Intelligent Design or "not too Intelligent" Design
The recent ruling in PA on whether or not to allow 9th grade children the option to hear about any theory or idea that would compete with evolution has me thinking... and I guess it boils down to what the definition of "science" is (or is not). It seem to remember, back when the evolutionists were breaking into public schools, the arguments AGAINST teaching evolution were based on the accepted scientific model (observation, predictability, etc...). These are the same arguments now being used by the honorable judge to suppress ID (or Creationism).
The argument at that time was, "What would it hurt to expose school kids to both and let them make up their own minds...". Isn't it amazing that all these years later, the first thing to go was anything that would actually make kids think about what they are being taught or anything that opposed the evolutionists position. Although it is a "theory", if you were to ask most school kids, they would tell you that it is "FACT" based on the way it is presented in the classroom.
To the believer of either side, both ideas (or theories) require a leap of faith or a notion that coincides with your pre-determined belief system. Since neither can be PROVEN without making assumptions based on what we believe (faith???), then I suppose we should not teach either in public schools. Based on my worldview, my opinions and my belief system, evolution appears to be the same to secular humanists as Creation is to Christians who accept the Bible as God's Word and ultimate arbiter of Truth (not to be confused with "truth").
Based on the end result of today's' public education system, it appears that the goal of education is not to teach kids HOW to think, but WHAT to think. The United States of America is losing ground every day to the rest of the industrialized nations in math and science because we spend too much time teaching kids how to feel good about themselves, or how bad our Founding Fathers (and Mothers) really were, or how evil conservatives are, or how to be tolerant of everything but Christianity... anything but math and science.
This was the principal reason my wife and I chose home-schooling 20 years ago. The safety issues only reinforced our choice. It looks like many of my fellow American citizens feel the same... and more would if they had the resources.
The argument at that time was, "What would it hurt to expose school kids to both and let them make up their own minds...". Isn't it amazing that all these years later, the first thing to go was anything that would actually make kids think about what they are being taught or anything that opposed the evolutionists position. Although it is a "theory", if you were to ask most school kids, they would tell you that it is "FACT" based on the way it is presented in the classroom.
To the believer of either side, both ideas (or theories) require a leap of faith or a notion that coincides with your pre-determined belief system. Since neither can be PROVEN without making assumptions based on what we believe (faith???), then I suppose we should not teach either in public schools. Based on my worldview, my opinions and my belief system, evolution appears to be the same to secular humanists as Creation is to Christians who accept the Bible as God's Word and ultimate arbiter of Truth (not to be confused with "truth").
Based on the end result of today's' public education system, it appears that the goal of education is not to teach kids HOW to think, but WHAT to think. The United States of America is losing ground every day to the rest of the industrialized nations in math and science because we spend too much time teaching kids how to feel good about themselves, or how bad our Founding Fathers (and Mothers) really were, or how evil conservatives are, or how to be tolerant of everything but Christianity... anything but math and science.
This was the principal reason my wife and I chose home-schooling 20 years ago. The safety issues only reinforced our choice. It looks like many of my fellow American citizens feel the same... and more would if they had the resources.
posted by Rick at 11:26 PM
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