Public education

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Public education or schools are those provided and regulated by governments.

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Creation-evolution in public education

Today, government-funded schools in Western societies teach that life originated in an indescribable biological ooze untold millions of years ago, that all life on the planet is related via macroevolution, and specifically that men and apes share a common ancestor. In America, these ideas directly contradict the religious and historical beliefs of 48% of the population who believe that God created humans in their present form [1]. Yet the general theory of evolution is taught as fact in schools funded by taxes taken from people who disagree with these views.

Since the 1950s, evolutionists have had a virtual monopoly in public education. This is in part due to legislation and Supreme Court rulings. While there are no laws prohibiting the teaching of creationism in schools, Webster v. New Lenox School District ruled that a school district can ban a teacher from teaching creationism. Furthermore, as noted in Edwards v. Aguillard and John E. Peloza v. Capistrano Unified School District (1994), “the Supreme Court has held unequivocally that while the belief in a divine creator of the universe is a religious belief, the scientific theory that higher forms of life evolved from lower forms is not.” Nevertheless, the majority of cases to date in the United States have revolved around efforts by creationists to prohibit the teaching of evolution (in the Scopes Trial and others), and to require that creation science must at least be taught alongside evolution in government schools. These efforts were halted by the Supreme Court's interpretation of the first amendment Establishment Clause in Edwards vs. Aguillard. But none of these cases prohibited teachers from teaching creationism or intelligent design in schools.[2]

Another contributing factor resulting in a monopoly by evolutionists in public schools is the high number of scientists who are atheists, and in particular those who advise US policy makers. Close to 60% of US scientists have professed disbelief in God according to survey spanning the last 100 years. [3] A 1998 survey of the members of the National Academy of Sciences found that "disbelief is greater than ever; almost total". Biologists in the NAS were found to possess the lowest rate of belief of all the science disciplines, with only 5.5% believing in God.[4] These number are perhaps most disturbing when it is considered that the NAS is a national government agency, which advises US policy makers about how science should be taught in public schools.[5] A booklet published by the NAS in 1999 (Science and Creationism) states unequivocally that creationism has no place in any science curriculum at any level.[6] As a result of such advise and empowerment by these greater scientists, elementary, high school, and university biology teachers and administrators teach an atheistic brand of science exclusively.

Historically, American creationists have sought to pass laws either banning evolution, requiring equal time for creation science, placing stickers in books disclaiming evolution, and requiring teachers to read one-minute statements mentioning the existence of intelligent design. None of these actions have been successful at breaking the aforementioned monopoly. As a result, a number of creationist organizations have questioned this tactic. Answers in Genesis, for instance, has said: "AiG is not a lobby group, and we oppose legislation for compulsion of creation teaching ... why would we want an atheist forced to teach creation and give a distorted view? But we would like legal protection for teachers who present scientific arguments against the sacred cow of evolution such as staged pictures of peppered moths and forged embryo diagrams ... [7]"

Doubtless if there were high school biology teachers in government schools willing and able to teach ID adequately and sympathetically, such legal protections would be appropriate. At the moment, however, in the absence of such teachers, some advocates of creationism continue to attempt to require government school biology teachers who do not understand or accept creationism to teach it against their will.

Anticreation in public schools

Main Article: Anticreation in public schools

Perhaps no place is anticreation sentiment more apparent than in the US public school system. Today Christian teachers are afraid of letting their faith be known and pray only in secret. Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union quickly move to sue any school district if it's reported that a teacher is introducing intelligent design concepts. Numerous examples have also been documented where educators were discriminated against simply because of their views about God, which never made it into the classroom.

This anticreation movement has been furthered by government agencies, such as the National Academy of Sciences, which has gone so far as to published booklets discouraging the teaching of creationism (See Science and Creationism) . Government policy is also in place to prevent those who believe in God from receiving teaching certificates[8].

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