Re: Evolution and Creationism

[Lois Breur Krause <krause@CLEMSON.EDU>]

> Dr. Lois Krause seems to have started it (unless I missed a message
> somewhere). In her opening salvo, she wrote, among other things:
>
> "and many come through "christian schools" where creationism is taught as
> fact. real struggle to teach geology and astronomy to this bunch!"
>
> This transparent, condescending slur is intended to imply that Christian
> schools are educationally inferior and strongholds of indoctrination. I
> have little doubt that Christian schools provide a far more academically
> rigorous education than the public schools. For example, while public
> schools are teaching multiculturalism, Christian schools still teach that
> sentences begin with capital letters and do not start with "and."

The only thing here that needs a response is this.  I do agree that some
Christian schools offer a superior education to some public schools.
Unfortunately, here in SC in the "Bible Belt", many of the very small
Christian schools have unqualified teachers and have their students sit and
do workbooks all day.  This is hardly superior educationally for most
students.  And yes, I know how to use capital letters and punctuation
properly, just don't usually bother in informal email where free exchange
of ideas and concepts are most important.

The rest of my original submission to the list stands as written. and needs
no apology.  Do I feel superior? Do you feel "superior" when someone tells
you that the earth is flat? Or that the sun revolves around the earth? Or
do you patiently try to explain to them what is reality and how you know it
is reality?

The pugnacious attitude makes all the difference.  After all, Copernicus
was refuted by the church for a long time, too.  Eventually the church
accepted his model.  This 6000 year old earth bit come about, I believe, in
the 12th century, when some monk (I'm sure Ken can supply the name and
details.) added up the begats. Hardly scriptual. Oh, and BTW, not that it's
revelant, but I HAVE read substantial parts of the New Testament in
original ancient Greek, after learning the language in order to do so, but
no, i don't know Hebrew.  What is the translation of the ancient word yom?
Has that translation changed over the past millenia? The ancient Greek is
quite different from modern Greek. Is the same true for Hebrew?
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Dr. Lois Breur Krause
Department of Geological Sciences
442 Brackett Hall
Clemson University
Clemson SC  29634

teaching chemistry, physics, astronomy and geology to elementary education
majors.

How We Learn and Why We Don't: Student Survival Guide,
available from International Thompson Publishing, ISBN 0324-011970

http://home.earthlink.net/~breurkrause

krause@clemson.edu