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Friday, April 11, 2008
Anti-religious bigot tries to make amends
Yesterday I told you about an opinion piece on American Chronicle disparaging homeschooling and lumping them all into the right-wing fundamental camp. Today the author admits his opinions were uninformed, not researched and just plain wrong.
However, there is still no evidence he made any attempt to actually read any of Apologia's biology texts which, by the way, are as accurate and mainstream as any science books I've seen. As sunniemom commenting on this site pointed out, "A fish is a fish is a fish, regardless of where you think it came from." Apologia acknowledges the same facts about fossils, dinosaurs, genetics, mutations, natural selection and a host of other related topics. They also acknowledge a creator. And that is a crime in public education.
What he seems to be saying is children's religious beliefs should disqualify them from receiving diplomas, regardless of their knowledge, talent or abilities.
The author also links to one of my favorite blogs Day by Day Homeschooling (but he got the name wrong). I don't always agree with Dawn, but I respect and value her opinion.
My previous article stated that the majority of American homeschoolers are fundamentalist Christian. That, as I have now stated in the article, isn´t the case. Most of the replies I´ve received have been from homeschool parents who are quite insistent that they are not fundamentalists, and that they are teaching their kids evolution in their science lessons. To them, I apologize, and say thank you. Read more...
Labels: homeschool, science
Comments:
I read on Dawn's blog that these two articles are also (originally) on the authors blog Steve Likes to Curse.
Actually he got my name right! I changed it a short time ago to Day by Day Discoveries. :D
I think Steve is probably open to reasonable arguments. That hasn't been the case lately with a few critics but he seems a little more promising. Time will tell.
I think Steve is probably open to reasonable arguments. That hasn't been the case lately with a few critics but he seems a little more promising. Time will tell.
I tend to agree with Dawn that this guy seems more promising as far as having an actual conversation about home education- he even apologized for not having his facts straight, which is unusual, at least in my experience.
What bothers me is the venom directed at those who follow Judeo-Christian principles and believe in God. To actually suggest that Christians who embrace creationism or use Christian curriculum be denied a diploma- regardless of what other abilities or talents they may possess or accomplishments they may have achieved?
Whatever one believes about origins has little impact on actual scientific progress. Nobody gives a rip if their neurosurgeon or architect or car mechanic or engineer or electrician is a creationist or evolutionist, and unless you asked, you would never know.
What bothers me is the venom directed at those who follow Judeo-Christian principles and believe in God. To actually suggest that Christians who embrace creationism or use Christian curriculum be denied a diploma- regardless of what other abilities or talents they may possess or accomplishments they may have achieved?
Whatever one believes about origins has little impact on actual scientific progress. Nobody gives a rip if their neurosurgeon or architect or car mechanic or engineer or electrician is a creationist or evolutionist, and unless you asked, you would never know.
It's even more fashionable lately to proudly bash believers since the publication of several bestselling books on the subject by Hitchens, Dawkins and others.
I call it "Evangelical Atheism."
I call it "Evangelical Atheism."
I noticed that the only folks who received an apology were those who proclaimed that they were NOT fundamentalists and that they taught evolution. However, I know lots of Fundies who do teach their kids about evolution- myself being one of them.
That's the problem with stereotypes- it isn't a One-Size-Fits-All world, and stereotyping is engaged for the purpose of discrediting an entire group of people based on traits inherent to all of humanity.
Bigotry, ignorance and overbearing zealotry are part and parcel of human nature, and attempting to label Christians as being the only folks on earth who exhibit such traits is intellectually dishonest.
To fairly apply Steve's Theory of the Earned Diploma, one should not receive a diploma if one holds to any ideology not approved by the system. How very enlightened.
That's the problem with stereotypes- it isn't a One-Size-Fits-All world, and stereotyping is engaged for the purpose of discrediting an entire group of people based on traits inherent to all of humanity.
Bigotry, ignorance and overbearing zealotry are part and parcel of human nature, and attempting to label Christians as being the only folks on earth who exhibit such traits is intellectually dishonest.
To fairly apply Steve's Theory of the Earned Diploma, one should not receive a diploma if one holds to any ideology not approved by the system. How very enlightened.
The current "Theory of the Earned Diploma" is that any student can "earn" a publich school High School diploma by merely sitting in a chair for 4 years straight regardless of knowledge acquired. At least that is how it works in our state of CA.
The article was definitely poorly researched and the author's biases overshadow any points he might have wished to make.
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The article was definitely poorly researched and the author's biases overshadow any points he might have wished to make.
