Debating Creation

I was called a hypocrite today. I was discussing evolution and creationism in public schools with a friend when he became quite agitated. "How can an agnostic support teaching creation theory in public schools! What about separation of church and state? What about scientific method?" I always feel I am making headway in an argument when the vein in my sparring partner's forehead begins to pulsate. I don't know if it means I'm winning or if my insufferable sense of my own right-headedness has driven them completely batty, but be that as it may.... "First off, being an agnostic has little to do with the issue. An atheist might call the idea of god mythological and dismiss any theory that is predicated on him, but I am an agnostic, neither believer or non-believer. I simply accept the absence of objective proof as proof of the unknowableness of the question. As for creationism, it is no less unknowable. The same is true of evolution. But I don't want to get bogged down in theology," I said, "because it is a road without end. I would rather deal with the practical question of how to teach the origin of species. On this, I am without doubt. Two predominant theories have wrestled for acceptance, but neither can be proven. To deny the developing young mind the challenge of critically analyzing both denies him the opportunity to engage the most profound and important question a human could grapple with. It is not the answer that matters, from an educational perspective, but rather the question and the skills that can be gained and honed by engaging it. Teaching only one sends the message that students are not capable of objective analysis, evaluation and contextualizing within the framework of the whole body of their belief system. Or worse, it says that the purveyors of each are so insecure in their theory they dare not subject it to scrutiny less it be subjugated by the other. I fear those that fear healthy debate. All over this country people with an ideology threatened to shut out any who question their ideas. This is so much more scary when the forum is the school system that is mandated by law and paid for with the taxes of people from every ideological stripe." My friend mumbled into his latte and changed the subject.