Give Them Choice and Controversy

John Bonner
English 102-009
Christy Vance
11/12/09

Give Them Choice and Controversy

When it comes to teaching students, it has always seemed to me that you need controversy to form personal opinion. First you start with the foundation of both arguments, as to build the background, and then you have to pose a question in regards to the foundation you just taught. This process creates questions and with any luck an answer or opinion is formed.
Now why is it that in all public schools we do not teach both sides of the argument of Evolution vs. Creationism? I want to begin in saying that I understand the usefulness of teaching Evolution and I am in no way going to argue that we should not teach it. The lessons that can be learned from Evolutionism are essential to our educational growth.
Evolutionist, and myself included, have had a lot of reasons for fighting against the teaching of Creationism. Just to get the obvious out of the way, the Bible or the myths that followed have almost no scientific base and are almost completely irrational, so thus they shouldn’t be taught on that reason alone. What I want to look at is the underlying facts of creationism. To look at a system that solely teaches Creationism can be found in church youth groups.
In an article by Bradi Noriega, she described how to make your youth group better or more effective. As I read this article I started noticing strange similarities with how warrior based cultures transformed the youth. I have personally experienced this gathering and can say, with remorse, that after words I immediately regretted attending. In Noriega’s article she explained the teaching template, first you gather all the local children of the same faith. Secondly you get them to play games that build camaraderie with one another. Then after these children have bonded, you stop the game, gather them in a circle, and teach them your interpretation of the Bible. Along with the lesson of the Bible they, unfortunately, also teach who to dislike.
Compare this template to that of the Romans around 40 BC. I have just recently read a novel by Conn Iggulden that told of the life of Julius Gaius Cesar, most notably is his childhood. During his childhood he would venture to Rome with his father and while there he would take part in an important tradition. He would gather with all the local children and wrestle and race their horses, afterwards they would be taught lessons in fighting, war, and theology. So like youth groups, you build camaraderie and teach them biased interpretations.
If John Locke, a 19th century philosopher, is correct in thinking that we are all born with blank slates, and that whatever we are taught we come to believe is fact. No matter what is taught, whether it is that all Carthaginians are evil or that God created everything. If we in fact are born with blank slates then it is more than important that what we take in should be considered valuable and recommended.
In defense of teaching creationism, one should look at the morality factor. In other words I believe that teaching creationism would give lessons in morality to those who can’t justify moral actions on their own. Hence to a rational person you just don’t steal and murder, for it is wrong, but to some they need to be told that it is a sin to murder and steal.
There really is no conclusion to this question of what and how you should teach, all I can do is present the facts and let you decide for yourself. With that you should also consider a resolution that was passed by the United Nations. It was called the Rights of Children under Article 14, it stated that children be allowed the freedom of religion. With that freedom of religion come freedom of choice, so let us give it to them. If we give the children an unbiased teaching atmosphere they are more likely to form their own opinions.