Matthew on 23/7/2010 at 18:19
Over here we stick that bit in Religious Education classes along with a synopsis of the other major world religions.
Brian The Dog on 23/7/2010 at 18:30
Quote Posted by CCCToad
On the other hand, wouldn't some kind of intro to theology or religion class where the basic beliefs of each religion are presented also be acceptable? It seems to me that the baseline assumption being made by most people here is that high schoolers are all so stupid that they won't question anything that is taught to them, and will automatically assume every belief the teacher has. Its as illogical to assume that as it is to assume that every homeschooled kid will turn out to be a religious zealot.
This would be a good thing to do in a Religious Studies class rather than a Science class, since you can't do Scientific Method with God (well, not the kind of god the major world religions believe in, anyway!). Also, trying to tie-down what religions believe is a bit tricky, as loads of people of the same religion believe all sort of stuff. There's essential basics that all Muslims believe and essential basics that all Christians believe etc, but (a) they're quite small, and (b) they usually have very little to do with Creationism. Certainly the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and most of the institutional Protestant churches in Europe don't teach literal creationism. I think it's only in the US where this is an issue.
That's not to say that these aren't important issues (some of my friends would say that finding out if God exists is one of THE important issues for humanity!), just that science won't answer them, so putting them in a science book is misleading the kids on what science is for.
Chimpy Chompy on 23/7/2010 at 18:43
Quote Posted by Enchantermon
While the actual act of the creation of the earth is not a science itself, it still warrants a little discussion if only to present an alternate theory.
Stitch has already nailed this one but it does look like you don't quite understand what "theory" means within science.
Queue on 23/7/2010 at 19:54
Quote Posted by Brian The Dog
...(some of my friends would say that finding out if God exists is one of THE important issues for humanity!)
Proving that God doesn't exist would do more for humanity than anything.
...at the very least it'd prevent a ton of wars, notions of superiority and righteousness, the unabashed hatred that man can dish out on his fellow man in God's name, and all the general silliness of devoting one's existence to a fucking fairy tale.
Bluegrime on 23/7/2010 at 20:15
Quote Posted by Vivian
But all this stuff about needing them and them being vitally important to your wellbeing... Well, I haven't heard a convincing argument for that yet.
That is because you have never had someone try to murder you. In the combined lifetime of my parents ( Which breaches the one hundred years mark ) there has only been ONE time that either of them have ever needed a firearm.
And in that instance it came down to my mothers boyfriend shooting three people who had broken into their house with the intent to skin them alive with a meat cleaver. That isn't a metaphor or some cutesy turn of phrase, that is literally what the guys that broke in had done to other people. Now, what do you say would have happened if there HADN'T been a firearm in the household? Do you think that they could have just said "Oh, you should leave" and had them politely shuffle out the door?
I don't know about you, but not being skinned alive with a meat cleaver is a pretty convincing argument for owning a firearm in my book. Even if they HADN'T been woken up by people coming into the room and had time to call the police, they would still be dead as doornails before the boys in blue could arrive.
june gloom on 23/7/2010 at 20:21
Saving that.
Vivian on 23/7/2010 at 20:27
Quote Posted by Bluegrime
And in that instance it came down to my mothers boyfriend shooting three people who had broken into their house with the intent to skin them alive with a meat cleaver. That isn't a metaphor or some cutesy turn of phrase, that is literally what the guys that broke in had done to other people.
I honestly don't want to sound like a churl, but do you have a link to the news story about that? If that's seriously a real threat wherever you live then sure, get a gun. Sounds like you would need one. But even then I would suggest that a better long term solution is more/better police and some kind of investigation into what sort of series of events leads to a gang of men skinning people with meat cleavers (which as someone with a reasonably amount of experience in skinning stuff, I have to guess would be really difficult). Or move away from the Valley of the Cannibals. Cormac McCarthy didn't grow up near you by any chance, did he?
So by your thinking, a gun is equivalent to something like a fire-extinguisher. Correct?
Stitch on 23/7/2010 at 20:41
The problem with Bluegrime's anecdote is it's an extreme and unlikely case, and treating every intruder as a possible serial killer is actually a good way to get shot.
Kolya on 23/7/2010 at 20:53
I've got a question about home schooling:
When I went to school, sexual education was part of the biology classes starting when I was 13 or 14, maybe earlier. Do kids of that age still get home-schooled in the US?
And isn't it really really awkward to have your mum teach you about menstruation, male and female orgasms, contraception, etc?
Or are these things simply never taught, assuming a firm faith will keep good American teens from doing anything nasty?
