that have been proven false are no longer discussed in scientific circles, except as historical curiosities. Creationism is a historical curiosity and nothing more.

Oh and this:

Quote
The poll, commissioned by the broadcaster Teachers' TV, found that 50 per cent of teachers agreed with Professor Reiss's view that excluding alternative explanations to evolution is counter-productive, and could alienate pupils from science.

..is dribbling nonsense. What they are saying is that teaching pupils science may alienate them from science, therefore they must be taught things which are not science. Idiots.

Devious, treacherous, murderous, neanderthal, sub-human of the West.
- gonzo
- Capitalist
- Member
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #7 - November 07, 2008, 10:35 PM

Knew you would love it. I have no problem if creationism is taught in a lesson covering the history of evolutionary theory, as an early belief, much like the crumpled earth theory is covered in Geology. But to give it equal credit as a scientific theory is pure horseshit and sounds more like PC pandering to avoid hurting somebodies feelings.

Regards,
Gonzo

"The spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum. Whenever evil wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic principles" - Ayn Rand
- Baal
- Arab Slave Overlord
- Pub Regular
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #8 - November 07, 2008, 10:47 PM

Of course, teaching it on par with evolution, signifies teaching it in a Science class, no?

"Ask the slave girl; she will tell you the truth.' So the Apostle called Burayra to ask her. Ali got up and gave her a violent beating first, saying, 'Tell the Apostle the truth.'"
- osmanthus
- Cave dwelling
- Pub Regular
- Fingerer of piglets
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #9 - November 07, 2008, 10:47 PM

Oh sure, if they want to teach the history of science then creationism, Neptunism, Lamarckism and the flat earth are all valid topics. No problem there.

Devious, treacherous, murderous, neanderthal, sub-human of the West.
- SmartAssmodeus
- Pub Regular
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolut
Reply #10 - November 07, 2008, 11:41 PM

Quote from: Cheetah on November 07, 2008, 03:46 PM
A third of UK teachers should be sacked then. Creationism in the biology class, ffs. Lets teach astrology in the physics class and numerology in the maths class. Idiots.

Check it out. Someone with good sense saying it like it is. I think Os might get a laugh out of it too.
- osmanthus
- Cave dwelling
- Pub Regular
- Fingerer of piglets
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #11 - November 07, 2008, 11:59 PM

Ten seconds of speech followed by nothing.

Devious, treacherous, murderous, neanderthal, sub-human of the West.
- SmartAssmodeus
- Pub Regular
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #12 - November 08, 2008, 12:21 AM

Quote from: osmanthus on November 07, 2008, 11:59 PM
Ten seconds of speech followed by nothing.

Are you trying to play it through Firefox? If so, just download the file and play it back. There's a note to that effect on the parent page.
- Phedippedes
- Member
- Je n'ai pas eu besoin de cette hypothèse.
- offline
Re: A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #13 - November 19, 2008, 09:04 AM

Quote from: Cheetah on November 07, 2008, 03:46 PM
A third of UK teachers should be sacked then. Creationism in the biology class, ffs. Lets teach astrology in the physics class and numerology in the maths class. Idiots.

I don't think that this means that 30% of the teachers actually are creationists or that 30% believe that creationism is a valid alternative to evolution (even though this could be true)...I think that many of them feel that allowing creationism to be taught is fair and balanced and will not alienate creationists kids from science. Apart from that we should remember that even amongst teachers a great number of them aren't well versed in science and that these questions (especially if the survey is done by creationists) are sometimes worded rather deceptively (the Discovery Institute and its colleagues are notorious offenders when it comes to tricking people into agreeing with them).

Having said that; I think it is bad education to mix anti-science with science. In primary and highschool biology / science classes science and scientific knowledge should be taught 'as is' (that is: to the best of our current understanding of science). We know that scientific knowledge is always tentative. Science is very good however at falsifying stuff. Basically we are more certain about the things that are hoed not true than we are about the things we hold to be true. Biblical and Quranic Creationism (just like Flat-Earthism) have been falsified through and through and therefore have just as much place in a science or biology class as the tooth fairy.

Everytime "science" (which is falsely called so), "discovers" something new, evolutionists have to go back and change some parts of one of their theories. Amazingly enough, no scientific discovery has ever caused Biblical creationists to have to change their stand.
- Quod Sum Eris
- King of the
- Pub Regular
- offline
A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #14 - August 10, 2013, 02:11 AM

No. Absolutely not. I don't mind religious education as it is learning about the different major world faiths, and I'm pleased that atheism is also on the way to being taught, but if I ever have children and they are taught this in school anywhere near a science class, I will take them to court for child abuse

`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
- dr_sloth
- Pub Regular
- Orthodox Atheist
- offline
A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #15 - August 10, 2013, 12:05 PM

they have to learn about it sooner or later.
If they are taught about creationism and why it fails (why it isn't scientific), that would be a good thing.

People who end up being sucked in to creationist bullshit do so because they are given the impression that Harun Yahya and his ilk know something that their teachers did not. Tackle it head on. Don't ignore it.
- Crunchy Cds
- Pub Regular
- The artist
- offline
A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #16 - August 10, 2013, 01:06 PM

I'm sure the classes on Evolution will be much longer and informative than creationism to begin with. So why bother. And Creationism is taught to suit whatever religion is most dominant in the classroom. At that point it becomes mythology and life origin stories, not science. I took that class and it was interesting, everything from Adam and Eve to, God spraying semen across the land to make humans grow out of the ground. (I think that's Hinduism) to God creating humans out of clay and putting them in an oven, the ones that were cooked too much came out black, the ones that weren't done enough came out too light, and the ones that were just right were middle brown tone. I think that creation story made more sense to me than Adam and Eve because it addresses the explanation of races. XD I think that story was from a Native American culture.

***~Church is where bad people go to hide~***
- dr_sloth
- Pub Regular
- Orthodox Atheist
- offline
A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #17 - August 10, 2013, 04:05 PM

comparing and contrasting evolution and creationism is a good way to learn what science is and isnt.
im sure this isnt what these silly teachers meant, but creationism has it's place in school
- Quod Sum Eris
- King of the
- Pub Regular
- offline
A Third of UK Teachers think Creationism should be taught on par with Evolution
Reply #18 - August 10, 2013, 06:22 PM

Actually I looked into it, seems the government has nipped this in the bud.

`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
1« Previous thread | Next thread »