Current Events — HabitableZone

Current Events » in reply to "How much of our biology, geology and astronomy is ACTUALLY being influenced by this?"

re: "How much of our biology, geology and astronomy is ACTUALLY being influenced by this?"
TB — (archived)

Look at it from a different point of view. How would you feel if Marxism had to be taught in the classroom, to children, as an "alternative" to capitalist economics?

As if children in our schools aren't already soaked in "progressive" ideas about economics, culture, the environment, etc. But that's another story. My kids are older now, and I don't have this kind of problem any more. It's the neighbor kids that come home crying that we're all going to drown when the oceans rise and that soon all the polar bears will be dead. Some mythologies are more equal than others.

On a more personal note, I have often noticed you occasionally defend creationists, and even are sympathetic to their views, even though you yourself are a self-described evolutionist. Is this because you feel these people are often allied to some of your other political positions, and often opposed to your political opponents? Or do you feel that attacks on creationists are unfair while Muslim radicals and fundamentalists seem to be be dealt with excessive tolerance by the society even though some of their political activities are certainly much more violent and dangerous. I'm not being facetious or trying to put you on the spot, here, it's just something I noticed.

I'm just a little annoyed that this kind of thing is viewed as a civilization-ending threat, demanding absolute intolerance, when it pops up in places like Grand Canyon bookstores. Certainly I see no need to teach creationism in schools, any more than phlogiston chemistry, and I would strenously oppose a government mandate to do so. But if some local school board pops up with it, I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it.

People should have some control over how their children are educated, at least in a nation that doesn't teach its students that the State is the only source of all the good things in the world. You know, if schools were not run by the government, this wouldn't even be an issue.

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