Taking a Stance:Theory Presented as Fact

Jeanette Schaaf

Comp 101

May 14, 2009

Taking a Stance: Theory Presented as Fact

         The theory of evolution is taught, as fact, in schools. It has started branching out into subjects other than Science and Psychology, such as History, and is accepted as fact in those areas. Creationism and Intelligent Design are credible alternatives to evolution, but are not given the credence they deserve in public schools. The theory of evolution has never been proven scientifically, so it should not be taught as fact in public schools.

         Evolution has been proven to be only theory by repeatedly failed scientific experiments. Although evolution is a scientific theory, it’s laws cannot be proven as fact. The definition of scientific theory is this:

         Systematic ideational structure of broad scope conceived by the human imagination, that encompasses a family of empirical (experimental) laws regarding regularities existing in objects and events, both observed and posited. A scientific theory is a structure suggested by these laws and is devised to explain them in a scientifically rational manner (Britannica, par. 1).

The theory of evolution has created scientific laws about existing regularities within a species, but scientists cannot create observable experiments using the scientific method to prove evolutionary theory as fact. Therefore, it is nothing more than just theory. Scientists also cannot create observable experiments for every part of the evolutionary theory, and many experiments have proven this theory is not fact.

         One major point of the evolutionary theory believes that all life evolved from a single cell organism over the course of 3.5 billion years by random chance (Bradley, 39).  Currently, some arguments say that many animals developed at different places on the earth at the same time. Regardless of the argument, it still cannot be proven that one species is capable of evolving into one or many completely different species. It would be mathematically impossible to create random changes, even if progressed over the time of 3.5 billion years, because of the complexity of the human species. “Human DNA would have required “winning” 3,000 consecutive or sequential evolution lotteries, each with an impossible probability of 10-100,” (Kehr, 1972). This part of the theory of evolution should have been thrown out when proven false. The only reason evolution is still taught to our children, and to students in non-Christian colleges and universities is because of the separation of church and state. Evolution is the only widely accepted scientific theory that keeps God out of the equation of how man and the universe were created. Even though the theory of evolution accomplishes the separation of church and state, it is still not fact and should not be taught as fact in public schools.

         The second major point of evolution is that evolutionary changes occur the same today as they have in the past. Again, there has been no scientific proof that one species has successfully mutated into a completely separate species in the last 150 years, since The Origin of Species was published. In fact, any mutation of DNA within one’s own species is considered a birth defect. With this known scientific fact alone, evolution would be no longer a valid argument by Darwin today, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modification, my theory could absolutely break down,” (Darwin, 1859). It is not possible to modify organs without negative effects. Changes in the human brain lead to many diseases, including schizophrenia, regardless of how slight a change. With this known breakdown in the evolutionary theory, it should not be taught as fact in schools.

         There are alternatives to teaching the theory of evolution in schools. One such alternative is the Creationism theory. This theory says that life was created by God and follows the Holy Bible as the proof of how life was created and how life will end. History has proven that the historical accounts of the Bible to be true. From the Exodus of the Jews to the birth of Jesus, historians and archeologists have found undeniable proof that those events occurred just as recorded in the books of the Bible. The separation of church and state has made these facts unable to be taught in public school.

         The alternative to both creationism and evolution is the scientific theory of Intelligent Design. Intelligent Design has created scientific laws using the scientific method. The theory takes away God from the equation to some unknown higher being which includes aliens. This theory has been gaining popularity in scientific circles. Former President Bush said in a speech before reporters that Intelligent Design should be taught in schools (Bush: Schools should, 2005). The separation of church and state would not affect the validity of Intelligent Design, because God can be left out of the equation without changing the known facts. Therefore, it can legally be taught in public schools, and unlike evolution, it would be a scientific theory that contained true known facts.

         The theory of evolution has had positive influences on the field of genetics, but the positive influences cannot be proven that the theory of evolution is anything beyond that, a theory. DNA has proven helpful in the field of forensic science as well as in understanding how genes are passed from parents to children. Because the genetics of the human brain are so complex, it constrains the ability for brain related genes to change. (Complexity Constrains Evolution, Par. 2) Genes have not been successfully passed between species, and when attempted, the genetically mutated animals were unable to reproduce any offspring. The life spans of the mutated animals were also significantly short. 

         For the past 150 years, scientists have not been able to use the scientific method to prove the theory of evolution. In fact, the exact opposite has been true instead. Because the scientific community themselves have proved that the theory is nothing more than a theory, it should not be taught otherwise. Alternatives should be taught with the theory in schools giving each unproven theory just as much merit as the other. The fact remains that throughout history, the theory of evolution is not proven true, and no link can be made between man and ameba or monkey. Therefore, the theory of evolution should not be taught as fact in schools.

Works Cited

Bradley, James V. How Species Change. New York: InfoBase Publishing, 2006

“Bush: Schools should teach intelligent design.” MSNBC Aug. 1, 2005. Apr. 28, 2009.          <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8792302/>

“Complexity Constrains Evolution of Human Brain Genes.” Science Daily Dec. 29, 2006. April 30, 2009.          <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061226095421.htm>

Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species. New York: Random House, Inc., 1979

Kehr, R. Webster. Introduction to the Mathematics of Evolution. April 2009. May 11, 2009          <http://www.mathematicsofevolution.com/index.html>

“Scientific theory.”  Britannica Online Encyclopedia. 2009. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. April 4, 2009          <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/528971/scientific-theory>