The question as to whether or not creationism should be taught in public schools is a very emotional and complex question. It can be looked at from several different .
angles, its validity being one of them. Despite the lack of evidence to support the .
fundamentalist idea of creationism, that in itself is not enough to warrant its .
exclusion from the curriculum of public schools in the United States. The question is .
far more involved and complex. .
One way to address the question is whether or not creationism, in itself, is a valid .
idea to be taught in public schools. The answer to this can be yes. Not only should a .
student in American public schools learn and acquire knowledge in empirical .
sciences, and other tangible facts both in history and other courses, but he should .
also learn how to think and make decisions for themselves. Unfortunately, as it turns out, .
creationism is in direct conflict with the biological theory of evolution. Many .
fundamentalist propose that creationism should replace, or at least be offered as .
an alternative to Darwin's theory of evolution.
This is not the right approach. Creationism, as exemplified in the book of Genesis, .
should not be taught in a science course. Science runs on a certain set of rules and .
principles being: (1) it is guided by natural law, (2) it has to be explanatory by .
reference to natural law, (3) its conclusions lack finality and therefore may be .
altered or changed, (4) it is also testable against the empirical world, and finally (5) .
it is falsefiable. These characteristics define the laws, boundaries, and guidelines .
that science follows. In a science course, all knowledge conveyed is shown, or has .
been shown in the past, to exemplify a strict adherence to these qualities. .
Creationism, unfortunately in the eyes of Christian fundamentalist, does not .
exemplify any adherence whatsoever to these rules and guidelines of science. .
Therefore, it should not be included in the science curriculum in public schools, even .