I need your help with homework. If you would please reply back & answer this brief survey id appreciate it? ?

Question

Thank you in advance for your help with this project =]

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Your age:

Education completed:

Gender:

Country of origin:

Religious?(yes or no) If yes, what religion?

1.

Do you believe the theory of evolution as an explanation of human origins? Why or why not?

2. Briefly explain how biologists say evolution works.

3.

If you don't believe in evolution, how do you think humans came to be?

4.

Should the theory of evolution be taught in school? Why or why not?

5. Should other explanations of life and human origins besides evolution be taught in school? Explain.

6.

Is evolution a fact or a theory? What's the difference?

Answer 1

Age: 16

Education: Completed 10th grade

Gender: Female

Country: United States

Religious?: No

1. I believe that evolution is a perfectly valid explanation for humanity as we know it.  We have the fossil record laid down in the rocks over millions of years, which we can date by multiple methods (Carbon-14 for more recent stuff, the steady progression of rock layering over time for the long-term), which shows a steady progression of life from one form to another.  Amongst these evolving and diversifying species are the apes, which become hominids, and so to Homo sapies; us.

2. Biologists believe, according to Darwinism, that random, unpredictable changes (mutations) in an organism's genetic code bring about new traits that affect the organism's descendants; any traits that occur that benefit the organism benefit its survival, and in some cases its reproduction rate.  Any detrimental mutations lessen the chances of that organism's survival, and so organisms with that gene expression will likely die out.  For example, giraffes' ancestors had shorter necks.  Those that mutated to have slightly longer necks could get more food and were healthier, while those who still had shorter necks had to compete with other species more for food.  The shorter-necked versions died out, and the long-necked ones turned out pretty well, given that they're around today.  An interesting note; male African elephants are developing shorter, or even nonexistant, tusks in response to poachers.  Those with tusks undesireable to poachers aren't killed.  It's sort of interesting to see it in action today.

3. I believe that the evolutionary theory is sufficiently supported by hard evidence.  I dun need to answer this :)

4. I believe that schools should teach whatever material is up-to-date and supported by objective science.  Evolution has craploads of evidence supporting it, and science hasn't found else to counter evolution, so let's teach it.

We learned that the our little blue world is not actually the centre of the universe, nor is our solar system in the centre, and our galaxy isn't centred, either.  And we teach this in classes, as it's supported by scientific evidence.  Fancy telescopes and math say that we're not that special.  I don't see how evolution is any different.

I'm sorry to say that the religious views do not have much, if any, concrete evidence supporting them.  Although in concept they are good, but taking the beliefs and writings literally doesn't correspond with what scientists've found.  You can't just say that a belief is fact when you've naught to support it.

Belief and faith are okay, but please don't contradict hard fact; the former we are free to pursue in the US (yay for the first amendment), but let's not pull the wool over our eyes and get thrown into a Dark Age of ignorance.

5. No.  Unless the groups that support their individual 'theory' can find enough evidence for it, then fine by me.  However, until that day comes, Students should be taught what's concrete and known.  With the separation of the church and state, I don't think that religions should be allowed to influence or bias the teaching of public schools.  Even without the aforementioned separation, itsn't it even sort of immoral to influence our kids like that?  Let's not have faith and education mix.

6. Scientific theories iare not 'theory' in the colloquial sense (such being a near-antonym to 'fact').  In the latter sense, the colloquial, I do not believe evolution to be a theory.  In the scientific sense, it actually is a theory.  Evolution as a scientific theory is a model for a certain behaviour, and empirical evidence, facts scientists've found, support it.  Although we can't easily directly test it, we can indeed see some influence of it in the modern-day, as with the elephants above.  And then there's the genetic record of organisms, within cells themselves...et cetera, et cetera.  What scientists see as a record of orgamisms through time fits with the current model of evolutionary theory.  So, in a vulgar sense, evolution can be considered 'fact' purely for its evidenced strength.

Please pardon that my response is rather lengthy (^_^;; )

And, not to make this a formal discussion, but to the poster before me; how is atheism a religion?  It, by definition, is a LACK of belief in dieties!  It's the opposite of theism.  Religions try to explain what science either has yet to, or cannot explain.  Atheism just sort of rejects religous positions.

Answer 2

Your age: 16

Education completed: Part of high school (I'm a junior now)

Gender: F

Country of origin: USA

Religious?(yes or no) If yes, what religion? Yes, Reformed Christian

1. No, I believe in the creation story found in the book of Genesis in the Bible.  Evolution is not compatible with that belief.  In addition, I find evolution to be an insult to my intelligence.  I think it sounds ridiculous.

2. Organisms over time need to adapt to their environment and the minor changes that were brought about by the need for adaptation work their way down through the species and eventually, a new species will be created.  That's not the greatest explanation, I know, but it's sufficient.

3. "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them... Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day." (Genesis 1:26-27, 31)

4. Since separation of church and state exists, I think it's fine to teach (even though I don't like it) it AS LONG AS other beliefs are taught.  That gets kind of tricky, though, because there are so many different myths about creation so it's pretty hard to teach them all and make everyone happy.  Therefore, I believe it's best to leave it out of the curriculum.

5. See above answer.  To add to that, teaching evolution is basically promoting atheism, which even though it is a lack of belief in a god, it is a religion.  One religion should not be promoted above another.  That's the way this country is.  We have freedom of religion.

6. It is definitely a theory.  Even scientists call it a theory, even though they act like it's a fact.  A theory is an explanation of a phenomena, in this case life, while a fact is something that is 100% proven to be true.  Evolution can only be proven if we get go back in time and watch it all happen.