creation: an educational perspective by dr. norman geisler

Creation:Creation:

An Educational An Educational PerspectivePerspective

By Dr. Norman GeislerBy Dr. Norman Geisler

I.I. What the Courts RuledWhat the Courts Ruled

II.II. Consequences of Consequences of RulingsRulings

III.III. Alternatives to Alternatives to RulingsRulings

I.I. What the Courts What the Courts RuledRuled

A.A.Epperson (1968)Epperson (1968)

B.B.McClean (1982)McClean (1982)

C.C.Edwards (1997)Edwards (1997)



1. The law: 1. The law: Evolution cannot be Evolution cannot be taught in public taught in public schoolsschools


A.A. Epperson (1968) Epperson (1968)

2. The Court:2. The Court:The state cannot forbid The state cannot forbid teaching evolution in teaching evolution in public schoolspublic schools

A. Epperson (1968)A. Epperson (1968)

1. The law: 1. The law: “That statute makes it “That statute makes it unlawful for a teacher in unlawful for a teacher in any state-supported school any state-supported school or university to teach or to or university to teach or to use a textbook that use a textbook that teaches ‘that mankind teaches ‘that mankind ascended or descended ascended or descended from a lower order of from a lower order of animals.’”animals.’”

A. Epperson (1968):A. Epperson (1968):

2. The Court: 2. The Court: “The law must be stricken “The law must be stricken because of its conflict with because of its conflict with the constitutional the constitutional prohibition of state laws prohibition of state laws respecting an respecting an establishment of religion or establishment of religion or prohibiting the free prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”exercise thereof.”

I.I. What the Courts What the Courts Ruled Ruled B.B. McClean (1982) McClean (1982)

1. The Law:1. The Law:Both creation and Both creation and

evolution must be evolution must be taught in a balanced taught in a balanced way, if either is taught. way, if either is taught.

I.I. What the Courts What the Courts RuledRuled B.B. McClean (1982) McClean (1982)

2.2. The Court:The Court:The law is a violation of The law is a violation of the First Amendment the First Amendment which forbids which forbids

establishing establishing a religion.a religion.

B. McClean (1982):B. McClean (1982):

1. The Law:1. The Law:a. School may choose not to a. School may choose not to

teach either.teach either.b. If either is taught, then b. If either is taught, then

both both must be taught.must be taught.c. They must be taught in a c. They must be taught in a

balanced way.balanced way.d. Only scientific evidence d. Only scientific evidence

can can be taught (not be taught (not religious religious sources).sources).


2.2.The Court:The Court:What It Said…What It Said…

a. a. State can’t mandate State can’t mandate teaching creation, teaching creation,

even if even if evolution is evolution is included.included.

b. Creation is not science.b. Creation is not science.c. Creation from nothing c. Creation from nothing

is inherently is inherently religious.religious.

d. Supernatural creation d. Supernatural creation is religious.is religious.


2.2.The Court:The Court:What It Said in its Own What It Said in its Own WordsWords

“Indeed, creation of “Indeed, creation of the world ‘out of nothing’ the world ‘out of nothing’ is the ultimate religious is the ultimate religious statement because God is statement because God is the onlythe only actor” (III).actor” (III).


2.2.The Court:The Court:What It Said in its Own WordsWhat It Said in its Own Words

“Such a concept [as “Such a concept [as creation] is not science creation] is not science because it depends upon a because it depends upon a supernatural intervention supernatural intervention which is not guided by natural which is not guided by natural law” (IV,C).law” (IV,C).


2.2.The Court:The Court:What It Did Not SayWhat It Did Not Say

a.a. Evolution must be taught.Evolution must be taught. b. b. Evolution can’t be Evolution can’t be critiqued.critiqued.

c. c. Creation cannot be taught Creation cannot be taught at all (by individuals or at all (by individuals or

by by school board school board

permission).permission).

I.I. What the Courts What the Courts RuledRuled C.C. Edwards (1997) Edwards (1997)

1. The Law:1. The Law: If one is taught, then If one is taught, then

both but be taught. both but be taught. But But neither need be neither need be taught. taught.

I.I. What the Courts What the Courts RuledRuled C.C. Edwards (1997) Edwards (1997)

2. The Court:2. The Court: Its a violation of the Its a violation of the

First First Amendment to Amendment to mandate mandate teaching teaching creation, even if creation, even if evolution evolution must be taught must be taught with it. with it.

C.C. Edwards (1997) Edwards (1997)

1.1.The Law:The Law:What It Said…What It Said…

a. If one view is taught, then a. If one view is taught, then so must the other.so must the other.

b.b. It can only be taught from It can only be taught from a scientific perspective, a scientific perspective,

not a religious one.not a religious one.c. It must be taught in a c. It must be taught in a

balanced manner.balanced manner.

C.C. Edwards (1997) Edwards (1997)

1.1.The Law:The Law:What It Did Not SayWhat It Did Not Say

a.a. Creation is not a science Creation is not a science (vs. McClean).(vs. McClean).

b.b. Creation is inherently Creation is inherently religious (vs. McClean).religious (vs. McClean).

c.c. Other views of origin Other views of origin

cannot be taught.cannot be taught.


II.II.Consequences of Consequences of RulingsRulings


II.II. Consequences of Consequences of RulingsRulings

A.A.It is bad scientificallyIt is bad scientifically

B.B.It is bad educationallyIt is bad educationally

C.C.It is bad constitutionallyIt is bad constitutionally

D.D.It is bad politicallyIt is bad politically

E.E.It is bad logicallyIt is bad logically

II. Consequences of II. Consequences of RulingsRulings

A.A. It is bad scientificallyIt is bad scientifically

Darwin in Darwin in OriginOrigin “A fair result can be obtained “A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and only by fully stating and balancing the facts and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each arguments on both sides of each question; and this is here question; and this is here impossible” (impossible” (Intro, p. 6Intro, p. 6))


B.B. It is bad educationally It is bad educationally

John ScopesJohn Scopes“If you limit a teacher to only “If you limit a teacher to only

one one side of anything, the whole side of anything, the whole country country will everything have will everything have only one only one thought, be one thought, be one individually.”individually.”


C. It is bad constitutionallyC. It is bad constitutionally

First Amendment:First Amendment:“Congress shall make no law “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; exercise thereof; or abridging the or abridging the freedom of speech….”freedom of speech….”There is no freedom of speech for There is no freedom of speech for creationists in the schools!creationists in the schools!


D. It is bad politically:D. It is bad politically:

““Taxation without Taxation without representation is tyranny.”representation is tyranny.” --Thomas Jefferson--Thomas Jefferson

(View of 2/3 of Americans is (View of 2/3 of Americans is not represented in Schools)not represented in Schools)


E.E.It is bad logically: It means:It is bad logically: It means:

1. Schools must teach only 1. Schools must teach only evolution, even if it is false;evolution, even if it is false;

2. And they cannot teach 2. And they cannot teach creation, even if it is true!creation, even if it is true!


II.II.Consequences of Consequences of RulingsRulings


III. Alternatives to III. Alternatives to RulingsRulings

.

A. Overturn the Supreme A. Overturn the Supreme Court Court Ruling Ruling B.B. Teach creation in Private Teach creation in Private and and Home SchoolsHome SchoolsC.C. Teach it in the ChurchesTeach it in the ChurchesD.D. Teach it in the Public Teach it in the Public Schools Schools (within the (within the boundaries set by boundaries set by the Court the Court rulings).rulings).

III. Alternatives to III. Alternatives to RulingsRulings .

.

A. Overturn the Supreme A. Overturn the Supreme Court Court Ruling (in Edwards, Ruling (in Edwards, 1997)1997)

This is unlikely because:This is unlikely because:1. It was a 7-2 decision.1. It was a 7-2 decision.2. High court decisions 2. High court decisions

are are not easy to not easy to overturn.overturn.

3. It fits the pattern of 3. It fits the pattern of the the Court on other Court on other decisions.decisions.

III. Alternatives to III. Alternatives to RulingsRulings .

.

A. Overturn the Supreme A. Overturn the Supreme Court Court RulingRuling B.B. Teach creation in Private Teach creation in Private and and Home SchoolsHome Schools

1.1. This can be done (The This can be done (The Courts Courts permit it).permit it).

2.2. This should be done (God This should be done (God commands it).commands it).

III. Alternatives Available

.

A. Overturn the Supreme Court Ruling

B. Teach creation in Private and Home Schools

C. Teach it in the Churches. 1. Pastors need training in apologetics.2. Church leaders need

training in apologetics.

III. Alternatives to Rulings

.



C. Teach it in the Churches

D. Teach it in Public Schools


.

D. Teach it in Public Schools Things to avoid:

1. All reference to God, Religion, and the

Bible.2. All mandating or requiring creation to be

taught (by the state or by the schools).

3. All claims that creation is true, a fact, or

should be believed.


.



C. Teach it in the Churches

D. Teach it in Public Schools E. Change the scientific world

III. Alternatives to Rulings E. Change the Scientific World

.

a. Once science accepts it, the Courts will.

b. Publish in scientific journals.c. Hold workshops for science

teachers.d. Avoid unnecessary trappings (like the

age of the earth and flood geology).f. Use credible texts that approach the

topic scientifically.Use Of Pandas and People, by Thaxton, Bradley, and Olson.


.

F. Use “Intelligent Design” Books

Michael Behe. Darwin's Black Box.Neil Broom. How Blind is the Watchmaker.William Dembski. The Design Inference.-------------------. The Design Revolution.Michael Denton. Evolution: A Theory in CrisisNorm Geisler & Kerby Anderson. Origin Science.Hugh Ross, The Fingerprints of God.Robert Jastrow [an agnostic]. God and the Astronomers.Fred Heeren. Show Me God.Philip Johnson. Darwin on Trial.John Barrow. The Anthropic Cosmological Principle.Charles Thaxton et. al. The Mystery of Life's Origin.Lane Lester et. al. The Natural Limits of Biological Change.Lubenow, Marvin. Bones of Contention.Duane Gish. Evolution: The Fossils Say No!

Jonathan Wells. Icons of Evolution.

creation: an educational perspective by dr. norman geisler

Documents

courts ruledepperson

supernatural creation

courts ruleda

mandate teaching creation

teaching evolution

natural law iv

bad educationallyit

bad scientificallyit