Reply To: BYA Cancels Biology Regent

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writersoul- I’m not sure if the question you are asking is directed at me (I have studied and am a proponent of teaching evolution), but I will be glad to attempt to answer it.

The reason frum Jews do not teach evolution is because it is a concept that is not associated with religion. People for thousands of years (especially in Europe and other places that significant portions of the Jewish population resided) did not have a scientific theory as to how the world developed into what it looks like today.

Along comes Darwin and the like, and propose an idea that is new. Most of these ideas were not very compatible with the Torah based on the way it was interpreted by the Rabbonim until then. (Nowadays we have plenty of “new” commentaries that are giving alternatives to the way we interpret the Chumash.) There was little empirical evidence in Darwin’s time, he was mainly speculating (as is evidence of his famous “I think..” paper) and it took the next hundred or so years to back up his claims with experimental data.

Because at the time the idea was introduced into the mainstream there was lack of interpretation of the Torah in a way that coincides with evolution, it was thrown out by the Rabbis and designated as kefira.

I’m not sure as to why we don’t want questions. Answering questions can only strengthen our emunah, not take away from it.