[gallo]

Quote by: Tycoon Creationism and intelligent design are not taught because the fact that there is no proof whatsoever to support them would create controversy.

Proof is something that exists in math, logic, and alcohol content. Proof is not a matter of science. But I'm sure you really meant to say that there is no evidence to support creationism or ID. If there is no evidence then there can be no hypothesis, if no hypothesis then no predictions, if no predictions then there are no tests to support the original claim. That's only one problem with creationism/ID - it cannot be falsified.

What should the teacher say when the student asks for proof?

The teacher should review the lessons from the 1st week of school when they were taught that proof is not a matter of science. Science doesn't prove anything. Science offers tested, naturalistic explanations for natural events and phenomena. Science is always tentative because there may be some observation that will be made in the future that will change the explanation. For example, were you aware that Newton's theory of gravitation was wrong?

Well don't go around forcing people to learn creationism and intelligent design.

The question was whether I wanted to present classes on evolution or the big bang in a church somewhere. My answer was no, I don't want to. I don't go around forcing people to learn anything, least of all creationism and ID. Even when I was teaching evolutionary biology my students weren't forced to learn anything. Learning the material was just a requirement for a passing grade.

The school is in charge of what it teaches.

Technically, it is the school board and the state education agencies. Also, certain rules are established by the state legislature.

If people want to learn creationism and intelligent design they will go to a church or other religious place.

But that's the problem. Creationists have been trying to get their religion taught as science in public schools for years. At first they tried to forbid that evolutionary theory or geology be taught at all. When the courts threw that out, they tried to get "equal time" for "creation science." That didn't work either. In several cases "creation science" has been found by the courts to be religion. Next came "teach the controversy" whines from the creationists. What they aren't aware of is that controversies in biology have zero to do with creationism. Further, there isn't any scientific controversy between evolutionary biology and creationism. Again, creationism isn't science.

Latest efforts have been to try to get programs of ID creationism introduced in schools. In the case in Dover, PA ID was found to be religiously, and not scientifically based. I found it quite humorous when the Judge, a politically conservative Christian, caught some of the ID witnesses lying.