Editing Creationism (section)

====Education controversies====
{{Main|Rejection of evolution by religious groups}}  <!-- should the latter redirect be used? Or a policy against redirects: [[Creation–evolution controversy]] -->
[[File:Truth fish.jpg|thumb|right|The Truth fish, one of the many creationist responses to the [[Parodies of the ichthys symbol|Darwin fish]] ]]
In the US, creationism has become centered in the political controversy over [[Creation and evolution in public education#United States|creation and evolution in public education]], and whether teaching creationism in science classes conflicts with the separation of church and state. Currently, the controversy comes in the form of whether advocates of the intelligent design movement who wish to "[[Teach the Controversy]]" in science classes have conflated [[Relationship between religion and science|science with religion]].<ref name="kitz" />

[[People for the American Way]] polled 1500 North Americans about the teaching of evolution and creationism in November and December 1999. They found that most North Americans were not familiar with creationism, and most North Americans had heard of evolution, but many did not fully understand the basics of the theory. The main findings were:
{{bar box
|title= Americans believe that:<ref name="pfaw" />
|barwidth=200px
|width=80%
|bars=
{{bar percent|
* Public schools should teach evolution only|silver|60|20%}}
{{bar percent|
* '''Only evolution should be taught in science classes, religious explanations <br />can be discussed in another class'''|gray|51|17%}}
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* Creationism can be discussed in science class as a 'belief,' not a scientific theory|silver|87|29%}}
{{bar percent|
* '''Creationism and evolution should be taught as 'scientific theories' in science class'''|gray|39|13%}}
{{bar percent|
* Only Creationism should be taught|silver|48|16%}}
{{bar percent|
* '''Teach both evolution and Creationism, but unsure how to do so'''|gray|12|4%}}
{{bar percent|
* No opinion|silver|3|1%}}
}}

In such political contexts, creationists argue that their particular religiously based origin belief is superior to those of other [[belief system]]s, in particular those made through secular or scientific rationale. Political creationists are opposed by many individuals and organizations who have made detailed critiques and given testimony in various court cases that the [[objections to evolution|alternatives to scientific reasoning offered by creationists]] are opposed by the [[scientific consensus|consensus]] of the scientific community.<ref name="aaas">{{cite web|url=http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/pdf/0219boardstatement.pdf|title=Statement on the Teaching of Evolution|date=February 16, 2006|publisher=[[American Association for the Advancement of Science]]|location=Washington, D.C.|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221125539/http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/pdf/0219boardstatement.pdf|archive-date=2006-02-21|access-date=2014-03-09}}
* {{cite press release|title=AAAS Denounces Anti-Evolution Laws as Hundreds of K-12 Teachers Convene for 'Front Line' Event|date=February 19, 2006|publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science|location=St. Louis, MO|url=http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0219boardstatement.shtml|last=Pinholster|first=Ginger|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060421193306/http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0219boardstatement.shtml|archive-date=2006-04-21|access-date=2014-08-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Delgado |first=Cynthia |date=July 28, 2006 |title=Finding the Evolution in Medicine |url=http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2006/07_28_2006/story03.htm |journal=[[NIH Record]] |issn=1057-5871 |access-date=2014-03-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122022815/http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2006/07_28_2006/story03.htm |archive-date=November 22, 2008 }} "...While 99.9 percent of scientists accept evolution, 40 to 50 percent of college students do not accept evolution and believe it to be 'just' a theory."{{snd}}[[Brian Alters]]</ref>