Fairness demands evolution and creation be given equal time

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“ If we are going to teach 'creation science' as an alternative to evolution, then we should also teach the stork theory as an alternative to biological reproduction. ”

—Judith Hayes, In God We Trust: But Which One?, 1997

Contents

Claim

In fairness, creation and evolution deserve equal time in science classes.

Source

Responses

  1. "Fairness" does not demand that the "2+2=5" theory be given equal time in math classes, or that Holocaust deniers be given equal time in history classes. Why, then, should anyone think "fairness" demands that Creationism, which is not a science at all, be given equal time in science classes?
  2. The statement is an appeal to false bisection. It is not the case that differing points of view must be included in teaching with equal weight, irrespective of their objective merits. Different hypotheses, theories and conclusions have objectively differing merit based on reasoning applied to the available evidence. Teaching of science must necessarily favor those hypotheses, theories or conclusions which have such greater merit, and discard hypotheses, theories or conclusions not supported by reasoning applied to the available evidence.
  3. If this argument were valid, every other pseudoscience could also demand equal time with the scientific theories and hypotheses which are taught. The result would be that mainly questionable world views and pseudoscience would be taught in school instead of knowledge which is based on good science.
  4. To judge fairness only on time given in school is wrong. This would be a very naive kind of fairness and would in fact result in an advantage for pseudoscientific groups, because pseudoscienfic theories based on bad arguments, wrong or falsified data and lies are much easier and faster to produce than to do good science. It is necessary to consider the whole behaviour of creationism which - although it claims to be scientific - does not follow the scientific method and is therefore itself not fair at all. Creationism only mimics scientific behavior, but in most cases their arguments are only vague and not traceable, sources are not cited well in their papers, definitions are ambiguous, facts are given selectively, and so on. This makes it often impossible to criticize creationist publications. The demand for equal time in school is therefore hypocritical, because it not only wants in fact to bring an advantage for creationism, it also wants to produce the false impression that creationism is treated unfairly, contrary to the fact that creationism is inherently unfair itself.
  5. In fact, it would be remarkably unfair if e.g. in public schools time would be wasted for learning pseudoscience like creationism instead of preparing students by teaching good science for a world in which science is constantly becoming more important. In this case, this would be in particular unfair against students which could not afford expensive private schools where no time is wasted with pseudoscience, and which would then have even more advantages. Also - in the age of globalization and global job markets - students would have a disadvantage compared to students of other countries where proper science is taught.
  6. It would be unfair to allow Creationism to bypass the scientific process (e.g., peer review) and directly enter public science education when the theory of evolution has successfully gone through that process and continues to be supported by the world's experts. Science is full of theories not broadly accepted (e.g., Aquatic ape theory). Nobody is clamoring to get any other such theory into schools. The scientists who support unaccepted theories are working to bolster the theories, not enforce them by law into the school system. Creationists defeat their claims to be doing science by trying to bypass the peer review process.
  7. Is everything else in a science class given the same level of "open-mindedness" or is everything else in the course expected to be learned, rote, from the textbook? Is Astrology given equal time when discussing gravity and planetary motion? Is Astrology given equal time in a Social Studies class?
  8. If this argument is accepted, every other religion will have to be taught equally in science class as well. Do creationists really want equal time given to Buddhist, Hindu, Shinto, ten thousand+ Amerind, and who knows how many other creation "sciences"?
  9. Creationism is not science. Claiming, therefore, that it ought to be taught in a science curriculum is non sequitur. It makes as much sense to claim that science deserves equal time in a religion class.
  10. Allocated time should be based on effort. The sum total of written published research on evolution and creationism would need to be considered and the time allocated based on the proportion of one against the other. Clearly not equal.

Fallacies contained in this claim

  • False Dilemma (there are more than two alternatives)
  • Appeal to Pity (poor creationists are excluded)
  • Exclusion (the fact that Creationism is not a science is conveniently ignored)

External Links

References

  1. Anon, 1985. Life--How Did It Get Here? Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., p. 186.
  2. Brandt, Aviva L., 2000 (25 Sep.). U.S. giving Kennewick Man to tribes [4]. Associated Press.
  3. DYG, Inc., 2000. Evolution and creationism in public education: An in-depth reading of public opinion [5].
  4. Leipzig, M. R., 1998. The Evolution Fact FAQ. http://www.holysmoke.org/skeptic-tank/factfaq.htm (Page no longer active but accessible thru [6] )
  5. Morris, Henry M., 1974. Scientific Creationism, Master Books, Arkansas, pp. 215-247.

Further Reading

  • Edwords, Frederick, 1981. Why creationism should not be taught as science; part 2: the educational issues [7]. Creation/Evolution issue 3, pp. 6-36.
  • Leeming, David & Leeming, Margaret, 1994. A Dictionary of Creation Myths, Oxford University Press.
  • Sproul, Barbara, 1991. Primal Myths, HarperCollins, NY.

Related claims

See Also

Acknowledgments

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