Replies

Teaching cultural/philosophical issues like evolution is not education; it's indoctrination.

Actually editor-surveyor, I don't think the teaching of evolution is the problem here.

In other words, in my view the problem consists of what sort of evolution is being taught, not so much the teaching of evolution per se.

People who think evolution is a material, random process; and people who think evolution is the presently-existing partial fulfillment of God's Will for His Creation, not yet complete, are bound to differ about the foundations, or the Truth, of reality.

I gather that's what the current "public dialogue" is all about. (At least I hope so; we face such grave challenges at the present time it seems....)

BTW, do you really have a beef WRT the teaching of "philosophical/cultural issues" in the secondary schools and institutions of higher learning, in principle??? If so, WHY???

Thank you ever so much for writing, editor-surveyor, and for the ping!

"People who think evolution is a material, random process;"

Scientists don't believe it is random.

"and people who think evolution is the presently-existing partial fulfillment of God's Will for His Creation, not yet complete,"

While the above may be true, it's outside of the scope of science. It's philosophy/theology.

"I gather that's what the current "public dialogue" is all about."

It's between those who want science to remain science and those who want to make it into a new-age, epistemologically relativistic, anything goes postmodern wordlview.

"BTW, do you really have a beef WRT the teaching of "philosophical/cultural issues" in the secondary schools and institutions of higher learning, in principle??? If so, WHY???"

I was fixing his sentence. I have no problem with discussing philosophy in school; teaching untestable philosophical claims like ID in a science class as science is where I draw the line.

BTW, do you really have a beef WRT the teaching of "philosophical/cultural issues" in the secondary schools and institutions of higher learning, in principle??? If so, WHY???

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I have a problem with government K-12 schools.

The education of the young can NOT be politically, culturally, or religiously neutral. Education of youth IS the transfer of cultural traditions, the accumulated Knowles acquired by the society, the political structure of the culture, and the ethics and morals of the society.

Since time and resources are finite the government school must make choices as to what to cover in depth, what to merely mention, and what to completely ignore. These choices are NOT neutral, and will favor the worldview of some while undermining that of others. A child or adult's worldview WILL have profound political, cultural, and religious consequences.

Evolution is merely one of hundreds of curriculum and policy issues bitterly disputed among our citizens. Is it any wonder? Evolution contributes to one's worldview, and as previously argued, worldview has political, cultural, and religious consequences.

The solution is to begin the process of privatizing universal K-12 education. We can provide excellent opportunities for all our nation's children in private settings.

Yes, I do have a beef with the government deciding what is culturally correct, or relevant, or teaching philosophy in any form without parental understanding and consent.

Those issues belong in the family, not in government. Isn't that what all the provisions of the first ammendment are all about?