Should Evolution Be Taught In Public Schools?

[Vincent Vega]

In that case, it's argued that Adam and Eve would be our first fully human ancestors, which God then ensouled. This is what led to the fall, etc.

[geetarplayer]

Micro-evolution has observable data (finches on the Galapagos, etc) and is perfectly compatible with the Catholic faith. But Darwin's theory of macro-evolution, as I understand, does present some problems.

[missionseeker]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1642053' date='Aug 29 2008, 09:48 PM']The Origin of Species, itself an extraordinarily cogent argument for Darwinism was published in 1859, it is now 2008. Our entire scientific knowledge of biology, pharmaceuticals, and zoology is based on evolution. There is such a plethora of evidence that evolution is absolutely correct that is boggles the mind.
I suppose what stuns me is that, no offense, so many people could be so astonishingly ignorant. It’s not like are live in the backwoods of Vietnam, Americans have such an astonishing amount of information available to them, and they waste it.[/quote]

Machievelli's Prince has been around longer and I'm not so sure that one would be as anxious to say that what it contains is good and true- just because it has been around for a long time.
I also think that the entire scientific body of knowledge is NOT BASED on evolution, rather- evolution is based on the entire scientific body of knowledge...

Keep in mind that while there are plenty of evidences, there are also plenty of questions.

[quote name='geetarplayer' post='1644996' date='Sep 1 2008, 10:05 PM']Micro-evolution has observable data (finches on the Galapagos, etc) and is perfectly compatible with the Catholic faith. But Darwin's theory of macro-evolution, as I understand, does present some problems.[/quote]

But not necessarily to the faith. The thing about Darwin that presents a problem to the faith is the atheistic materialism. The idea that there is no spiritual aspect of life. That this is life IS all that there is. Darwin's philosophies and not his scientific theories are what cause the problems.

Evolution does not necessarily exclude creation/intelligent design. Neither does creationism exclude evolution. The point of Genesis is not to tell us meticulously HOW God created, but THAT God created AND that God created with a purpose, with intent.

The Hebrew word that is translated as "day" (i forget the word, I am sorry) is also translatable as "age". Besides that, God is outside of time - a thousand days are like a day to Him - In order for our hhuman minds to grasp the idea of God, we have to speak in terms of things that we know. Days. Now, this isn't to say that God did NOT create the world in a period of 6 24 hour days- He could have- but that we will not know. We do not know.

If you look at the theory of evolution- it coincides with biblical tellings of creation. First everything was in the sea, then land and so forth.

There is nothing wrong with the theory of evolution from the Church's perspective. AS LONG AS one keeps in mind that the point of science is not to disprove God- it is to explore His wonderful creation (and therefore lead us to find Him).

One of the "problems" with macro-evolution (and I am not a science major or anything so I could be wrong) is the fossil record. When certain types of animals begin to exist with seemingly no evolution.

That said: micro-evolution seems to be a plausible theory. Look at humans: we've grown taller and less broad and such.

There is no reason why evolution shouldn't be taught in schools. I've been to two throughly Catholic universities where it was taught.

[missionseeker]

Cardinal Newman: "the theory of Darwin, true or not, is not necessarily atheistic; on the contrary, it may simply be suggesting a larger idea of divine providence and skill"

[mommas_boy]

[quote name='missionseeker' post='1645076' date='Sep 2 2008, 12:05 AM']Cardinal Newman: "the theory of Darwin, true or not, is not necessarily atheistic; on the contrary, it may simply be suggesting a larger idea of divine providence and skill"[/quote]

Cardinal Newman rawks my sawks!

[missionseeker]

[quote name='mommas_boy' post='1645111' date='Sep 1 2008, 11:40 PM']Cardinal Newman rawks my sawks![/quote]

Oooh yeah.

[mommas_boy]

[quote name='missionseeker' post='1645121' date='Sep 2 2008, 12:46 AM']Oooh yeah.[/quote]

Cardinal Newman:

[img]http://bp3.blogger.com/_THUE-slvY88/R8XN_dzTFmI/AAAAAAAAAsY/knrTzs3TISc/s320/Kool-AidMan.jpg[/img]

[mommas_boy]

And I almost forgot ...

Archbishop Fulton Sheen gets a:

[img]http://i.xanga.com/TheUltimateTofu/quagmire.JPG[/img]

Giggity giggity!

Edited September 2, 2008 by mommas_boy

[missionseeker]

[Balthazor]

I do not think I am qualified reply to this, since I went tp public school......
But both were taught in my school, and it was barely touched on really, I also know about the flying spagetti monster.
I think it is important to at least hear different ideas.
I mean what good is faith if it is never challenged?
I understand the importance of portecting children and raising them with good values but it is also important to teach children HOW to think and not only WHAT to think.

[missionseeker]

"A belief in creation, and a rightly understood doctrine of evolution, do not stand in each other's way. Evolution presupposed careation; creation, seen in the light of evolution, appears as an event extended over time - as a creatio continuua, as a continuing creaton - in that God become visible, to they eye of faith, as the 'creator of heaven and earth'"

the Christian picture of the world is this: that the world in its details is the product of a long process of evolution but that at its most profound level it comes from the LOGos. Thus it carrues rationality within itself."


Cardinal Ratzinger, a.k.a., Da pope.

[Don John of Austria]

[quote name='MakeYouThink' post='1642032' date='Aug 29 2008, 10:40 PM']Yes, because people have a right to believe in anything they choose to believe in. As long as it doesn't interfere in the rights of a person to believe in something without ridicule.

Funny, an entire group of high school students having a book that shows where each part of a Biological text books assertions about Evolution might be wrong, and we're a minority! LOL![/quote]

You have the right to believe in something with out ridicule? No , no you don't, some ideas and beliefs are worthy only of ridicule and those who hold to them are as well.

That said as a science teacher I have never had any trouble teaching the theory of evolution... even in my years teaching in a Catholic school. One simply has to remember to teach evelution as what it is , a theory, which has a significant amout of evidence to support it but is not, (and can never be determined to be) a fact.

Sort of like how you have to teach the Big Bang theory.

[Resurrexi]

I would say that evolution with intelligent design should be taught in public schools (which, however, I do not think should exist, but that's another argument) and in Catholic schools creationism, intelligent design and evolution should all be taught, for, far from being contradictory, all three compliment each other.

I think it's silly that there's all this argument over evolution. Much worse is that in public schools people are being taught things like contraceptive methods.

Edited September 10, 2008 by StThomasMore

[mommas_boy]

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1651959' date='Sep 9 2008, 11:07 PM']creationism, intelligent design and evolution ... far from being contradictory, all three compliment each other.[/quote]

Agreed.

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1651959' date='Sep 9 2008, 11:07 PM']I think it's silly that there's all this argument over evolution. Much worse is that in public schools people are being taught things like contraceptive methods.[/quote]

Agreed.

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1651959' date='Sep 9 2008, 11:07 PM']I would say that evolution with intelligent design should be taught in public schools[/quote]

Cautious. I don't believe that intelligent design is science (but I do believe it to be true), and so I question whether it should be taught in the science classroom. On the other hand, I believe that it is important for education to be relevant, and since there is a big discussion on intelligent design in the American society, it makes sense to me that an unbiased presentation of it should be presented if only so that students are able to engage in intelligent conversation on the topic, whether they choose to agree or disagree. This is a delicate line to walk in the classroom, however.

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1651959' date='Sep 9 2008, 11:07 PM']public schools (which, however, I do not think should exist, but that's another argument)[/quote]

Vehemently disagreed, but, as you said, that's another argument.

[JustJ]

[quote name='princessgianna' post='1643118' date='Aug 31 2008, 01:02 AM']the only problem i have with evolution being taught is it is being taught as if it were a law and it is a THEORY!
There are several holes still like if we were at one point little dust particles flying in space where did those dust particules come from???
And If we did evolved from monkeys why do we still have monkeys???[/quote]
[url="http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-fact.html"]http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-fact.html[/url]