Evolution should be taught in public schools

"The people who have problems with evolution that you can name are probably people who have absolutely no scientific background whatsoever. Laymen to science who only know the evolution "contradicts" their religion and thus, they must fight against it ignorantly and whole-heartedly. I don't really count those people." This is an assumption which was silly to make. You do not know these people, as they are intelligent and have gotten an excellent education. But this is off-subject, so I will return to the matter at hand. "I am saying that Biologists who do not believe in evolution are not fit to teach Biology, because it shows that they cannot grasp the concepts necessary to do so. Evolution is so key to Biology that rejecting it is akin to rejecting the entire field." Biologist who do not believe in evolution may ‘grasp the concepts' as you say. Because you don't believe something does not mean you cannot understand it. Evolution may be a big part of biology, but if someone feels compelled to teach biology, and completely understands the idea of evolution, but does not believe in it, are you to say they are not fit to teach it? It is the same as saying a Social Studies teacher is not fit to teach the religion part in Social Studies because he or she does not believe in the certain religion that is being taught. ‘'Again, you're wrong. If you have to ask about my point, it means there might be a misconception and you should ask me to clarify instead of assuming that I will answer in a particular way.' My words first began with ‘Is this to say..'. That is clearing up a point, and giving you an opportunity to answer/change my assumption. You also did not answer my question. (Is this to say that I, and anyone else that strongly believes in God and is against the theory of evolution is a ‘religious nut'?) This either means you do not know what you are talking about, or forgot. "I very much appreciate how you deliberately chose the second definition, which happens to support your point over the first one, which is the valid one and happens to harm it. I find this to be a dishonest tactic that illustrates the inherent and unfounded bias that theists hold against evolution." In the definitions I posted(from dictionary.com), both are true. I am allowed to post one that supports my point if both are true, so I do not see how you find this a dishonest tactic. "If this is the only point you have, then there is nothing more to debate. Any other point you have made so far is irrelevant." I do not see how you have come to this statement, but to clarify, I will restate my beliefs. As you might have noticed by what I've stated in the debate, you may see I support two strong points as to why evolution should not be taught in schools. To clarify, by evolution I include the theory that organisms grow and adapt to their surroundings AND the big bang theory(how the universe was created). My two disagreements with the topic are: --Evolution is not sure to have happened, so we may be teaching lies --What would happen if science figured that the theory of evolution was not true? All things we've based off of it would be untrue, and we would begin at the beginning. --Evolution states that animals have changed over time. How do we know our method of dating the earth's rocks and fossils is correct? We were not around when the world formed and we were not around when most of the fossils and rocks we are studying formed. How do we know the earth is 4.5 billion years old? The Bible states that the earth and most galaxies are only 6,007 yrs old. --As you may disagree that the bible is not a textbook, and therefore is not a relevant source for information, I agree. Thank God it is not because textbooks always have mistakes and go out-of-date in a few years. The Bible has no errors and is always current and up-to-date. --Evolution is not believed by all, and nonbelievers should not have to --Would you like to go somewhere where people made you doubt all that you were taught and believed it? This is what schools do when they teach children that evolution is in fact, true. As stated above, humans do not know that everything they believe in is truth. We did not create the Earth and do not know what is truth. Teaching evolution when it may not be true causes confusion when children do not understand what to believe. --Evolution may be an important concept to understand when it comes to Biology, but shouldn't children then get the choice to learn this? Even if you do not agree in the fact that children should not be taught evolution, do you simply agree that children/children's parents(depending on their age) should be allowed the choice on whether or not they wish to be taught the theory of evolution, as it is with other things, such as certain parts of health? Overall, I think the theory of evolution should not be taught in schools, or at the very least, it should be a choice. Also, the curriculum teaches and addresses the theory as though it is correct and proven. This is taken from a Prentice Hall Life Science textbook: "Evolution by natural selection had occurred in just one year." Pg. 154. This states that evolution DID occur, even if nobody was there to witness it. It is teaching the students that evolution did in fact occur. No one can be positive that the theory is true, as it is simply a theory. _________________________________________________ My opponent replies that I have failed to rebut many of his comments, but I beg to differ. On the contrary, he has failed to rebut several of my questions directly, merely skipped around the questions and criticized the way I asked it. From these facts, I will conclude that he doesn't know the answers. Furthermore, I believe that this shows that evolution has many weak points and unknowns and my opponent is not fit to be debating on whether or not evolution should be taught in schools if he cannot answer the questions directly. Voters, and others; when you vote, consider whether or not you would want to be taught something, or your children taught something, that you yourself did not believe. Would you want others to insist that this theory was true, and tear down the beliefs that you so strongly had faith in?