School begins again, and we read more about the intrusion of pseudoscience into school science curricula in this country, particularly into the study of biology and evolution.
The motive, despite the claims of proponents of intelligent design and other bogus “disciplines,” has been religious. Although some of the creation scientists’ arguments presented have a probabilistic flavor, the mathematics curriculum has seemed somewhat resistant to this trend. Recently a number of readers have sent me course descriptions from various schools that suggest otherwise, however.
Consider first a Baptist school in Texas whose description of a geometry course begins:
Students will examine the nature of God as they progress in their understanding of mathematics. Students will understand the absolute consistency of mathematical principles and know that God was the inventor of that consistency. They will see God’s nature revealed in the order and precision they review foundational concepts while being able to demonstrate geometric thinking and spatial reasoning. The study of the basics of geometry through making and testing conjectures regarding mathematical and real-world patterns will allow the students to understand the absolute consistency of God as seen in the geometric principles he created.
This is only happening at private schools so far, but how long will it be before Christians start demanding both sides of this nonsense debate in the public schools?!
Hey, John were you raised in Catholic school. Would explain the cranky geek thing.
Standards. What a load. Most people can’t figure out correct change without a calculator these days.
You’ll be lucky to get math at all in a public school. THEY SUCK!
As far as history is concerened, who cares. Most people don’t even know who is 3rd in line to the Presidency today let alone who it was 20 years ago. So, go do your mental handjob somewhere else please. I’m gonna go watch something important like Jerry Springer or Girls Gone Crazy. hasta
#25, MikeN
Worse is the math already being taught in some places that focuses on diversity in place of actual learning, or emphasize self-esteem and tell teachers not to correct students,
Gee, just knowing you are part of the Right Wing Nut Neo-con Conservative Evangelical Republican Chickenhawk Radiohead Shut-in crowd, maybe you could share with us where in the US teachers are not to correct their students. Then please cite where self-esteem is emphasized OVER learning.
… and God said “Let there be 1”, and behold there was 1, and God looked and saw that it was good; and God said “Let there be n+1”, and behold the integers were created, and they were good. After subsequent creations (vectors, tensors, imaginary numbers, transcendental functions, etc.), God rested on the n=7 day. QED
So they’re going to combine mathematics, which is a form of pure reason, with religion, which is pure unreason.
Let ’em. In the end, reason always triumphs. Doesn’t mean they’re not gonna turn out some schizotypals in the meantime, though.
#26. And to think, Christians simultaneously maintain that they are not polytheists.
This is a head-scratcher particularly when it comes to Catholics, what with the whole troops of Saints (conveniently replacing the Romans’ household gods) and the Blessed Virgin and what-not.
Fear mongering to justify hate mongering.
When will you use this built up hate to justify attacks?
Goebbels would be flattered by your imitating his methods.
So how do they explain irrational numbers?
#30, Gig,
It doesn’t matter if the school is private or if the student is home schooled. Every State has standards that students are expected to achieve. That means that whatever a student is taught must include the curriculum laid out by the State. If the State says the student must learn Evolution, then the student better learn Evolution as defined by the Department of Education.
Why can’t Jesus eat M&Ms? They fall through the holes in his hands.
Sweet… let’s dumb down America a little bit further… I hear cheers from China and India. And the industry is crying for more H1B visas.
What a ridiculous post. To suggest that something will eventually happen in the public schools, just because it’s happening in a Baptist school, is just plain silly.
Funny that people in this forum seem to be ok with just about any belief system so long as it’s neither patriotic or Christian. I guess these things exceed the boundaries of the sacred doctrine of relativism.
In general, I find these little rants pretty amusing because the only thing they usually accomplish is to demonstrate just how ignorant and bigoted the author really is. As a Catholic, I have never been taught to believe anything that contradicts generally accepted scientific principles. And while I don’t have any proof at the moment, I’d be willing to bet that the average student at a Catholic high school has a much better understanding of the theory of evolution than the nit wits we’re graduating from our (secular) public school system. Seriously, there’s a very good reason that wealthy families send their kids to these schools. …and it’s not because they want them to become priests.
Hey, if it gives you some sort of smug feeling of superiority, then by all means keep on believing that all Christians are backward and uneducated. I doubt you’d feel that way though if you realized how ignorant and simple-minded you seem to people like me.
>>”And the industry is crying for more H1B visas.”
Hell ya! The best part is the sort of people we need on H1B visas. We need people to clean and cook for us people to raise our children. Oh ya, we need people to fight our wars too.
“it makes sense to allow the good-hearted people who are coming here to do jobs that Americans won’t do a legal way to do so.”
George W. Bush
http://tinyurl.com/2myfqc
After all I never liked cooking, cleaning growing and picking my food. That’s all hard work. Children! Their a full time job in themselves, thank god for the nanny. Come to think of it I definitely don’t feel any burning desire to go fight a war.
Oh, I almost forgot can we make those H1Bs out for some good Christian folk?
Wasn’t Zero invented in India not by the Arabs
I think #8 Sinn Fein was being sarcastic…or stupid.
It also seems that Muslims have now become the new Commies! In Dog We Trust – Go and have a crap out on the lawn – you’ll feel better.
Cheers
#33 Mr Fusion – how about all the schools that don’t allow the students to fail or give them bad grades because it may hurt their feelings and they aren’t allowed to correct them because of the same thing. Not being allowed to play tag or keep score at athletic events. And… Just because I can’t cite a school doing doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. I could Google it and find cases but that just adds to the post.
Signed Fiscally Conservative Secular Humanist Stevo
Atheist seem to really be fixated on Christians, what’s the deal. As an Atheist, if you don’t believe in God just ignore all the religious stuff after all it doesn’t matter, right
Most Christians, and scientist, believe in an absolute order to the universe, this is what made science possible in the first place. The people that seem to believe in chaos and results from chaos are atheist,
What are you really objecting to? Students getting more of a math foundation based on reality, or students getting less of the Political Correct brainwashing that currently predominates public schools.
Really, you COMMIE/NAZI control freaks should take a break and mind your own business and learn to question the establishment more.
wow, bible thumpers must be getting pretty desperate to go to this extent to enforce/prove their beliefs..
-soundwash
(PS, can any of those that cited the “diversity math” being taught dig up a link that outlines it? i’m long past my school years and would like to get a glance at the mechanics behind some of the PC crap that is brainwashed into students these days, so as to better understand why kids are so f’n dumb these days.)
50–traxx, did you read the Headline for this thread?? NOT to talk about Christians and Math is off topic.
Most scientist look for order as that is needed for repeatable results. Disturbing/intriguing in those areas of physics where order, absolute or otherwise, does not appear to be the rule.
I went to several christian schools while growing up in the late 70’s, and 80’s. Nothing new, this.
To the commenters who can’t understand the anti-christian bias, let me explain. Most of us non-christians have to regularly endure people trying to “save us” so that they can earn some points with their 2000 year old comic book hero. I don’t knock on people’s doors and try to teach them logic and reason, so stay the hell off of mine. And to make things worse we now have a president who thinks he’s doing God’s work in the whitehouse by impeding stem cell research and stopping birth control aid to Africa.
You may be keeping your religion to yourself. But Christianity as a whole is imposing its will on the rest of society.
#47 Oh come on. The best you could come up with is from 1692?
#42 – Bill
“As a Catholic, I have never been taught to believe anything that contradicts generally accepted scientific principles.”
Get Zen for a moment.
From what I’ve seen, Catholic schools are a far cry from Protestant Christian schools, in terms of academic standards.
I spent most of my life going to a suburban public school. I spent ONE year (6th grade) in a private Protestant Christian school. The teacher tried to tell our class that the reason why astronauts are “weightless” in space is because there is NO GRAVITY in space. The only thing keeping the planets in orbit was “God’s Will”. I knew better, even with just self-study and PBS-based education (challenged the teacher, and was able to prove her wrong…which certainly got me in trouble, but she never made that claim again in class).
This sort of crap was typical for that school (and I’ve heard similar anecdotes from others that attended similar schools). If you have a pulse, and know yer Bible, you can teach any subject they have an opening for.
I compare this to when I was in High School (public) and on Quiz team (our school was usually in running for state champ)…one of our best rival schools was a private Catholic School. Smart kids.
A private Baptist school and a private Catholic School should NOT be compared, and you’ll note that it’s not a Catholic school teaching funny math in the article quoted. Regardless of one’s stance on religion, Catholic schools have had a much better history in terms of academic standards.
#55
A. They are clear examples of “ruthlessly killing ‘infidels’
B. You have to admit it is an impression show of stupidity on the part of Christians over an extended period of time.
C. Here are some other examples of Christian love:
ENN Series of Reports on Anti-Abortion Rights Incidents in Washington, DC
Then there is the Northern Irish Conflict between Protestants and Catholics which lasted about a hundred years.
#32 – Standards. What a load. Most people can’t figure out correct change without a calculator these days.
Bullshit… Most people can figure out correct change, but as a society we seem desperate to wallow in our perceived failures rather than revel in our strengths. Statements like the above are far more dangerous to our future than the possibility that a few register jockeys at McDonald’s can’t do math in their head at a speed fast enough to satisfy our expectations.
#33 – maybe you could share with us where in the US teachers are not to correct their students. Then please cite where self-esteem is emphasized OVER learning.
I was wondering the same thing. The right wing philosophy seems to be to say it over and over again until it becomes true.
#40 Why can’t Jesus eat M&Ms? They fall through the holes in his hands.
Why can’t Jesus play piano? Because he doesn’t exist.
#41 – Sweet… let’s dumb down America a little bit further… I hear cheers from China and India. And the industry is crying for more H1B visas.
Testify brother….
#45 – What I find interesting here is that those who have issue with this can’t simply state their point of view without lobbing some antiChristian comments along with it.
Who’s the intolerants one’s in this “equation?”
I don’t know… but I know who the crybabies are in this equation. No one is intolerant of Christians, but the people we are talking about, Bible Thumping Fundamentalist Jackboots of God, are not Christians as we understand them, but rather self appointed piety cops hell bent on destroying our culture… and since one of these born again ass-hats is President, your cries of persecution are hallow and should fall on deaf ears.
Grow a fucking spine when you are rightfully criticized for supplanting your children’s education with your myths, prejudices, and lies… Thus ensuring that they pump my kid’s gas.
#49 – Just because I can’t cite a school doing doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
No… It doesn’t mean that… But its a mighty good indicator. When you actually know something about the education profession, come back and apologize. In the meantime, shut the fuck up.
#50 – traxx
I don’t see any reason to quote anything in particular that you type, as you consistently prove over and over again that you are either the most brilliant satirist or the dumbest asshat to post here. Do you ever say anything that makes sense? The reason atheists, or theists who aren’t pompous redneck 700 Club members, pay so much attention to what you and your pinheaded brethren do is that you have declared a holy war on our American way of life… We have no choice but to pay attention to you and your Apocalypse worshiping friends.
#56 – If you have a pulse, and know yer Bible, you can teach any subject they have an opening for.
Then Christian Schools should employ atheists. Most atheists know the Bible far better than most Fundy Christians…
(and your comments about Catholic School VS. Xian School are dead on)
I’m not concerned about how the world wants to teach math, only that I am loved by Him.
Is some “mans” idea of math relevant to Truth?
na.
Next up, “We will understand God by watching bananas grow!”
#60
Then Christian Schools should employ atheists. Most atheists know the Bible far better than most Fundy Christians…
That’s funny. Problem is, the reason why some atheists know the bible so well might not sit well with the administration.
#61
Truth, eh? I noticed your capital “T” there. Whose “Truth?” Yours? Allah’s? Buddha’s? Shiva’s? Zeus’?
Oh, yeah, your “Truth” is superior to everyone else’s because you were told so, and that’s just how it is. And no one can tell you otherwise. Nevermind that there are plenty of others that believe completely different, yet also believe they are more just than you. And everyone all around ignore anything rational, please.
If you are unconcerned about how the world teaches Math, then I suggest you get OFF the computer, stop using all of the technology that was a direct result of the direct application of math and science.
Without the math and science (unclouded by religious “flat earth” dogma) you would have none of these things. Look back in history, and see where science was restricted for many years (more than once) by superstition.
Math and religion are not two great tastes that go great together.