Parable of the candle - should million/billion year dating be taught as fact?

Well, in essence, that is in fact what is taught in science classes.A defining characteristic of science is that all findings are tentative. Everything is subject to revision if new evidence comes to light, or someone develops a better theory to explain our observations.Every time a scientist says something, by definition it includes the caveat, "As far as we can tell right now."This is perhaps the most significant factor of science that distinguishes it from creationism. Creos begin and end with certain beliefs and hold those beliefs beyond the scope of questioning. A scientist will question anything, given an adequate quantum of evidence suggesting that the conclusion is wrong.If from time to time someone teaching science omits the phrase "As far as we can tell right now," perhaps they can be forgiven because of the overwhelming weight of evidence in support of a given proposition and a complete absence of evidence suggesting the proposition is in error. However, if you ever hear anyone teaching that any proposition in a science class as an absolute truth, no longer subject to doubt, there's nothing wrong with pointing out to them that all of science is tentative. If they don't understand that most basic fact, they ought not be teaching science.

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Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin FranklinWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat

And if you want to teach religion in religion class, I suspect few here would object. Just leave it out of science class.

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Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin FranklinWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat

They will teach what the evidence leads them to conclude is likely accurate. Where there is evidence that conditions were not the same as they are now, that evidence can be taught. However, where there is no evidence to show that things were different, but people of a certain religion assume it must have been because that's necessary to preserve their peculiar views of the history of the planet, this will not be taught in science class, nor should it be.

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Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin FranklinWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat

It sounds like you are in agreement that theories without evidence ought not be presented just to mollify the sensibilities of religious minorities.

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Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin FranklinWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat

The god described in the old and new testaments could have done anything. The question isn't what he could have done. The question is what does the evidence say he did do? Earlier in this thread, you didn't argue against the point that science shouldn't promote theories with no evidence just to protect the views of certain religious minorities. Therefore I ask what scientific evidence is there that god created a "mature earth" that appears to be billions of years older than it actually is?

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Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin FranklinWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat

If creos simply wanted to sit in their homes and believe, or gather in their churches and believe, or even walk about the streets and believe, 99% of this argument would go away. The problem is not that creos believe. It's that creos are trying to get their belief taught in public schools as science. It is this action that there is intolerance of, not simply the act of believing. And, the only reason science is debunking is because creos both believe and argue that their belief is scientific.

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Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin FranklinWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat