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Author Topic:   Help in teaching 11-12 Year olds (RE (Religious Education) in the UK)
Parasomnium
Member
Posts: 2228
Joined: 07-15-2003


Message 7 of 126 (531813)
10-20-2009 4:23 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by JJtheJester
10-19-2009 3:32 PM


Do not mix science and religion
Hello JJ, and welcome to the forum.
I'm afraid that, speaking for myself, I have to refuse your request, for the following reasons.
Evolution is a scientific subject, and therefore does not belong in a class called "Religious Education", just as Biblical exegesis does not belong in a science class. In my view, if you want to give them a proper lesson in religious education, you should show your pupils the contrasting views among different religions per se, and stimulate them to think about the fact that such disparate religious views exist at all.
I think that to concentrate on the supposed contrast between one religious viewpoint and a scientific concept is to misinform your students and to reduce your lesson to the oxymoronic level (no offence intended) that the term "Religious Education" suggests in the first place.

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science." - Charles Darwin.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by JJtheJester, posted 10-19-2009 3:32 PM JJtheJester has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 13 by JJtheJester, posted 10-20-2009 6:48 AM Parasomnium has replied

Parasomnium
Member
Posts: 2228
Joined: 07-15-2003


Message 18 of 126 (531866)
10-20-2009 9:45 AM
Reply to: Message 13 by JJtheJester
10-20-2009 6:48 AM


Re: Do not mix science and religion
JJtheJester writes:
Thanks for telling me how to do my job!
I am sorry if I gave that impression, it was not my intention. I was only expressing my personal opinion that religious education should restrict itself to religious topics.
To push this issue out of lessons because it 'reduces to the oxymononic level' and therefore not teach it is to pander to censorship.
I am not arguing for censorship. By all means, teach your pupils religious education, teach them evolution, and teach them about the debate. But don't teach them about the debate in science class, or in religious education class. By doing so you run the risk of making them think that religious opinions are scientific topics, or that evolution is a religion. Best to avoid the confusion and teach them about the debate in a neutral setting.

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science." - Charles Darwin.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 13 by JJtheJester, posted 10-20-2009 6:48 AM JJtheJester has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 29 by Peg, posted 12-07-2009 6:40 PM Parasomnium has not replied

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