The teaching of evolution

[John Grehan]

>Ed Pirog wrote:

>>         Please try to understand my point. There should be just as much
right to
>> teach evolution as there is to teach creationism. After all, these are both
>> just ideas. One more plausible than the other but still concepts just
the same.
>> Ed

This statement seems to present a common misconception about science, that
there is some kind of metaphysical "right" that determines what must be
presented and discussed. Science does not work that way and it never has.
Its always been about the competition of opposing ideas. An idea
predominates because it succeeds in convincing a necessary majority to that
point of view. Any other view has no metaphysical or transendental "right"
to be heard. This is true between creationisms and evolution as much as it
is between competing frameworks within evolution. If there were a "right"
to teach creationisms there is also a "right" to teach all the different
theories of creationism and all the different theories of evolution, not to
mention various theories about the world such as the flat earth theory etc.
Then maybe everyone will be happy, but students will have no time for
reading, writing and arithmetic.

John Grehan