Idiot America: "I should add that I never had such questions raised when teaching abroad. The perception of a conflict between science and religion seems to be a peculiarly American concern."

James Peri Colorado November 20, 2017

Much of this echoes my experience teaching evolutionary biology at a state university for 30 years, mostly in a second semester introductory biology course for mixed majors. Periodically, a student in one of the large lecture classes (200+ students) would ask why I didn't include creation in the course. Invariably, the student would be referring to the biblical account. My first response was that my educational background was in science not religion and so I did not have the professional background to do justice to the teaching of creation, which would be best taught in a department of religious studies. I would also add that I would be hard pressed to choose among the thousands of creation stories from cultures around the world. Teaching in the Southwest, there were invariably Native American students in my classes from several tribes, each with their own account of creation, as well as students from many other traditions. I would conclude that as a professor in the Biology Department, my mandate was to teach provide a up to date introduction to evolutionary biology, emphasizing the material evidence on which the field of study is based. This explanation, respectfully offered, always seemed to satisfy concerned students.

I should add that I never had such questions raised when teaching abroad. The perception of a conflict between science and religion seems to be a peculiarly American concern.