Imagine going to a school that impressed on your young mind that certain religious “theories” are facts and the reason why there is life on earth; this sounds outrageous, but in Indiana a bill allowing this was recently passed.
The bill allows science teachers to use theories from various religions to explain the origin of life. There are no specifications as to what religion each teacher has to teach, so one science class could be learning different religions than others, leading to more tension in schools.
Religion has created many conflicts often ending in bloodshed, so why would we throw it into the mix in the already-hostile worlds of middle school and high school? Religion is based on belief, not fact, so arguments wouldn’t be resolved.
Last time I checked, the church and state are separate; the school system is funded by – and therefore tied to – the state. The First Amendment states that Congress “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” so if this bill were to go into effect it would be illegal.
School is a place for education; science class is a place for learning facts and theories that are proven and logical. In a philosophy class or a class on religious theory these teachings would be wonderful, but they do not belong in a science class.
Unproven, illogical “theories” from several religions will confuse children and teens not yet able to decipher which religion they would choose for themselves. Beliefs are a personal choice that everyone should make for themselves in their home, without the interference of teachers.
Of course, I believe that everyone should have knowledge about many religions, but this should be applied at a time when they are able to make a decision about what they want for themselves, like in college. This bill is not lawfully sound and will most likely and in my opinion hopefully, be struck down by the courts.
