Going backward.
Dragoness writes:
When I joined this site I was told that the scientists scared a lot of Creationsist off. I don't think its the beliefs that scare people, I think its constantly being made to feel stupid for not having the same education. No one wants to stick around where people belittle them for not being "smart enough" to teach their own kids. That is hurtful.
I am certainly not belittling you. For now, I do not have any kid of my own, although the wife and I are applying to adopt. I can tell you that I will not be qualified to answer many of the questions they will have. I got my degree in physics and math. I majored in biology so I have a little bit of background in it. I know next to nothing about geology and the various other fields that are out there. So, while I can answer technical questions in math and physics and a little bit in biology, I certainly can't answer any in geology or poetry or psychology. I tend to refrain myself from having an opinion in those areas.
What I definitely have to offer to my children-to-be is an informed view on morality, tolerance, and a way to critically approach an issue with a rational mindset.
Just because I am not college eduacated and didn't take a semester of biology does not disqualify me from teaching my children. That in itself is hurtful.
You misunderstood me. You are certainly qualified to teach your children how to be decent human beings (I hope). You are certainly qualified to teach your children subjects that you are very well knowledgable in. But ask yourself this question. How would it help your child to understand science if someone approaches her with the platypus example as proof of creationism and you can't refute it?
Gee, mommy knew a lot about evolution and she couldn't even refute this, so evolution must be false.
And letting the school handle things is the same answer thats landed far too many kids on the wrong side of the tracks.
Well, now you're just thinking about irresponsible parents that don't talk to their kids at all. That's not what I am advocating. I am advocating we teach our children how to develop their sense of morality, their sense of intellectual approach, and their sense of human reason. But if we aren't experts in certain facts, it's best that we leave it to the
real experts to provide the answers.
Teachers are not the parents of our kids. My childs education is MY responsibilty first and foremost, no way I trust that the schools will teach her all she needs to know in life.
And in no way have I indicated that we should leave the schools to teach everything our children need to know in life.
Wait till college? Are you serious? What if she doesnt choose college, what if she chooses a trade, military, or God Forbid (pun intended) what if she chooses to simple be a mom like I have done? What then? She enters the real world without a clue? No way.
If she chooses not to go to college, then at least we can hope for her to know her limitations and be humble about what she knows and what she does not know.
If there's one thing I've learned in my life experiences, it's that there are just subjects that I shouldn't be allowed to speak authoritatively on. I have many nieces and nephews, all from the ages of 0 to 9, and what I have noticed personally is that they pretty much believe everything we tell them. One time I accidently told my 6 year old nephew that there was a dragon in the church, and for the next year every sunday he would be looking for the dragon after church service.
But that aside, be assured that I am not saying you shouldn't teach your kids anything. I am saying that we as adults should foremost be aware of our limitations and try not to give false or deceptive answers to our children.
That says to me that a child such as MINE can't learn this, but others can. Maybe thats not how it was implied, but it IS how it feels.
No, that just means kids like yours shouldn't be burdened too much with this kind of issue. We have full grown adults here who just can't understand the concept of natural selection. We have full grown adults here who doesn't believe in evolution yet believe wholeheartedly that Noah was able to keep alive 2 representatives of every land dwelling species on Earth for a whole year inside his ark. we have full grown adults here who believe wholeheartedly that kankaroos somehow swam for thousands of miles over open ocean from the middle east to where they are now.
Sure, teach your kid to be rational. But isn't it too early to motivate her to dig into this issue? Are you sure you have adequate knowledge to answer her questions? In my case, I'd been having to say "I don't know" to many of the questions my nieces and nephews have for me. I certainly know I'm not qualified to teach them about rocks.
It was these three statements in particular that i found upsetting. I dont know if you are a parent, but if you are a mother you would KNOW these statemnts about your children will ALWAYS come off as a reflection of your parenting.
Yes, I realize that. I'm sorry that I have upset you, but please read what I said again. Evolution is a complicated subject. So is quantum mechanics. Just because I have a degree in physics doesn't mean I will expect my 10 or 15 year old to understand it. And if he wouldn't understand it, doesn't mean I'm a bad parent.
I think there are better ways to see a part of ourselves in our kids other than how they understand (or not understand) certain subjects, especially subjects we're not familiar with.
Going back to evolution, I have been a long time advocate of not teaching the theory in high school. That's right, I don't think most high school kids are mature enough to understand this theory. This is why anti-evolutionism and creationism are so popular among teens.
But anyway, sorry to have dipped my nose into this matter. You asked for opinion and I gave mine. Please understand that I have not nor will I ever belittle you. I am more educated in evolutionary biology. I'm pretty sure you are more educated on other subjects. And if this makes you feel better, compared to many people here, I am not very bright as well as not very educated. At best, I can wiggle my ears as a last resort to impress people.
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He, him, and his are not intended as exclusively masculine pronouns. They may refer to either sex or to both sexes!
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