<p>That's my topic for my persuasive research paper. I'm a Christian so I thought I would go for how evolution shouldn't be taught in schools, but with further speculation, I didn't want to merely consider my religion and write a paper on a topic that I don't believe in, myself. I'm still not completely sure if I'm going to go with how evolution should be or shouldn't be taught in schools but I will probably do it on how it should be taught in schools. What are your opinions? Links to sites and solid information about my topic would be nice, but you guys can also just state your opinions~ (sorry this is not about college admissions) help plz~!! you guys are the best~</p>
<p>wait.. evolution IS being taught in schools already, so would that even be a topic? maybe i should change my topic .. i don't know.. what do you guys think?</p>
<p>I think you should choose a topic that you can actually write about.</p>
<p>^^ agreed.</p>
<p>I'd also add -- and this is just my opinion -- it'd be difficult to provide a convincing argument (in a research paper, nonetheless) against the teaching of evolution in school.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/%5B/url%5D">http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/</a></p>
<p>That might help if you plan to pursue this.</p>
<p>Why don't you write a paper on how being a Christian and believing in evolution are not incompatible and how one really has nothing to do with the other? Maybe you'll convince yourself in the process.</p>
<p>thx for the suggestions!! any other suggestions guys?</p>
<p>Why shouldn't it be taught at schools? Teaching evaluate doesn't force people to accept it as the absolute truth. It is a "theory". People can come hoem and read the Bible and Koran and accept it all they want.</p>
<p>A scientific theory is as close as it gets a fact. The only reason we call it a theory instead of a law is because we cannot sense it with our own eyes. Relativity is a theory because we haven't been able to travel at the speed of light. We cannot "see" atoms, so it's also a theory (maybe we can see them now with electron microscopes). Electromagnetism is also a theory.</p>
<p>Evolution is compatible with the Bible because God's notion of time could be different (perhaps he's just traveling in a different frame of reference, and that frame of reference changes with each different day. On the first day, he might travel at .99999c, meaning his time slows down and 1 of his days is equal to billions of our years, the 6th day, .9c, and when he spoke to Moses, the same as people on earth travel)</p>
<p>Maybe God has created human through evolution. </p>
<p>The bible says:
And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. </p>
<p>How do you know that evolution was not the process that god used to create men and animals?</p>
<p>Why the hell would be do that? How is that more efficient than simply creating a world of species to then interact?</p>
<p>From my understanding, God is not very smart or he is a prankster. So he created a bunch of flawed humans in a flawed world evolving in an unusual way.</p>
<p>I've heard the argument that God created man through evolution, which doesn't make sense since Genesis says man was made (immediately) "of dust from the ground."</p>
<p>Interesting notion, None.</p>
<p>Of course evolution should be taught in schools. It's the prevailing science and the theory that makes the most sense. It should be taught in Science classes. Not English, not Math, not religion. Science. Then you can go to church and be convinced by religious dogma that it's the "evil blathering of man". Funny thing about truth, though. It's not dependent upon what people believe.</p>
<p>Anyway, OP, I would concur with the idea that you should right about being a X-ian and believing in evolution.</p>
<p>Evolution is taught in school. Creationism isn't though.</p>
<p>maybe a topic you should consider is whether evolution should be the ONLY theory regarding how we got to be on earth, or whether other possibilities should also be taught.</p>
<p>personally -- I would pick a topic that has more specific research availability and focus and less emotions in it. I would also pick a less controversial topic.</p>
<p>Yeah, I usually try to stay away from touchy subjects such as these... Especially if you aren't sure where your audience stands on the issue! This can have a large effect on how it is received.</p>
<p>Persuasive RESEARCH paper.</p>
<p>You're considering an issue that is long on persuasion and short on research. The controversy part shouldn't scare you away. When it comes to controversy I'm like a moth to a flame. It's the spice of life!</p>
<p>But you'll just presenting arguments...and your research will be confined to other people's opinions.</p>
<p>That said, if you want to research this, you need to look at how school districts set their curricula and how teachers develop their syllabi for the courses...because that will determine the framework by which you can argue -- pro or con -- whether a certain topic should be taught in school.</p>
<p>The fact that people feel strongly one way or another shouldn't a consideration. If you apply the considerations used to determine what gets taught in chemistry and physics to what gets taught in biology, you should come to your answer.</p>
<p>Interestingly, I suspect that such an approach to your argument will lead you to Occam's Razor...as that's basically the approach that I'm advocating you take if you choose to stick to this topic. And the application of that to Darwin's Origin of Species is, I think, the battlefield where most of the science v. religion clashes take place.</p>
<p>Such a paper -- if well researched -- has the potential to be enlightening on several levels all at once. But what I'm suggesting is not exactly light on research. Surveying the principles on which school districts (and then individual teachers) decide what gets taught in science classes outside of biology is probably going to require lots of effort and could make your eyes glaze over.</p>
<p>In the end, though, if you can show that one side or the other (or both) are insisting that the rules for establishing curriculum be changed or modified to accommodate their view on evolution, you will have created a paper that will probably be a terrific read -- controversial or not.</p>
<p>Good luck. Remember, you said it's a persuasive RESEARCH paper...so be sure you incorporate a strong research component (or take a fresh look at the grading matrix that your teacher gave you) so your topic will be one that allows you to get a good grade.</p>
<p>I think we should teach religion in schools. Not just christianity but all the religions so that people can understand and view different belief systems-including evolution. I know it goes against separation of church and state, but I think it would really leave us open to what different people believe, etc.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think we should teach religion in schools. Not just christianity but all the religions so that people can understand and view different belief systems-including evolution. I know it goes against separation of church and state, but I think it would really leave us open to what different people believe, etc.
[/quote]
You would have to teach every single religion out there for it to not be considered prejudice. Even then, it's too easy for teachers who are religious to present their own religions in a favorable way to students, and elementary and even high school students are far too malleable to risk something like that.
Besides, alongside those who believe in God, Allah, Ganesh, Odin, etc., there are those of us who believe that all dieties are a load of hokey. Shall we have an Atheism class then as well, that teaches students about how religion is untrue?</p>