They’re talking about this in my staet as well.  As a teacher, I am naturally concerned.  The best way to deal with this in the classroom would be to present both perspectives simultaneously, and make it a major term project to have the kids critique and compare each side-by-side.  In other words, don’t “teach”, but rather have them explore and critically evaluate the issues (as un-American as this may be).  Creationism will lose hands down (in your classroom, anyway).

The problem is that there are all too many educators out there all too willing to preach dogma as opposed to promoting critical thought, since they themselves are afraid of it.

True, on the surface it would not seem to be a bad idea to teach creation theory side by side with evolution but it is just one more thinly veiled attempt to get religion, christian religion, into the schools. Will we also be forced to teach creation theories from other religions? How about theories that we came from the stars or were planted here by beings from other planets? Why not, I mean if we are going to turn science into a great muddied mass of ‘what ifs’ then ALL theories should be taught. Isn’t it bigoted of us not to consider the Raelian point of view, the Hindu, the Scientologist? Why teach anything at all, maybe the “truth” will come to the students in visions or dreams.

I never thought I would live long enough to see a movement to DECREASE the quality of education in our schools. Maybe instead of teaching math we can teach guesstimation.

If you are at all interested following this link will take you to a very good article regarding Intelligent Design and the problems inherent in teaching it as an alternative explanation.

Let me hasten to add that I agree completely - these fundamentalist demands have no place in our education system.  My previous post regarded options available to teachers should legislators in their state force them to include such clap-trap in their curricula(the worm may very well turn in that direction).

Somebody notify the media�We are all in agreement   Imagine being taught physics and the instructor tells you that you just have to take certain theories on faith!  Why should anyone be expected to do that?  My son took a comparative religion class in high school last year and that seems reasonable; as long as a broad range of religious beliefs are presented objectively.  I took Biology last year to finish my degree and there were numerous ideas (I won�t even elevate them to �theory� status) I didn�t believe.  Of course my belief or disbelief has no affect on the truth of the ideas; I may be wrong, they may be right.  That is in direct contrast to these fundamentalists, who �know� they are right. 

They are in a rather sticky position.  To many of them, the bible is the true, complete, inerrant, blah, blah, blah, word of God.  By that definition, everything that can be known is in the bible; nothing can be revised or re-thought!  I don�t think any �real� science says it has all the answers.  I think they should provide detailed instruction on the definition of science and the scientific method.  Then maybe the �fundies� won�t be so threatened by it.

Honestly, I’d love to see more comparative religion classes in schools. Religion is an important part of a lot of people’s lives yet most folks are only familiar with their own personal religion. Many Christians could benefit from a better understanding of the differences between, say, the Catholic and the Baptist denominations let alone the differences between Christianity and Islam.

Of course, comparative religious classes quickly come under fire from the fundamentalists who don’t want their kids to learn anything about other religions because it might promote tolerance.

Hey, I was in total agreement with you about Beyonce Knowles too! God-DAMN she’s fine!

Comparitive religion! What a cool topic.  I’ve got a lesson that has kids look at Prometheus, Lucifer, Jesus, Coyote… all tricksters and/or rabble-rousers that bring “truth” to humanity, and in so doing raise the wrath of The Authority. A lot of administrators don’t like it much.

What age group do you teach Ken?

10-12

I feel sorry for you. Obviously the devil has got a good grip on you and being an atheist you don�t even know it. What a pathetic life, to believe that once you are dead that is it. Well, you will definitely have a huge wake up call when you do die, you�ll end up spending the rest of eternity (FOREVER!!!) in hell (I shudder to even think of how unimaginably terrible that will be). I know that these comments will just piss you off and you will probably think that I am the stupid one for believing in the God of Christianity, the one true God, who created all, and loves and brings all to heaven once they die, if they believe in Him. But I don�t care, because I�m pissed at you for saying religion is crap. It�s true that a lot of religions are worthless. They are, except for the ones that believe in salvation by God�s grace, and that you don�t have to do anything but believe in God�s everlasting love for us and His gift of eternal life (GRACE) and you are in. How great is that? It is the greatest gift of all time.
I have one question for you. What is the point of being an atheist? To live for nothing but self pleasure? What a sad and lonely existence. Have you never given Christianity a chance? Ya know, I may not like you one bit for bashing Christianity, and frankly I don�t, and I could care less about you. In fact, serves you right for being stupid about God, you�ll realize you have made an irreversible mistake once you die and go to hell, to all that unimaginable pain and suffering instead of just dying and that�s it, like you believe. Like I said, serves you right. But then again, I deserve hell, too. Every human does. Fortunately, though, because Jesus died on the cross, bearing the weight of the sins of the whole world, and rose again on the third day, after conquering the devil and all the fury of hell, we don�t have to go to hell when we die. We can go to heaven. To the most wonderful place imaginable. Take your most perfect day, and times it by 100; 1,000; 1,000,000. Heaven doesn�t even compare to that. We can�t comprehend it, it will be that great! You don�t believe me. Well, that�s because you can�t comprehend it, duh, I already told you that. Frankly, it�s even hard for me to believe it, but I do, because I have faith in Christ, and his promise of everlasting life and salvation from eternal hell once we die.
Well, I�ve concluded that even though I am pissed at you for bashing Christianity, I don�t hate you. I just feel sorry for you. I may not like you much, but God LOVES you, he loves you so much that he died for you, and even if you were the only person on the whole planet, he would still have done it just for you. Isn�t that an awesome thought?

It’s a good thing ilovegrace didn’t offer to pray for Les. Damn that proselytrolling drinking game!

A public service for our ebonically gifted friends from citizen “ilovegrace”...

Yo buss dis. I feel sorry fuh you. Obviously de devil has gets a bad assed grip on you an’ bein an atheis you don�t evun noed it. What a pathetic life, to believe dat once you be dead dat be it. Well, you will definitely has a huge wake up call when you do die, you�ll en’ up spendin de res uh eternity (FOREVER!!!) in hell (I shudduh to evun think uh how unimaginably terrible dat gonna be). I noed dat dese comments will jus piss you off an’ you will probably think dat I be de stupid one fuh believin in de God uh Christianity, de one true God, who created all, an’ loves an’ brins all to heavun once dey die, if dey believe in Him. But I don�t care, because I�m pissed at you fuh sayin religion be crap. It�s true dat a lot uh religions be worthless. Dey is, except fuh de ones dat believe in salvation by God�s grace, an’ dat you don�t gotta do anythin but believe in God�s everlastin love fuh us an’ His gift uh eternal life (GRACE) an’ you be in. How great be dat? It be de greates gift uh all time. I has one question fuh you. What be de point uh bein an atheist? To live fuh nothin but self pleasure? What a sad an’ lonely existence. has you nevuh givun Christianity a chance? Ya know, I may not likes you one bit fuh bashin Christianity, an’ frankly I don�t, an’ I could care less ‘boutyou. In fact, serves you right fuh bein stupid ‘boutGod, you�ll realize you has made an irreversible mistake once you die an’ go to hell, to all dat unimaginable pain an’ sufferin instead uh jus dyin an’ dat�s itI’m down wit dat you believe. likes I said, serves you right. But den a guen, I deserve hell, too. evary human does. Fortunately, though, because Jesus died on de cross, bearin de weight uh de sins uh de whoe world, an’ rose a guen on de third day, aftuh conquerin de devil an’ all de fury uh hell, we don�t gotta go to hell when we die. We can go to heaven. To de mos wonderful place imaginable. Take yo mos perfect day, an’ times it by 100; 1,000; 1,000,000. Heavun doesn�t evun compare to dat. We can�t comprehen’ it, it gonna be dat great! You don�t believe me. Well, dat�s because you can�t comprehen’ it, duh, I already told you dat. Frankly, it�s evun hard fuh me to believe it, but I do, because I has faith in Christ, an’ his promise uh everlastin life an’ salvation from eternal hell once we die. Well, I�ve concluded dat evun though I be pissed at you fuh bashin Christianity, I don�t hate you. I jus feel sorry fuh you. I may not likes you much, but God LOVES you, he loves you so much dat he died fuh you, an’ evun if you wuz de only person on de whoe planet, he would still has done it jus fuh you. Isn�t dat an awesome thought? Sheeit!

Ilovegrace…although I completly agree with your point, being a believing christian myself, I think we need to be compassionate to the unsaved.  Ok? 

“and frankly I don�t, and I could care less about you. In fact, serves you right for being stupid about God”

Does that sound something a christian would say?  We need to accept their choice.  God gave man a choice, who are we to say diffrently?  We may advise them of their mistakes, but leave the judging and harsh words up to the lord…calm down and take comfort in that idea YOU are going to heaven…and help as many along the way as you can

I�ve got a lesson that has kids look at Prometheus, Lucifer, Jesus, Coyote� all tricksters and/or rabble-rousers that bring �truth� to humanity, and in so doing raise the wrath of The Authority

LOL!  Awesome!  I let my students choose from a variety of research projects, but that’s one of the one’s I throw out there as well.  In fact, I’ve got one group working on it right now!  I throw in Anansi and Loki, as well.

I don’t have to worry about parents freakin’ out about it, at the moment, but I suppose that might become a problem when I start teaching at the high-school level.

Whenever I see comments such as those by Ilovegrace I always wonder whether are these remarks meant as a troll for response.

I mean you know such people exist, you sometimes read about it and once in a while see them standing in the corner of the street shouting stuff like the devil’s grip on the world is tightening and the like.

“we don�t have to go to hell when we die” If what you say is true then the mere fact the devil got a grip and one is an atheist should not matter since we will all go to heaven. And…if we all go to heaven then there is no such as a hell hence no devil, unless the devil is in heaven which means that you are lying about the fact that the devil got a grip since there is no devil. Tsk, tsk is not lying suppose to be evil?

Well nothing much more to say except…“Repent fornicators, Repent!“

They mean “rip end”, which is exactly what some fornicators do. So there.

Speaking of street preachers…  one who was on campus a while back asked if anyone had oral sex.  When a bunch of hands went up, he gets this look of total disgust on his face, points around at us, and says “You put your mouth on it?!“. 

Hell yeah!

Wish I had a picture of him at that moment.

I bet he was living vicariously, Ragman. Did anyone check his crotch?

Sorry!

Pop Tarts, I try to hold out hope that those people are trolls, but I got the same exactly message sent directly to me via email so I’m pretty sure this was your garden variety nutjob just passing through.

They’re kinda like skunks in that way. Not overly pleasant when they wander by, but if you leave them alone they’ll keep on going and the stench will soon pass.