Yes, they should. Free schools I mean.
A lovely person from Home Education Business Forums has brought this to our attention:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/mar/21/free-schools-creationism-department-education
"Government spokesman says the education secretary is 'crystal clear' that teaching creationism is at odds with scientific fact" it burbles.
Hmmm. And I thought you could rely on the writing on the package. Free schools? Ha! Nothing free about being told you can't teach creationism, is there?
And it's an oddity that scientific fact is a) not always fact and b) is often widely and vehemently opposed to the current mode of thinking in science.
Professor Brian Cox may whittle on about black holes but even he has to admit that, once we get inside one, the black hole is merely a big cavity of mysterious happenings. Let's face it, creationism may be entirely appropriate inside your friendly neighbourhood black hole.
What is it behind all this then?
It's the struggle again with what you personally believe and what the state thinks is right and wishes you would believe. It's the space between your ears that's up for grabs. Believe that science is fact and you're approved of. Believe that a supreme being decanted us into life and you're not.
And, once again, the human being - that bright source of restless curiosity - is relegated to a plaything in the clash between the world views of other people. Because no human child is clever enough to sort his or her way through the various theories and come out with some sort of conclusions that satisfy him or her.
"The BCSE, which describes itself as the leading anti-creationist organisation in Europe, wrote to Gove to express its "extreme concern" at applications from groups such as the Everyday Champions Church and the Christian Schools Trust to run free schools."
Why does the BCSE (whosoever they are) wish to express 'extreme concern' at other people learning whatever they choose? Why must we all believe in science the way most folks conceive it to be? What's in it for the BCSE? Why are they so bothered what children learn about the universe?
I believe in a certain type of loo roll (toilet paper) but I would defend to the very verge of death your particular right to like another type of bog wiper.
I suppose that makes me open-minded.
And if the government tells us we should prefer one loo roll over another?
Is that the government's job?
What are they so afraid of? Is it that science, when analysed by those eager young bright minds (or any minds at any stage and any age), will appear to be fairy stories told by those with reasons to tell them?
I'm not against science. I've sat in a fair amount of classes learning all types of the stuff and had many hours of pondering over the beauty of a lot of it. I say let the creationists rock on with their creationism, and the scientists point out the loveliness of science. Teach both and let the brilliant brains that sit and listen work it all out.
"There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact." ~Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi, 1883
One of the things that irks me about this sort of deliberate mis-use of language is that they assume we are all so dim we won't notice.
ReplyDeleteWhat IS creatonism? Most peole think of it in terms of the Young Earth Creationists who believe the Christian God created all things in 6 24 hr days. If they want to believe that - it seems harmless to me.
Most people who believe in creation however are not of the relatively new YEC view. This is a view that only dates back to VIctorian England.
But the view that a god or gods created everything does way back and none of those views are material science based so I can't see what they have to do with material science other than in the fact that truth cannot contradict truth.
Science is about the material world and only the material world. It sinks into superstition when it becomes scientism which is the underlying problem here.
These anti-creationism groups don't give a toss about real science - they are following their superstitious cult of scientism.
There is no logic to it. And they are afriad of that. Scratch the surface of scientism and you'll see there isn't much science to find.
If there was some truth they wouldn't be so afraid of the rest of us, would they?
PS - sorry this is getting long.
ReplyDeleteJust about all I have seen, read and, people I have met who are YEC believers, are open to the fact that most of the their fellow Christians and other believers, disagree with their stance. They explain themselves clearly and charitably so we can make our own choices and discoveries about what they believe.
Not so with those of Scientism. They insist no one is allowed the freedom to disagree with them and give the false impression that they are a majority view. They aren't Most scientists both now and certainly throughout history have been beleiveers; just about all were Christian, Jewish or Nestorian (sometimes muddled with Islam but it isn't).