The concept of flatness only exists in our minds.In reality all things in this universe are curved,it is just a matter of what degree.Gravity and the forces between molecules make all things move to a curved shape.

Is it possible to teach something that defies all laws of nature and logic?

"Is it possible to teach something that defies all laws of nature and logic? "Arjay

It is possible to teach something that defies all laws of nature and logic and it is common to do so. Both Iintelligent Design and religion require magic as the base on which theories are built. Magic by definition defies all laws of nature and logic.

Westy that would not be appropriate. There is an unresolved controversy between scientists who subscribe to the evolutionary theory and those who subscribe to the intelligent design theory that is currently being debated. Both sides adduce scientific evidence to support their theory.

Contrarily the flat earth theory does not have any scientific support. It was a misperception based on lack of scientific knowledge. It is easily verifiably incorrect.

That is not to say that everyone would have easily been convinced that the earth is not flat. Just as people today who reject science dismiss intelligent design solely on the basis that some crackpot who doesn't believe in gravity supports it, flat earthers would surely have found comfort in deriding the more eccentric followers of the new theory.

In the circumstances it makes sense that the debate has flowed into the issue of whether both theories should be taught at school until the issue is resolved one way or another but there is no reason to consider teaching the flat earth theory.

I know I am taking your comments literally and they were hopefully simply intended to vent an emotion but how else can I respond?

"Westy that would not be appropriate. There is an unresolved controversy between scientists who subscribe to the evolutionary theory and those who subscribe to the intelligent design theory that is currently being debated. Both sides adduce scientific evidence to support their theory." mjpb simply it is not true.

Evolution is a principle of the phenomenon of biological change. Evolution is reinforced through the application and development of technologies which are based on evolution. From knowledge gained from evolution Genetics, biology and the understanding and treatment of disease and environmental management. Evolution occurs quickly as changes in habitat quickly extinguish hereditary lines. This can be as quick as a dry wet season , a few too many bushfires, a construction of a dam. Genetics have even exposed race as myth.

Intelligent design is nothing more than spin created to lend superstition credibility. The effect is because intelligent design is lie based it is the flat earth theory of the new millenium. Intelligent design is as scientific as witch hunting or making noise on New Years to ward off evil spirits. All are magic dependent.

West, I assume that those gliders, launched off the edge of your flat earth could never return.
This being the case I start to warm to your reality.

I will become a fully paid up subscriber, if I am allowed to write the passengers list for the first 200 gliders, launched.
I promise I will pick, only four OLO contributors.

West, the point Philo makes about FE and ID being very different issues is correct.

FE is an assertion which can be easily proven or disproven. I think that it has been fairly successfully disproven. It's place in the teaching of science is as an example of a failed theory.

ID on the other and is an attempt to deal with the why's and can not be proven or disproven, it has no place in science.

I think both have a place in education, as part of a "religious education" program. The course could cover the claims and history of the major religions.

In the case of christianity it could include a module on the various attempts to defend the bible as the literal word of god in the face of an overwhelming body of evidence which shows that the bible is not literal.

The defense of FE would be one part but far more interesting would be the myriad attepts to defend genesis as some kind of record of the history of the earth. Items that come to mind are the idea that god created the earth in seven literal days complete with a geological fossil record indicating an earth billions of years old and containing animals that never existed. The Creation Science mob should provide plenty of more modern attempts to do the same. ID would fit into this history.

A similar coverage of the history of science should also be included.
The times that science has had key theories wrong and how the change in understanding has come about.

This is stuff that students should have available to them as they attempt to evaluate the claims of various bodies of belief.

R0bert