Religion in classroom issue causes debate for students
State University, but solutions are far from being determined.
Sara Ryan, a youth and campus organizer for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, led a discussion among students Wednesday that focused on the ways in which the religious right is attempting to impose one religious belief on the government through science-related public policies.
“Our fundamental principle is that the best way to practice religion is that the government doesn’t mandate just one religion,” Ryan said.?”The government needs to stay out of it.”
According to Ryan, religious right activists are taking steps to downplay the teaching of evolution in public schools and equally expose students to the teaching of creationism and intelligent design (I.D.).
Intelligent design is a scientific theory which states that some aspects of nature are best explained by an intelligent cause rather than an undirected cause such as natural selection, according to the Discovery Institute’s Web site.
Robert Crowther, director of communications at the Discovery Institute based in Seattle, said the institute is a leading proponent in I.D. research, but does not promote the requirement of teaching about I.D. in public schools. However, the institute does think it’s permissible to discuss the topic in classes since it is related to evolution.
“We do think it’s important to learn all the aspects of evolution,” Crowther said. “We’re concerned that students are not getting all the info.”
Kristi Rider, a senior majoring in geology and physics, said evolution is far too sensitive of a subject to be taught to elementary students and should be saved for high school students.
Whatever the case may be, Ryan said that evolution is a science that can be tested as opposed to different Judeo-Christian creation stories and I.D., which try to take the place of science.
“Thousands of religious denominations have made peace with evolution,” Ryan said. “What has been decided to teach in class has been tested.”
Researchers at the Discovery Institute say, however, that I.D. is a “robust” scientific theory and that it’s a very positive thing being researched.
“It is a scientific theory,” Crowther said. “It doesn’t have any sort of religious basis.”
Kevin Decker, a freshman majoring in biology, questioned that even if certain scientific theories and beliefs were right, should they still be taught in public schools?
Ryan emphasized that, according to the First Amendment, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. She added that people’s beliefs form their morals and therefore, would violate the Constitution if they were taught in schools
“Morals should not dictate government policies,” she said.
However, many feel that it is too difficult to exclude morals from government policies since that is what the Constitution is founded upon.
“I don’t see how you can separate moral decisions from state,” Rider said. “Laws are based on morals. The truth is, every law is based on somebody’s moral.”
Tim Peterson, ASUSU College of Science senator said the issue of morals shouldn’t be placed in the same category of religious beliefs.
“These issues are not necessarily religious, but actual beliefs,” Decker said. “What’s supposed to govern society?”
In spite of the controversy, Ryan said that it’s still a small minority – 17 percent of U.S. citizens – that are forming and advocating these ideas and most of Americans agree that evolution should be taught in public schools.
Peterson disagrees, saying there are more than just 17 percent of people that are in favor or not in favor of the religious right.
“A lot of the questions [about religious right], Americans have mixed feelings about,” Peterson said.
Some of the issues extend beyond the classroom into other areas of the government such as President George W. Bush’s “Faith-based” initiatives which would turn the provision of social services over to religious groups, Ryan said.
There are also other efforts that would prevent access to contraceptives, certain prescriptions as well as further research on sexually transmitted diseases, she said.
Americans United is an independent organization committed to defending the separation of church and state. For more information, visit their Web site at www.au.org. For more information about intelligent design, visit www.discovery.org.
-mmackay@cc.usu.edu