E v C = Euro v USA

I was just wondering how many of your subscribers(?) are from the good old US of A?
Why is this even a debate?
How can this be a serious contention in schools?!
We Europeans (yes, sorry to sound all superior, but then most Americans assume we all want to be carbon copies of them so....) Anyway, why can't you just be happy with God and Evolution. Why is Evolution SO evil? Why is the belief in God SO irrational?
Think about how amazing the God that thought up evolution. Much more amazing than in the creationalists static view, "pow!, there it is folks...change?....no, can't do that I'm afraid....one off job yer see,...not a work in progress...."
Ironically, is not evolution proof that there is an amazing God?!
Sorry, but America is getting very weird for us more sane human beings (and I love the REAL America.) Lets hope some sanity finds its way in come November... We Christians aren't all like your current leader and his friends - stop giving us a bad name! and start using the wonderful thing in your head that was designed (over time) to think not to pput up the blind shutters.

There are sane minds in the US, don't worry. I, for one, don't judge the existence/non-existence of any diety by the accuracy of the Theory of Evolution. ToE is a theory based on an honest appraisal of the evidence. It seems that the only people using the theory of evolution to disprove the existence of God are fundamentalist christians and athiests. By hanging their faith on the inerrancy of Genesis, the fundies have set themselves up for a hard fall. For most, evolution will come into the mainstream the same way heliocentrism came into the mainstream. Most christians have already realized that Genesis is not a science book, but rather a book on christian and jewish theology. There may always be hold outs, after all there are still flat earthers out there.[This message has been edited by Loudmouth, 03-22-2004]

What were you saying about flat-earthers?

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The earth is flat.

Welcome to the forum!This is a subject of debate because people feel that evolution goes against God's word, as teaching schoolchildren about some other religion's version of the creation of the Earth would. They often don't know that there is evidence for evolution and that it is more than "Just a theory".As an American myself, I know firsthand how bad our school system is. Frankly, I'm not surprised that Biology teachers can't get the point across about evolution, and I feel that the quality of education in this country in other areas reflects similar problems. I was lucky enough to go to one of the best high schools in the country, but in other schools it is not uncommon for people to graduate without knowing how to read or write. Without basic critical thinking skills, I think that people resort to believing whatever they are told, and so we have the Creationism vs. Evolution debate.Also, as an agnostic, I don't see how evolution is proof of the existence or nonexistence of an amazing God, as you said. The Theory of Evolution is merely a culmination of information about the changes in life forms over billions of years. It doesn't involve God and it doesn't involve the creation of life - only life's changes. I cannot say whether or not God had a hand in evolution because there is no evidence one way or the other. God is untestable.

The reason that the creation vs evolution controversy is not so big in Europe, is because european countries tend to have elitists, or nanny governments, who decide for the people what to think. Usually they have a national education curriculum which is enforced by law. There is not much room for dissent from the common standard, which is currently evolution theory.regards,
Mohammad Nor Syamsu

Mmmm, strange that. I thought the teaching of creatinalism in SCIENCE class was the evidence of a govt, dictating to the people what science is. In humanities, religious studies etc... I think it has a valid place, but it ain't science. To say that we Europeans are told what to do by govt is hilarious. And this from a country with flags and anthems and alliegences in the class room! - Love of country is okay, but to teach little kids that they should love 'America' before they even understand the concepts and have a chance to decide for themselves is highly dubious. The same goes for creationalism in a sciecne classroom.

quote:

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Usually they have a national education curriculum which is enforced by law. There is not much room for dissent from the common standard, which is currently evolution theory.
  —Syamsu

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Public schools in the US also adhere to a stringent curriculum, decided state by state. Their sciences classes teach evolution because that is what science accepts as the best and most current theory for explaining species diversity. If the school system also taught creationism just because other people believed in it, we would also have to teach how the black man is intellectually inferior to white people, or that the earth is flat. The science classroom is not a public forum, it is what science has found regardless of religious implications.

I wonder if creationism is more brought into the public schools in Europe, and is thus more brought under general public scrutiny.Is creationisms success in the U.S., in part, because it is allowed/forced to fly below radar of general public awareness?I say that creationism can not stand up to truly broad scrutiny.Moose