Creationism Vs Evolution

Introduction

The battle between creationists and evolutionists in America has a long and virulent history in which public schools have been unavoidably involved. This contest between the creationists and evolutionists began with the 1859 publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, which Michael Ruse describes as, “one of the most significant and controversial works of the age—of any age—most particularly because the book was seen to challenge long-held views about religion, specifically the Christian religion and its claims about creation and about the nature of God, of humans, and of our relationship to God” (1). In his work, Darwin demonstrates that existing organic structures developed from much simpler organisms by natural processes.
Many scientists and science educators view evolution as the “central organizing principle of all the historical sciences” (Lerner, n.p.). Therefore, they view their entire paradigm to be under attack and argue that alternative approaches to evolution like Intelligent Design or creationism have no place in a science curriculum. As evidenced in Thomas Kuhn’s work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, students have no alternative but to believe what the textbook presents to them. If the text includes application of the problems of evolution as evidence, then the very failure of texts to suggest alternative interpretations or to discuss problems for which scientists have failed to produce paradigm solutions would convict their authors of extreme bias. Presenting theories such as Intelligent Design or creationism may illuminate holes in the evolution theory that scientists are still currently working on filling, but these holes may seem to be too big of problems to students learning of the theory for the first time, or it may completely shift the paradigm of those who already believe in
In terms of evolution, explanations of the phenomena draw on data from physics, chemistry, geology, and biology. Therefore, evolution is the central organizing principle that biologists use to understand the world. According to the National Academy of Sciences, to teach biology without explaining the theory of biological evolution “deprives students of a powerful concept that brings great order and coherence to our understanding of life”