Teaching evolution in an evangelized America...

Waylon, I'm not talking about posting the story. I'm glad he did. I really liked the story and I was impressed with the teacher.

I'm talking about how he presented it. Read the initial post.

 

Lots of things are "on" the parents, including their children's education. Which encompasses a lot more understandable - and, more crucially, interesting - subjects.

It's not a parent's job to be advocates for science. That would be the job of science. And if science has a long-term interest in its continued academic freedom and relative trust level, it'll invest a little more of itself in the schools, and a little less in the lab.

Maybe that statement offends you, I don't know. I see it as reality. The reputation of science takes hits from the right every day. It's naive to expect the hits to stop.

 

Except that...I am not arguing for creationism. Rather, I am arguing for science to get more people like the teacher, and less people in the ivory tower.

 

I cannot believe that this is actually a "debate" in the United States of America in 2008.

 

Well, believe it. On this issue, sadly, believe it.

While Baby Boomers liberals were out making dough, getting postmodern and contemplating the length of their own pricks for the last 15 years, certain evangelicals got smart, and turned God into an Amway scheme, selling friendship over faith, and a set of political "rules" over the words of Christ. It's Jesus-on-a-mailing-list, sold without any of the cringe-factor of old-school tele-evangelism. A singer like Carrie Underwood sums it up, saying "Jesus take the wheel" on one hand and "took a Louisville slugger to both headlights" in the other. <i>I love Jesus</i> and <i>don't fuck with me</i> out of different corners of the same mouth. In other words, <i>I like to win, and I deserve to because I got Jesus</i>.

As a Christian, it's kinda disgusting and scary to watch. But that does not mean it isn't happening.

On the issue of evolution and others, it is happening.

 

I'm all for intellectual curiosity, but you're right, there shouldn't be a "debate" between evolution and creationism. If creationism is taught, it should be taught with ancient mythology, because that's of course exactly what it is. Creation myths have an important role in the study of history, and this is no exception.

But it boggles the mind that anyone could still believe in creationism as fact. Of course the hypocrisy of the evangelized position is that they easily dissmiss the creation stories of other religions and societies as whimsical myths.

 

Alma's not arguing in favor of creationism. Or even its teaching.

Alma's pointing out an inarguable reality in America as we find it today. He and I come at this from opposite ends of things, but his post just now sums up the process that got us here. This debate is real, no matter how obvious it seems to certain folks on both sides that it shouldn't be.

Otherwise, how do we explain that America alone among the developed Western countries rejects Darwin and clings to the notion of a Biblical creationism.

 

That you cannot see that the issue is teaching it in a SCIENCE CLASS proves beyond any doubt that you are not even attempting to understand what all the fuss is about. Just being a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian.

 

Do you mean to suggest that American colleges and universities might really be state capitalist enterprises that serve at the pleasure of state capitalism?? Shocking.

And you want better people in the tower and fewer people in the tower, despite this being, oh, the most hostile leadership to progressive science in American history.

 

Oh, but they do. ;D

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/39512

 

Ageed. Schools always seem to teach Greek and Roman gods actually existed....

 

You don't want them to advocate for science? Fine. These parents are advocating against it.

Plenty of children use poor grammar because it's what they hear at home. But I have NEVER heard a parent tell a child, "That English teacher who told you that saying 'Me and him had went to the store' is wrong is lying to you."