In America’s current science classroom, the theory of evolution is taught as a solid fact with absolutely no alternative to how the universe was created. While this theory is supported greatly, it is not the only strongly supported theory out there. Creationism is another great theory, not only to mention but to teach in the classroom as well. However, some scientist and public figures have a few objections. So the question stands, should creationism be taught in American public schools, as a serious candidate for have the world came to be?

The theory of evolution and creationism are quite different from each other but offer up an explanation for the same thing. The theory of evolution claims that the world is 4.5 billion years old. It claims that there was a “big bang” that caused certain dead matter to become living organisms and bacteria. Then these organisms changed and grew over a long period of time. A classic example of this would be gorillas eventually turning into man. The theory goes onto say that only the strong survived and that is how the current world came to be. Since only the strong survived, different mutations were made to help the species survive which is where the varying forms of animals come from. For example, a big cat existed back in the Stone Age that adapted and changed for different weather and conditions so now there are panthers, lions, tigers, and pumas.

On the opposing end, creationism says the world is only about 6 thousand years old. It claims that an all-powerful being, also known as God, created each individual living thing unique. Every species was made to be just that specific species. So according to creationism the panthers, lions, tigers, and pumas were all made as individuals with no adaptations or drastic changes necessary. A puma has been and always will be a puma. With creationism there was no big bang or anything of that nature, just a creator or higher power. Things did adapt slightly over time, but no into a different specimen. A dog has always been a dog, but now with genetic breedings there are different types like poodles and german shepherds. 

In creationism, there was also a big flood which explains a lot in the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution states that plants began to grow on land around 450 million years ago, which time wise does not flow with creationism but everything else does. The theory of evolution says that plants emerged from a great bed of water to grow on land. Creationists say that the great bed of water was the massive flood talked about in the Bible.

These theories are both very different in almost every way. For example, the age difference for the world. That time gap leaves around 44,999,994,000 years unaccounted for. Another huge difference between these two is that creationism presents the idea of a God, which is supposed to be kept out of American public schools. The theory of evolution presents no idea of a higher being at all. Instead, the theory of evolution has a big bang that brings non living organisms to life in a chemical reaction that cannot be recreated. Both of these explanations are difficult to understand, especially if one is tied to one or the other.

While there are drastic differences between these two theories, there are a few similarities. For example, they both stem from a religion- creationism stems from Christianity, Catholicism, and Judaism while the theory of evolution stems from Atheism. Atheism is belief that there is no higher power; one just needs to be a good person. Another similarity would be that they are both just theories, neither can be recreated nor tested in anyway. To believe in creationism or the theory of evolution, one must have extreme faith in it, or it does not make sense. There is no certain way to prove that either theory is accurate in every aspect. Both theories do have a decent amount of supporting scientific evidence but not enough to back them up. Since neither can be proven, but both have supporting evidence, it would be only fair for American public school districts to teach creationism and the theory of evolution as equals.

Many people have worked very hard to keep creationism out of the everyday classroom. Common arguments are that creationism is a part of a religion and not a science. People then take and use the First Amendment which states that church and state should be separate. However, as mentioned above, atheism, which is what the theory of evolution stems from, is also a religion. In that case, shouldn’t the theory of evolution be illegal to teach as well? It would not be constitutional to keep one in schools and one out of schools. 

Another objection for creationism in the classroom stems directly from the religion aspect. Bill Nye, a huge activist for the theory of evolution, detests creationism in the classroom so much that he has hosted several public debates about it. He publicly bashes creationism and all those who believe in it. He claims that teaching creationism in the classroom would be cruel. Bill Nye states that teaching creationism in the American public classroom would be an equivalent to brainwashing children with religion. 

 Dover, Pennsylvania is another example of keeping creationism out of the classroom. Parents from this small town fought to keep creationism out of the classroom, harder than Bill Nye does. They actually fought so hard it went to court. This case became pivotal regarding the struggle to get creationism in the classroom. The parent’s fury was enough to get creationism completely thrown out the window. It is no longer allowed to be taught in the state of Pennsylvania.

Some people also like to point out that if creationism is included in school’s lessons then every other idea of how the world came to be should be taught as well. This argument is used often but does not have much weight to it. Other ideas could not be included because they do not have substantial evidence. The theory of evolution and creationism both have an outstanding amount of evidence such as fossils. 

A final way people try to keep creationism out of the classroom is by mentioning how it cannot be explicitly proven. They claim that the only evidence for creationism is the Bible. This is a favorite reason to keep creationism out of schools but it is not true at all. Young earth scientists, or creationists, claim to have as much fossil proof to support creationism as evolutionists do. Also, recent studies conducted by Ken Ham, a profound creationist, claim that evolution is missing more than a lot of evidence to prove and keep up with the timeline of 4.5 billion years. As stated before neither creationism nor the theory of evolution can be proven as complete and total fact, but both are supported with evidence.

Keeping the theory evolution alone in the American classroom is unfair and unpatriotic. This country was founded on freedom to practice what one truly desires. If a child has grown up their whole life learning about creationism and believing that theory wholeheartedly, why should they be told that theory is wrong? Studies actually show that it is damaging to students when they come to school and learn differently that what they know to be true is not even considered valid.

For example, I never learned much about evolution growing up but I was still curious to know what others thought. When I came to university, I was excited to learn about others but I was still able to hold onto my own beliefs. I went to my biology class and the professor was going over the syllabus, and stops in the middle of it to talk about how in depth we will go regarding the theory of evolution. He polls the class to see if everyone believes in the theory of evolution and when he notices that some do not, he laughs. He asked the students who did not raise their hands, including myself, if they believed in creationism. When they all responded with a nod and the professor became upset. He then proceeded to tell the class that the only reason people believe in creationism is because they are, “ignorant and uneducated.” A majority of the class was taken aback and he went on to mock the mere idea of anyone taking creationism as a truth. This experience gave me the wrong idea of the theory of evolution and of everyone who represented it. It also made me want to hold on to my personal beliefs without even listening to others. Do we really want to cause that much harm to young students who may not even know what they stand for? Absolutely not.

When the American public school only teaches the theory of evolution without any alternative offered it is equivalent to forcing everyone who goes to college or universities to major in the same thing. It doesn’t give any room for creativity, or even personal beliefs to come into play for what a student will learn and one day apply. It forces to students to submit to just one idea of how the universe was created. Every single student comes from different backgrounds with different experiences and beliefs. To squash those beliefs on behalf of one theory that cannot even be proven completely is disrespectful. The theory of evolution is a good one, but not the only one. Creationism is believed by over eighty-five percent if America’s population and is not taught or even mentioned in public schools. How is that fair?

When schools do not include creationism in their teachings they are denying their students information that could potentially be correct. As far as any scientist knows, the theory of evolution and creationism cannot be proven. So who is to say that only the theory of evolution is correct?

While taking keeping emphasis on the theory of evolution is important, it is also important to remember that opening up the explanation for creation in schools to more than evolution is not threatening to the theory of evolution. Bringing creationism in the classroom will bring many changes, but none that will hurt or directly threaten the theory of evolution. The two theories are very different and contradict a good bit but no harm could come from teaching both. In fact, it is actually beneficial to teach both in the American classroom.

Teaching both the theory of evolution and creationism opens up many great things, for the students and the theories as a whole. It could open up the eyes of many people who are very stuck to their own personal belief systems. Knowing both theories also helps students to understand both sides and choose whichever side they view personally as correct.

Bringing creationism in the classroom brings in several more great rewards. At the bare minimum it opens students’ eyes to be aware and respectful of other’s ideas and beliefs. It shows them how to not only listen but attempt to understand something different than them. It also gives the students’ a type of independence, leading them to take a stand on either side of the fence they choose. Presenting both ideas equally gives the students more responsibility while incorporating others beliefs. Presenting creationism in the classroom will produce more active and independent minds. When a student is presented both sides with little bias, it allows them to think about which one is more logical to them and which they choose to believe.

Despite everything, it is understandable why so much emphasis is put on the theory of evolution in today’s classrooms. The theory of evolution is essentially the foundation that modern biology is rested upon. To not present it as sure facts could force scientists to find other explanations for things, which in a way is good. For example, having a different explanation as to why elephants have tusks could open up even more possibilities of things stemming off of that. It adds diversity, and a new voice to the modern science era. 

Presenting only the theory of evolution in American public schools is very inconsiderate. How can this be stopped? Educators could present both the theory of evolution and creationism equally with valid facts and true information on both of them. Teachers should remain as unbiased as possible and just explain both theories for what they are known to be. When the students are approached with all this fair information, then they can make a personal decision for or against whichever side they choose.

To elaborate, how does a school present creationism without it threatening personal beliefs and science as we know it? Teachers could set aside a quarter to focus on the theory of evolution. They could mention Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, and how Darwin came up with his theory. Teachers could explain what goes along with the theory of evolution, like survival of the fittest, and how a chimpanzee transforms into a man over billions of years. The teacher could also discuss how the theory of evolution supports the idea of the big bang theory, when those dead organisms came to life after a chemical reaction. 

To explain creationism without promoting God is difficult, but not impossible. A teacher could spend the next quarter teaching how an all-powerful being created the universe. They could discuss how the animals in the sea were placed there on purpose and the animals on the land were as well. Teaching creationism does not require the teaching of Jesus Christ and the gospel. Muslims do not believe in the Christian God but they do believe creationism- just according with their God. Creationism can be taught across a variety of religions because it does not require the teaching of the Christian God. 

It would also be smart to highlight the similarities and differences between these two theories. During this time, the teacher would need to be as unbiased as possible. They could not let their own beliefs about either theory come into play. 

In conclusion, creationism should be brought in the American public school classroom. Creationism and the theory of evolution are very similar in many ways. They are both just theories, offer an explanation for the same thing, and they both stem from a type of religion. Incorporating creationism in the everyday American classroom can supply students with a vast knowledge of different opinions and beliefs. It can easily encourage social acceptance of others and their belief system while bringing in what over eighty percent of Americans believe to the classroom. Teaching creationism can also offer many benefits to the students and helps their minds to become independent. 

The question still stands, should creationism be taught in American public schools, as a serious candidate for have the world came to be? Now, however, there is an answer. Creationism should absolutely be included in the American public school’s curriculum.
