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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Good for a giggle.

I was reading curriculum reviews today, and came across a very unfavorable review for a particular company's science course. As a Christian creationist, the parent was upset that this company's science course was about... Science.


She said:

'The 8th grade science materials are so full of erroneous information as to make me wonder if [redacted] wishes to teach or merely to indoctrinate children.'

Think about that for a minute. A Christian creationist. Not someone who believes that Christ is so mighty that he created the word, and all of the science in it, but someone who believes so firmly in a book written and translated by men that they're willing to ignore science and reality. Again, not someone who merely believes that God created the world, but someone who believes that our planet is 6,000 years old, and Adam and Eve rode dinos with saddles, a la the Flintstones. And this woman is upset that someone wants to 'indoctrinate' her children? Possibly she needs an ophthalmologist to get that beam out of her eye, lol.

She continues on to say that their previous offerings had been somewhat acceptable, but that their updated curriculum showed that 'the gloves are off and the agenda has become more apparent'. Again, a Christian evolutionist accusing someone else of having an agenda is a fairly audacious, to which I am replying:

Yes, honey, they do have an agenda. It's to sell their products. Since most people, even most Christians, believe in science, selling products that reflect that makes sense. If you want something different, try the gift shop at the Creation Museum.

She ends her review with the following:

'They could have also offered varied perspectives of leading scientists today instead of teaching presumption as fact. They seem content to rely on their good name of yesteryear; I am not going to experiment with them any more.'

Sometimes science courses do teach theory as fact. This is true. It's because by the time that you're ready for that part of the courses, you know all about the scientific method, and you understand the differences between the facts shown by observable, repeatable phenomena (Like gravity.) and a very well tested theory about an unobserved, unrepeatable phenomena (Like the demise of the dinosaurs.). At that point, you understand the limitations of what you're learning, and there's no need for a disclaimer with every paragraph or page, detailing which are the best theories and which are facts.

Regardless, any parent who has failed to teach their child about the scientific method for acquiring knowledge deserves what they get. (Namely, a child who really believes everything that they read.) Possibly, Christian creationist parents should probably just save their money and skip any further science curriculum purchases. Buy your kid a new Bible instead. A shiny one, with extra large text in Genesis and Leviticus.

(Also, her last sentence is really funny. A Christian creationist, experimenting. Hehe, get it?)

Anyway, it just goes to show that no one is more afraid of being robbed than a robber, and no one is more afraid of indoctrination than an indoctrinator. And that's my giggle for the day.

2 comments:

  1. I'm confused - did she believe in evolution or creation? Either way what often amuses me in these debates is the fact that people are so incapable of seeing outside the "it must be this way" mode of thinking. I am a Christian. I believe in creation. I believe that the Bible clearly says that God started with the smallest animals and ended with humans. That in and of itself explains the theory of evolution to me. My children will probably come to their own conclusions as I will teach both accepted theories and most likely tell them what I think as well. That may require more than one textbook - but that's the great thing about homeschooling I can get more than one textbook if I want. Or we can take a book out of the library to teach both theories. No matter which side of the debate you are on I think you should be imparting both theories on your children because they should know there is an ongoing debate out there. Because no matter what you teach they will eventually meet someone who thinks something different.

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  2. My children will probably come to their own conclusions as I will teach both accepted theories and most likely tell them what I think as well. ... Because no matter what you teach they will eventually meet someone who thinks something different.

    This is the difference between education and indoctrination. :)

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