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Stumpy

If you MUST teach creation myths in science class...

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New York, where ponds freeze over, but minds generally do not. Perhaps in the Bible Belt such a course would not have been tolerated.



note the irony of the statement

good clean fun

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

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That's a very literal reading of the myth, and even that can't be discredited. We weren't there 6000 years ago. The same God that created the universe can insert fossils into the ground. Or more pragmatically, you don't read this oral history from 2000 years ago so literally.

But it was obvious by observation that the earth wasn't the center of the universe - the objects in the sky weren't in the right places.



The same God who can insert fossils in the ground to fool us can also cause the other bodies in the sky to appear in different places than where they really are (in orbit around the earth).


Wouldn't that God just make the Earth the center?


Then the god who would insert fossils into the ground would just make the universe old.

Now feel free to justify why mind-bogglingly-stupid-suggestion number one is somehow plausible enough to warrant discussion while mind-bogglingly-stupid-suggestion number two is just stupid:S
Do you want to have an ideagasm?

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Bill,

You know my position on religion; however, I believe there should be a separation between church and State. I am even opposed to teaching "Religions of the World" up to the 12th grade. Religion should be the parent's job until graduating from high school. Having "Religion's of the World" can be what it was when I took it in college... an elective in Humanities by someone who has reached the age of majority.

EDIT: Little sidenote... I took a correspondence class from the University of Washington while in the military (Before everyone had online classes & before the Internet) called, "The Bible as Literature." Really good class where there was one rule. Any papers could not be of theological discussion, but only from a literature perspective.

EDIT: EDIT: AH HAH!!! They still have it... http://www.onlinelearning.washington.edu/ol/intros/engl310/
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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I think it's wrong either way.
Mythology should not be included in a science class at all.

I doesn't matter which creation myth is the local favorite it's still not science.



I agree. But to be fair, atheistic scientists should not peddle their religion in " science class" any more that those who believe in Intelligent Design. No one can prove what initiated the creative forces of the big bang singularity

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. I am even opposed to teaching "Religions of the World" up to the 12th grade. Religion should be the parent's job until graduating from high school. Having "Religion's of the World" can be what it was when I took it in college... an elective in Humanities by someone who has reached the age of majority.



excellent -

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

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I am even opposed to teaching "Religions of the World" up to the 12th grade. Religion should be the parent's job until graduating from high school.


That's the problem. Religions, and religious parents, only teach one religion and then advocate discounting anything that doesn't agree with it.

It's when religion is taught in plurality that the contradictions, and similarities, between religions undermine their credibility. The greatest threat to religion isn't science - it's philosophy.
It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

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I am even opposed to teaching "Religions of the World" up to the 12th grade. Religion should be the parent's job until graduating from high school.


That's the problem. Religions, and religious parents, only teach one religion and then advocate discounting anything that doesn't agree with it.



OK. And what business is that of the education system? Separation of church and state. If we're not going to teach religion in school and leave it to the parents - the education system has no say in what the kids are taught. Or do you advocate adding that to the already exhausted social curriculum of drugs and sex ed and driving ed and... you get the idea.

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It's when religion is taught in plurality that the contradictions, and similarities, between religions undermine their credibility. The greatest threat to religion isn't science - it's philosophy.



No argument... I refer you back to the Islam, Christianity, Judaism thread.
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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I think it's wrong either way.
Mythology should not be included in a science class at all.

I doesn't matter which creation myth is the local favorite it's still not science.



I agree. But to be fair, atheistic scientists should not peddle their religion in " science class" any more that those who believe in Intelligent Design. No one can prove what initiated the creative forces of the big bang singularity



With all due respect, do you have any concept of quite how stupid that statement is - or is that the point?

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And what business is that of the education system?

It's kind of hard to understand current events in the world, and world history for that matter, without knowing anything about one of the primary factors that motivates people (and societies) to do what they do. Some "just-the-facts" about such influences, without any judgmental crap about "how could they be so stupid" is essential if students are to get get beyond memorizing events and dates and start to see why things happened as they did. Can you imagine teaching Greek history without any discussion of the Greek gods? "They built the Acropolis where they did because, well, ummm... they liked the view from the top of the hill. They could see their house from up there. Yeah, that's the reason."

Don
_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

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I think it's wrong either way.
Mythology should not be included in a science class at all.

I doesn't matter which creation myth is the local favorite it's still not science.



I agree. But to be fair, atheistic scientists should not peddle their religion in " science class" any more that those who believe in Intelligent Design. No one can prove what initiated the creative forces of the big bang singularity



Are you trying to say the big bang theory is a religous mythology? Your post doesn't make sense.

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And what business is that of the education system?

It's kind of hard to understand current events in the world, and world history for that matter, without knowing anything about one of the primary factors that motivates people (and societies) to do what they do. Some "just-the-facts" about such influences, without any judgmental crap about "how could they be so stupid" is essential if students are to get get beyond memorizing events and dates and start to see why things happened as they did. Can you imagine teaching Greek history without any discussion of the Greek gods? "They built the Acropolis where they did because, well, ummm... they liked the view from the top of the hill. They could see their house from up there. Yeah, that's the reason."

Don



Teaching current events and that wars are fought for two reasons - geography and religion and mentioning the different religions is not teaching religion.
It's like teaching about the crusades and not mentioning Catholicism,
You can't teach about the outside of a cup without teaching about what the cup is made of... but, that doesn't mean you have to teach them about what goes in the cup.
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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...but, that doesn't mean you have to teach them about what goes in the cup.

one day they will be old enough to see the 2 girls 1 cup video :|


ugh... why did you have to go there?!?!? :o
OK. Perhaps a class about what shouldn't go in the cup.
Fucking skydivers. :P
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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And what business is that of the education system?

It's kind of hard to understand current events in the world, and world history for that matter, without knowing anything about one of the primary factors that motivates people (and societies) to do what they do. Some "just-the-facts" about such influences, without any judgmental crap about "how could they be so stupid" is essential if students are to get get beyond memorizing events and dates and start to see why things happened as they did. Can you imagine teaching Greek history without any discussion of the Greek gods? "They built the Acropolis where they did because, well, ummm... they liked the view from the top of the hill. They could see their house from up there. Yeah, that's the reason."

Don



Teaching current events and that wars are fought for two reasons - geography and religion and mentioning the different religions is not teaching religion.
It's like teaching about the crusades and not mentioning Catholicism,
You can't teach about the outside of a cup without teaching about what the cup is made of... but, that doesn't mean you have to teach them about what goes in the cup.

I think we agree on this issue. I didn't mean my post to sound as if I disagreed with what you wrote in any major way, it's just that the line about "what business is that of the education system?" was a good starting point.

The problem I see is that religion is a fact of life, and it isn't practical for the education system to pretend there is no such thing without gutting some subjects (history and art, for example). On the other hand it has no place in a science class, and as I said in another thread people who put a lot of stock in their religious "explanations" of the natural world would not be very happy with the treatment such mythologies would get in my classroom. Not that I would openly deride such fables as childish nonsense, but holding them up side-by-side with real science would just underscore their fundamental vacuousness.

Don
_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

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I am even opposed to teaching "Religions of the World" up to the 12th grade. Religion should be the parent's job until graduating from high school.



That's the problem.



no it's not - raising their children is the responsibility of the parents. This can only be trumped in the case of abuse. And equating the indoctrination of a personal moral and belief system is NOT abuse.

just because you disagree with the philosophy, doesn't mean you can superseded the parent's wishes in something of this nature - that is so arrogant and intolerant as to be just ridiculous.

I'm very anti-organized religion. But in no way would I ever advocate taking my neighbors kids and forcing them to a belief in violation of their parent's wishes.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

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I am even opposed to teaching "Religions of the World" up to the 12th grade. Religion should be the parent's job until graduating from high school.



That's the problem.



no it's not - raising their children is the responsibility of the parents. This can only be trumped in the case of abuse. And equating the indoctrination of a personal moral and belief system is NOT abuse.

just because you disagree with the philosophy, doesn't mean you can superseded the parent's wishes in something of this nature - that is so arrogant and intolerant as to be just ridiculous.

I'm very anti-organized religion. But in no way would I ever advocate taking my neighbors kids and forcing them to a belief in violation of their parent's wishes.


If you only read the first three words of my post then don't complain to me when you don't agree with what you didn't read.
It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

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If you only read the first three wor.......



I read the entire point - my inference is that you were advocating that the schools be responsible for providing a varied exposure to religious philosophies since you clearly don't trust the parents to provide anything but emphasis of their own personal beliefs.

If I interpreted you incorrectly, please clarify, I'm open to it - it's more productive than just being upset because I was saving bandwidth by only referencing part of your post.

In return, I'll consider it openly and refine my angst to those that truly do advocate that and not lump you in with them. I'll even buy you a beer.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

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....advocating that the schools be responsible for providing a varied exposure to...



...all subjects, scientific, philosophical, religious civic...everything.

Anything less than that is brainwashing kids to only know and believe whatever it is that you want them to know and believe.
Simple as that.

Some of you guys sound just like the brainwashers.
"I don't want kids to know anything except what I choose!"

*shaking head*

You guys whining about myths, fictions, etc. are running scared that the kids will learn just how screwball you are.
:S

You guys wanting to restrict learning are doomed to making the same mistakes over and over again.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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Are you trying to say the big bang theory is a religous mythology? Your post doesn't make sense.



Not at all. It is currently the best theory explaining how the universe got its start. Problems arise when incomplete knowledge of God by the religious is used to distort science and when incomplete knowledge of science by atheists is used to squelch communion with God. Atheistic scientists who exclude God based on their limited understanding of science are as wrong as those who support religious creation myths. Discussions of the existence of God have no place in the "science class"

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Scientists should probably spend more time improving their theories than "disproving" God...



Scientists don't disprove god. They prove science which explains the world in which we live. Those explanations simply don't require god.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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Scientists should probably spend more time improving their theories than "disproving" God...



Scientists don't disprove god.



I know they don't disprove God, but try telling that to Dick Dawkins...
Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

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>I know they don't disprove God, but try telling that to Dick Dawkins...

Too late. He already told you.

Richard Dawkins: "We cannot, of course, disprove God, just as we can't disprove Thor, fairies, leprechauns and the Flying Spaghetti Monster."

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>I know they don't disprove God, but try telling that to Dick Dawkins...

Too late. He already told you.

Richard Dawkins: "We cannot, of course, disprove God..."



But he sure spends alot of time trying to - writing and promoting theological books n' such, rather than devoting himself to the life he chose. Perhaps that would've been time better spent on improving the holes in your theories...but as it turns out he's just another sell out who appeals to ridicule.
Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

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