Last month a petition was created on the White House website that sought to ask the current administration to ban the teaching of creationism in the classroom. The petition failed to specify if it desired to ban creationism from both the public school and private school level / homeschool level but as creationism is already outlawed in the public schools, it is possible that they intended it to reach to the non-federally funded classrooms as well.

Answers in Genesis, a christian fundamentalist group that supports teaching the so called controversy between Creationism and Evolution said this on their web site in response to the petition.

Since we live in an age known for tolerance, why are evolutionists so intolerantly seeking to ban an opposing view?

We do live in an increasing age of tolerance, but tolerance for things that are true and demonstrable. We tolerate people of other “races” as it is true that we are all the same! We tolerate people with political views as there is always room to disagree respectfully as long as it harms no one.

 

So, why are “evolutionists” so intolerant of this opposing view? Why should creationism be banned from being taught in science class on equal footing as evolution? The answer is very simple. Creationism doesn’t qualify as a science. It is a religious view. One simply can not look at the evidence available to us today and come to the conclusion that a deity created the universe in 6 / 24 hour periods by speaking things into existence. To believe such requires religious indoctrination. The scientific method doesn’t allow for “miracles” or “god did it” as a valid answer to anything, and for good reason! Miracles are by their very definition violations of the laws of science / nature.

Now, no one is saying you can’t believe that creationism is true. But they are saying that you can’t teach in the classroom that creationism is true. Just as we don’t allow science classes to teach that alchemy or astrology is valid competition against chemistry or astronomy. Teaching children things that are demonstrably false doesn’t benefit the children or society!

 

AiG claims that:

… People are now so anti-Christian that they’re even asking the executive branch of our government, which shouldn’t be involved in the development of school curricula, to step in and squelch creationism.

This is completely untrue and Ken Ham is playing the persecuted victim here. If being anti-lying-to-children is anti-christian, then guilty as charged, but this obviously isn’t the case.

AiG then further offers this senario.

Imagine if a student came to his high school math teacher and said, “Could I have time in class to present an argument that a mathematician has made that two plus two equals five?” The wise teacher would say, “Sure,” because it would be a great teaching experience for the students to learn how to spot faulty arguments. The foolish, fearful teacher would use abusive, authoritarian language against the student or call the ACLU and threaten to sue the kid for daring to suggest such nonsense.

This is insanity. Public schools simply don’t have time to spend debunking every single flawed argument that comes into the classroom. There are standards to stick to and time is simply to limited in math classrooms that are already 25th out of 41 industrialized nations in mathematics skills. Not to mention any teacher that would threaten to “sue” a student isn’t mature enough to be teaching.  Again, this is just AiG playing the victim for not being allowed to lie to children with impunity.

 

Evolutionists should welcome scientific criticisms in the classroom because if evolution is really true…

Absolutely! If the criticism actually is scientific in nature and not one based on a religious point of view. But if your “criticism” is one that based on the requirement to deny anything that doesn’t support your bible’s version of events, then your criticism is correctly dismissed as nonsense.

When your Statement of Faith says  “By definition, no apparent, perceived or claimed evidence in any field, including history and chronology, can be valid if it contradicts the scriptural record.” you don’t get to have a seat at the adult table and expect to be taken seriously.  AiG’s arguments are like those of a incorrigible child who thinks they have a right to say anything, anywhere, and be taken completely seriously. Creationism & “Intelligent” Design don’t have nor should they be allowed a place at the academic  table and lying to children in the classroom about their origins should be outlawed if that is what it takes. Perhaps even outlawed in private / homeschooling arenas as well.