Teaching Ignorance: The Infiltration of Creationism is Dumbing Down our Youth

Discussion in 'Politics' started by Free Thinker, Jun 15, 2012.

  1. Flying in the face of logic and reason, there continues to be consistent effort to gteach the controversyh of creationism in U.S. classrooms. Various strategies to achieve this are being used, but it all started back in the 1980Œs with one inane suggestion that evolution be classified as a religion, putting it on par with creation, and thus validating creation as a science.

    The issue today involves our progeny. If you do not have children, you might not be as aware as those of use who have high-schoolers. Too many of them have little or no idea how old the earth is, how long humans have been on the planet or where most of everything came from. Most of what they know has come from Sunday School. It literally brings tears to my eyes knowing that if there is going to be an Armageddon, it will be an academic one.

    Mental Abusec
    I happen to agree with Dr. Richard Dawkinfs statement that teaching creationism to children is akin to child abuse. Lying to a child by teaching them that creationism in any of its forms is based on facts is pathetically inadequate because it is not just anti-science, but blatant scientific fraud.

    Graduating classes are being sent into the world without a proper education, and countless students are being lied to and the core of the problem is ignorance on a national level. A recent survey by Gallup revealed that acceptance of creationism is on the rise and a majority of Americans are against evolution being taught in school, or at least in favor of providing hspecific evidenceg that supports creationism, creation science, intelligent design, etc. Apparently, the development of critical thinking skills is not important. Who cares if we end up with eroded technological and medical leadership, right?




    Teaching creationism is the same as teaching astrology, numerology or alchemy in to our students. Creationism does not impart scientific knowledge. Evolution, however, is the product of scientific discipline. Creationism in any of itss forms is not science but a religious doctrine that says ggod did it.h The impact of teaching it in our classes results in the dumbing down of our kids, and is a direct insult to our educational system which should advance according to cumulative knowledge.

    http://freethoughtblogs.com/alstefanelli/2012/06/08/teaching-ignorance/
     
  2. jcl

    jcl

    Actually, creationism is the result of a basic conflict that all religions have today.

    The wish to believe in a god is as strong today as it was in the past, but as science found no evidence of gods in the real world, believers have a problem. If gods are not in the real world, they are just products of our mind. But then they can not serve their main religious purposes, for instance they can't be omnipotent and can't reward believers with eternal life and paradise.

    For overcoming this problem, you need to supply a sort of counter-science, which fulfills today's demand of an explained world, but still contains gods as real existing entities. That's creationism. It's a normal product that just follows a normal supply and demand logic. It makes no sense to complain about it. You could as well complain about Facebook. Kids are exposed to many strange influences and creationism is just one of them.
     
  3. Opulence

    Opulence

    The world will be a better place the day we abolish religious. But I don't see that ever happening.

    I remember when I was in school and they used to try to teach us creationism as the starting point of everything. They used to split it up. One half of science class, they'd teach what was required by the school board. Then once that was done, they'd completely undermine all of science and start teaching creationism. I happen to live in the south (of North America), so people tend to get extreme down here when it comes to religion and creationism.
     
  4. Lucrum

    Lucrum

    I feel exactly the same way about socialism, career politicians, career criminals, welfare, debt, carbon taxes, property taxes, public sector labor unions, voter fraud, Rosie Odonnell, most federal bureaucracies, forced racial diversity, male flight attendants and nurses...
     
  5. Public schools must be very different than when I went back in the 50's and 60's. I do not recall religion being forced or taught in any science class I had. I took Biology, Bio/Physics, and Physics. History classes, U.S History and World History, did acknowledge the different religions and how they played a role, but I don't remember any teaching of creationism in any class I ever took either in science or history. There were elective classes in theology, but I never took those.
    Creationism has no place in a science or history class. It does have a place as an elective study.
     
  6. Yea; it is all kinds of f*cked up!

    I would like more philosophy taught alongside science.

    Specifically; world philosophies.

    Couldn't hurt to have the younger spawn exposed to the world, eh?

    peace

    hedvig
     
  7. Ricter

    Ricter

    I have doubts about the value, even safety, of teaching philosophy to younger students. : )
     
  8. I think it is very dangerous to expose kids, particularly hgh school students, to conflicting ideas. We wouldn't want them to get the idea that it is appropriate to question what "science" tells us, even if the science in question is full of holes. Better to just accept what we are told.

    That is the key to feeling good, no conflict. Anway, our schools are doing such a terrific job, we should just let the teachers and school boards decide these issues. Parents do not have the necessary qualifications in terms of a degree in Education, and many are ignorant or prejudiced.
     
  9. --------------
    Triple A;

    You 'know' things; though I rarely agree with you in practice {though I am such a contrarian in all things--so it is not that unusual}.

    No spawn here; so my opinion should be moot.

    In theory (at times--steady @50% and rising); I like your style.

    peace

    hedvig
     
  10. yes. especially the ones defending the teaching of creationism in the schools.
     
    #10     Jun 15, 2012