Whats wrong with the Texas Board of Education (trains, teach)

[doss1]

Science IS being taught in the schools. The creationism viewpoint is being offered as an alternative theory. As a Christian, I do not believe creationism should be taught in the classroom, only in the religion class. After all, schools don't use the Bible as a source for history class even though biblical scholars and historians use the Bible as a historical document, not a science book.

[Rocket Power]

Evolution is not a liberal view.

[Vicman]

The creationist viewpoint should only be taught in philosophy and religion courses.

Evolution as by Darwin and others is scientific, while creationism isn't.

Originally Posted by TexasNick

Science IS being taught in the schools. The creationism viewpoint is being offered as an alternative theory. As a Christian, I do not believe creationism should be taught in the classroom, only in the religion class. After all, schools don't use the Bible as a source for history class even though biblical scholars and historians use the Bible as a historical document, not a science book.

[loves2read]

one person on the board HOME SCHOOLS her children--think that should be violation of board policy--why allow someone to sit on the board that obviously has a personal agenda that is so biased it would direct every choice she makes...
agreed that people elect these board members and most voters in TX are conservative and frankly lots are uneducated themselves...but in all honesty--

the media does not really put much of a light on them --maybe a few small articles right before election--most people don't even know who they are voting for if they vote a straight Republican or Democratic tickets--and I don't think any of the board in this area ARE Democrates--I had to change from straight democratic vote to vote for the Republican that was least offensive...

TXNICK--to people who believe as strongly as most of these do--creationism is NOT A THEORY--it is the word/acts of God taken from the literal interpretation of the Bible's--it is just as much a fact to them as the earth revolving around the sun was in to most scientists/church leaders/citizens when they imprisoned Galileo in the middle 1600s for advocating the sun was center of the universe...
they did not care if he could prove his theory or not--they did not want their belief system challenged because they thought it compromised a belief in God...so...imprison him and forbid him to spread his herasy...
that is what they think the study of evolution is--herasy...
yet these same people want to benefit from all the science that is possible because DARWIN'S THEORY is FACT---
geologists know where to find oil/gas because of the study of ancient geological data--which creationism denies can exist because the Earth is not that old (according to literal interpretation of the Bible)
doctors understand the evolution of the human body and can trace your ancestors through your DNA patterns--but creationism says that data is compromised because it does not conform to what the Bible describes

[TexasHorseLady]

I have no problem with someone who home schools being on the Board of Education, given that that Board also regulates homeschooling.

I do have a problem with anyone on the Board of Education violating the separation of church and state and pushing their religious agenda. They're perfectly welcome to teach creationism in their church and in their home and, if they feel so strongly about it, in private schools of their choosing. Not in the public schools, please. Creationism and intelligent design (a rose by any other name) are religious agendas, and don't belong in government-run schools.

[doss1]

I love these kinds of topics, it's always fascinating to me and I end up learning a little more about how and why people believe the things they do.

I admit a few years ago I was I guess what you would call a fundamentalist and took the literal word of the Bible as fact. But I later learned that this kind of view is actually a minority viewpoint among Christians (although, it's growing the fastest) and is relatively recent. It sounds like the people on the board of education are inerrantists and therefore everything should be taken exactly as said. Man came from dust, therefore man really came from dust as said in Genesis. Now, doesn't that sound more like evolution to you? It does to me Anyways, the understanding of what constitutes an error: Nobody thinks that when Jesus says that the mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds (Mark 4.31) this is an error, even though there are smaller seeds than mustard seeds. Why? Because Jesus is not teaching botany; he is trying to teach a lesson about the Kingdom of God, and the illustration is incidental to this lesson. This is what creationists need to realize.

Loves2read, what I meant by creationism being a "theory" was that I think some educators wanted to present it as follows in the classroom:

Teacher to class: "Modern science says the world was created 6 billion years ago.." and then, "but a few religions believe that the world is relatively young, around 10-6000 years old".

Keep in mind that Christianity is not the only religion that believes in a young earth. It's also seen in Islam, Hindiuism, and Judaism. It's not just a Christian movement.

[TexasHorseLady]

It doesn't need to be presented in the (public) classroom at all. It DOES need to be presented in the home, in the Sunday School classroom, in the religious school classroom. Parents need to take some responsibility for religious education of their own children, while not foisting it on the children of others, UNLESS they are willing for all religious theories including those they strongly oppose (Satanism, anyone?) being taught in the public schools, as well, in which case, whenever will we have time to do any factual teaching?

[XodoX]

Originally Posted by joejitsu

Why do they want to deny kids the teaching of science. Some of the members seem to want to turn public schools into Madrasas. Once again Texas is the laughing stock of the nation.

Texas wrapup: Yup. Doomed. | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine

Read the comments here and then you know why this is happening.

[doss1]

And I agree with you. I was just saying that some of those educators wanted to present creationism as an alternative theory. I'm not saying I agree with that.

[AK123]

Originally Posted by TexasNick

Science IS being taught in the schools. The creationism viewpoint is being offered as an alternative theory.

I don't think that's what's happening.

The argument is that evolution, as it is known now, has some weaknesses and "holes". That fact should be made known to students, not covered up. However, the next step would be further scientific research and study, not replacement with religion. And to my knowledge, religion is not being inserted in its place, as some alarmists would like to have people think.

If evolutionists are so comfortable with it, they should be encouraging further scientific research to fill in the "holes" and weak spots; not trying to quell any further questioning, and criminalizing curiosity with Christianity as the villain.