School is place that should hold knowledge and opinions. As a part of the freedoms given in the constitution students must be able to express and believe in their own ideas without fear of judgement. The presence of evolution taught in school is undoubtedly necessary. It is the basis of all other science that we know, so there must be some general understanding of its ideologies in students. However, the public-school system has not allowed room for students to form their own opinions on the matter. There must be some method of teaching to allow evolution to teach basic scientific principles without diminishing student beliefs. With such a thing, there would provide more enriching curriculum as evolution can be discussed and open up the minds of young learners.

 Somehow the culture of today has become so one sided on many things. People view things from one perspective and there seems to be only one “right” or “truth.” However, there is nothing wrong with believing two truths or holding two beliefs. Americans are stubborn and they do not want any type of slant on their arguments that allow for weakness. But there is weakness in every argument including the ideas of evolution and creation. Why have we become so obsessed with looking and believing things one-sidedly? In many ways, this is what has caused this issue to arise in the first place. This stubbornness and arrogance has prevented the idea that some other idea may be right, and ultimately weakened the knowledge and minds of children. The question is not whether evolution is false or creation is. It is not about what is actually right, because regardless both opinions will remain in the world either way. The question is how can we allow the ideas to coexist. Stop arguing for one way of teaching when both views are present. A lot of the fear that comes from the idea that prevention of teaching other things is that it will inhibit a student’s understanding of evolution (“Creation – Evolution Controversy”). In no way do I agree with teaching other ideas in school, because of the separation between church and state, but this false belief has come about that twists the truth of human intellect. People, as described before, want their way and only that to be true. When it comes to knowledge they do not want people to believe in two theories, and that has warped into them believing one cannot comprehend two theories. These evolutionists want to shut down any idea of creationism because they believe the “nonsense” diminishes knowledge. However, studies prove otherwise that you can understand and comprehend both methods and no intelligence is diminished from believing in something different. These studies are in fact based on the ideas of evolution that they so tightly grip to. As shown in a study over a couple of years, students in AP Biology took the class and understood everything, specifically the evolution unit, while maintaining a religious background and faith (Levesque). In fact, some the students who believed in the creationist ways performed higher on tests of evolution knowledge than those who have no other conflicting views. 

Evolution is what holds all of the studies of sciences together, and without it many of us would be lost. There will never be a time where it is irrelevant to our lives today. Our schools must teach it to provide a precedent of scientific knowledge, but if there is no limit to a student’s understanding based on his beliefs then allow them to believe what they want. Spare them the disrespect of their values; they will understand what you say but do not have to believe it. Since when were we ever taught to believe what we hear without our own research, and intellect first. You can comprehend how ideas come about and how something works, but if it doesn’t apply to your own world views then do not let it consume you. Ponder the differences and move on. Speaking from personal experience, I have not only come to comprehend both, but I have also learned to believe both. I believe whole heartedly in the Bible and all that it says and then I use evolution to fill in the gaps. There is nothing wrong or inaccurate about such a thing. I am not going to limit myself to one system of belief as society has told us to, because if it is my belief I can fix it to be whatever I would like. The same applies to other students. They should have the opportunity to belief one or both or whatever they see fit.

Opening up the chance for people to believe in more than just one thing leads to a variety of greater learning experiences. If someone can be taught a topic of information and then be challenged with a statement like “some believe other ideas to be true,” that does not decrease their comprehension and intelligence. Beil describes what Texas added to their biology textbooks as a disclaimer to how evolution is not fact (Beil). However, evolution can be taught as fact and there is simply a need for a different type of disclaimer that supports there are other beliefs out there. Such a phrase would only challenge them to go out for themselves and see what they believe. If they are a die-hard evolutionist let them become a scientist, test the data, look at fossils. If they are a creationist let them read the Bible, seek out a greater understanding of how God made the world. And of course, if they are not sure what to believe allow them to seek out their own truth rather than forcing them on it. Its vastly more beneficial for someone to seek out and develop their own passion for their truth when discovered. Don’t we want students and people in general to have their own beliefs because they discovered it and they are enlightened by it, because they feel assurance from it. After all a belief has to be something that is actually believed not just agreed with or understood. Imagine people so woven into their beliefs, think of how they can feel purpose and worth from that. A purpose and understanding of the world around them that fuels their life helps them find where they belong in the world, what career they should have and how their life will be lived out. Starting with the idea of evolution this reasoning can reach out to far more areas than just that; students’ ideas of their own along with the ideas of the curriculum need to be challenged to create more depth in personal understanding and discovering of themselves and their personal ideas. 

This anticipated self-discovery will also begin to provide a broader view of religious and scientific concepts. Finding out for yourself where you belong in the spectrum of beliefs, or where you don’t belong rather, can encourage a fascination for how other ideas can come about and can give you a better perspective on the diversity that lies within the topic. As discussed in a Ted talk from Dan Dennet, some believe that all religion should be taught in schools to increase the scope of cultural and knowledgeable understanding. This could be done to improve the confinement that public school has created on religious beliefs. But the main idea that he takes away is the general need for the embracing of new ideas and varying beliefs within student bodies and how students can learn this through the lack of forced facts and through the integration with students of differing beliefs.

People must be well seasoned on both sides of the argument. As discussed, limiting beliefs cannot be tolerated and the limiting of knowledge has been happening for decades now, and it has gotten us nowhere in the field of celebrating and recognizing differences in opinions. In the 1960’s, Huxley traveled to America to examine the education system in America. As a well-researched and educated British woman, she brought about a new perspective and many enlightening thoughts in her journal to the US education system. At the time of her writing evolution and it’s ideas had been around for quite a few years now although it was not widely accepted there still stood a piece of the population that believed and supported its science. In American schools, there was no mention of evolution or the topics that follow behind it. Students were taught about creationism and there was an avid group of leaders in education that did not want to allow the teaching of evolution in schools to come about. In the journal, Huxley reflected on the importance introducing the topic to students as more and more people begin to believe it. She believed there was need for both in schools to allow pondering of beliefs and expansion of student knowledge. Refusing to add it to the curriculum, is intentionally withholding knowledge and limiting the mind and ideas of students (Huxley). In addition, it puts the mind of student beliefs in a box with certain parameters on what is accepted and what is allowed to be believed and what is not. After writing this piece Huxley hoped to gain awareness and ignite reform in the American public school’s curriculum. Over time the curriculum and the problem has been altered. Now rather than only holding up the ideas of creationism and rejecting evolution, the American public-school system has come full circle in now rejecting creationism and only upholding evolution. There is no need to teach creationism in school that is not the point. The separation of church and state supports that there needs to be a lack of teaching religious principles in school. However, there cannot remain this rejection of all things not evolution, it is not an end all be all. There are other beliefs that remain just as well supported. 

Somehow it always comes back to the stubbornness and arrogance of American citizens that believe it is one way or no way. They always hold on to only one truth on the matter and push it onto others as if it is their calling. The one sidedness that Huxley described in the 1960’s limited the knowledge and minds of students just like it is doing today. The point of school is to enlighten to learn and grow peoples understanding of principles that apply to them and others. If we limit what is accepted to be believed in the world of education we lose the abstract thinking that should be the goal. It is people who think out of the box that are our innovators, inventors and discoverers. Without them our world is boring, simple and lifeless. If we want future generations to thrive in their careers and lives through the understanding of the world around them allow them to explore their teachings. Teach them things like evolution with a disclaimer it will inspire them and lead them to greater success. If we are to learn from history, then we must learn from what Huxley accounted on in the past. Let us not waste our time on the same mistakes by confining the beliefs of adolescents that will govern the rest of their lives thereafter. 

People have their own opinions, we can not only confine their options of opinions in a box, we also cannot judge their opinions. It is a lie to think that doing so helps them grow better ideas, or intelligence. No opinion or belief is right or wrong, so there is no way to say that one is better than the other. Even if a disclaimer of beliefs is added to the teaching of evolution in schools, there is an anticipated fallback of respect towards it from science teachers. Proper policy has not been placed on teachers according to the way they act towards these varying beliefs and opinions of students. Although it has been mandated that students still have their freedoms in classrooms of speech and opinion, teachers while following protocol are able to make remarks that constantly belittle the opinions of others if they do not agree with evolution. This is because the policy that remains today with teachers allows them to advocate for evolution as discussed in Hermann’s book The American Biology Teacher (Hermann). The policy in itself is okay, it makes sense that people are allowed to support and stand up for what they believe in, just not at the expense of a students’ respect. I had heard it a countless number of times in classes. Teachers may disagree with other opinions but in no way, should they put down students for their differences. 

Science teachers particularly at fault for this, with a majority of scientist or science majors believing whole- heartedly in evolution they explicitly hate on the topic of creationism. Speaking from personal experience I have heard terrible things said by high school biology and anatomy teachers that without even thinking say things like, “the fricken Bible what a joke” or “some people don’t even believe in any of this” followed by laughs and judgmental stares. As a biology major I have been obsessed with the subject for years now and spent most high school lunches as an upper classman with my favorite bio teachers. And as a Christian I have heard things discussed that shook me to my core and really harmed my sense of acceptance in a place where my beliefs were so deeply discriminated against. They were not directed towards me personally but each time felt like a shot to the heart, and as an inferior who also respected and loved their teachers in their personality and knowledge of the subject I never spoke up even though I would have been the best to do so knowing my relationship with them. As someone who seeks to gain approval from my mentors, there was nothing I could ever do but I knew that in the process so many students were being turned away from their beliefs by the judgement of their teachers and mentors. 

This is not only about allowing students to have freedom in what they believe and knowledge about other ideas. The purpose of this lies in the need for respect. I know I was not the only one to go through that sort of self-doubt and feeling like I didn’t belong. Someone’s belief is something that someone is or should be passionate about, something that resonates throughout their being. To judge and make fun of a belief of all things is the worst thing one can do. Students deserve to feel safe and accepted in school, there are so many things organizations and even teachers do to allow this to be the case. But somehow this item has slipped out and is affecting kids in the way they feel at home and the way they believe the world to be stemming from the ideas of evolution verse creationism.

Students deserve respect, acceptance and the right to greater knowledge of things in school. The topic of evolution verses creation has been so fixed on which is right and which is wrong that people have forgotten how these beliefs can both be true, there doesn’t have to be this fight to what is right. It will never rest because there will always be someone supporting on both sides. In the midst of the argument we have forgotten about the generations of students and how they are developing their own beliefs on the matter. The American public-school system has pushed not only the essential knowledge that evolution holds, but also the belief that that can be the only belief. Through loop holes and cultural norms students’ beliefs are being diminished. There is no reason to force any belief especially in the sense that it does not disrupt a student’s understanding of the curriculum. Policies need to be fixed toward the safety of opinions of the students to allow them to find their own values and beliefs within themselves.
