Unless the subject is specifically religion related, I see no reason religion should be discussed in any class. We don't, for example, discuss integral calculus in English class, or the declension of Latin nouns in intermediate band class. And the only reason you would see something religious about the topics of biology/geology/astrophysics etc., is because you are injecting a religious component to those subjects where none exists.
So...If there were complete separation of school and state and education was not compulsory funded or attendance required by state compulsion the entire controversy swirling around evolution would evaporate like dew on a hot summer's day.
The controversy will evaporate only when certain people accept the fact that the Bible is not, in any way, a scientific document. Most of the Biblical descriptions of the world (flat earth, geocentricity) are understood to be inaccurate; for some reason, some people still want to believe that one small metaphor near the beginning of the Bible is an exact account. I actually think that most of the literal biblical creation movement is driven by charlatans who make money by making people doubt their religion, and convincing them that the process of evolution is why they doubt (oh, and that buying their books will relieve that doubt).
If government were completely out of the education business, and government ended its religious shaping of the next generation of voters, the **only** people who would be concerned about evolution theories would be an **HANDFUL** of scientists directly studying and researching in the field. Other scientists, even biologists, have little interest in the field and evolution has NO bearing whatsoever on their work. As for the rest of work done in the U.S., evolution is about as important as the news events from the dark side of the MOON!
Since evolutionary theory provides the framework for biology, it is nearly impossible to function as a life scientist without understanding it or using it. The thousands of life scientists working in the US and thousands more in the rest of the world hardly make up a "handful" of scientists.
As for your children becoming mathematicians and not needing or using evolutionary theory, that is neither surprising nor relevant. Unless they selected a career connected to life sciences, why would they apply evolutionary theory to their work?
I should mention that evolution is not some obscure subject that few know about and has no relevance to everyday life; it actually has an impact on all of our lives. Understanding evolutionary pressures on microorganisms is crucial to our fight against infectious disease, which still kills countless millions of people every year. Microorganisms evolve so quickly that we can barely stay ahead of them.
Finally, I don't even know why anyone brought up evolution in this thread. The article opening the thread is about the British NHS, where babies who would be placed in the NICU here are instead being neglected to death. The relevant topics of discussion are socialized medicine and attitudes towards human life, not evolution.
Hey! I respect your godless religious worldview with regard to education as applied your children. And...If all education were privately delivered, your religious worldview would in no way rub or cause irritation to me.
I do NOT respect those who would use the threat of police and court action to force taxpayers to pay for your godless religious worldview (as applied to education ) or to impose it on children held captive by the government.
If education was privatized you could send your kids to schools that supported your religious philosophy that education should be godless in its worldview. The consequences and content of this type of education is NOT religiously neutral
Others could send their kids to private schools that do support, uphold, and integrate their specific religious worldview into their God-centered classes. The content and consequences of this education are NOT religiously neutral.
If I have time, I will address the other points of your post, but given your very fist sentence I feel I would be wasting my time trying to break through an extremely intolerant and close-minded wall.
Your very first sentence, again confirms my anecdotal observation, that evolutionist are BULLIES.
The only people who give a twit about macro evolution are the BULLIES who defend compulsory government schooling and the handful of scientists working directly in that area of study.
My husband has a Ph.D. in biochemistry. He is the holder of numerous patents. He has published in the leading journals in his field and lectured worldwide.
The amount of time spent on macro evolution on the undergraduate level: 20 MINUTES!
The amount of time spent on macro evolution on the graduate school level: ZERO!
I have a doctorate in a one the most respected health professions.
Time spent on evolution as an undergrad: 20 MINUTES!
Time spent on macro evolution as a grad student: ZERO!
Two of my children earned B.S. degrees in mathematics and one has a masters in mathematics.
Time spent on evolution on the undergrad and graduate levels: ZERO!
My son-in-law is a chemical engineer and carries tremendous responsibility for the safety of the workers in his plant, the quality and purity of the product, and financial success of the company for which he works:
Time spent on macro evolution: ZERO!
Early in my life I was a register nurse.
Time spent on macro evolution in my nursing program: ZERO!
My conclusion: For 99.99999999999999999% of the work done in the U.S. macro evolution is as important them and their work as getting the latest news reports from the dark side of the moon.
That is not true that the Bible describes the earth that way. Have you ever READ it or are you simply parroting what you've heard? Because those arguments are old, worn out, frequently disproved ones that we keep hearing as a justification for rejecting the idea that the Bible has ANYTHING of scientific import to say.
Since evolutionary theory provides the framework for biology, it is nearly impossible to function as a life scientist without understanding it or using it.
Biology is the framework on which the ToE rests. You have it backwards.
Microorganisms evolve so quickly that we can barely stay ahead of them.
Name one NEW microorganism which is a totally NEW one, not identifiable as merely a (fill in the blank) resistant one.