HOWEVER, a couple of people have now mentioned fundamentalist schooling in America, and how children are being taught to take the bible literally, over science. This is something that I was aware of, however, having looked into it, I realise now that I had no idea as to what extent these schools were practicing, and what I found even scarier was the fact that these schools are actually on the rise.
There are A LOT of private schools under the fundamentalist system of education. 6,000 schools in more than 140 countries, to be exact, use the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) cirriculum, which is predominantly prevalent in Southern USA; where these schools are actually funded by the state. Their agenda is very simple: providing a Bible-based system of education as an alternative to the accepted curriculum.
Also, JC (@Jon_Digital) sent me a link to the actually unfathomable information that THOUSANDS of children in these schools in Louisiana, are actually being taught that the "Loch Ness Monster" is real, in a bid to disprove Darwin's theory of evolution!?
MENTAL.
This is what tipped me over the edge and made me write this post...
Here's an excerpt from Accelerated Christian Education's Biology 1099 textbook, published in 1995:
"Are dinosaurs alive today? Scientists are becoming more convinced of their existence. Have you heard of the `Loch Ness Monster' in Scotland? `Nessie,' for short has been recorded on sonar from a small submarine, described by eyewitnesses, and photographed by others. Nessie appears to be a plesiosaur.
Could a fish have developed into a dinosaur? As astonishing as it may seem, many evolutionists theorize that fish evolved into amphibians and amphibians into reptiles. This gradual change from fish to reptiles has no scientific basis. No transitional fossils have been or ever will be discovered because God created each type of fish, amphibian, and reptile as separate, unique animals. Any similarities that exist among them are due to the fact that one Master Craftsmen fashioned them all."
Er, yeah, ok. So a mythical creature proves creationism is correct? And any fossil evidence should either be disregarded or swept under the carpet? Sounds feasible...
I know it's confusing as to how they think this proves anything... but basically, Christians genuinley believe that the universe is only 10,000 years old, not 14.6 billion years. Which is just absurd. Amongst other prolific scientific evidence- stars are proof of this...
Stars are light years away from earth, so it takes years for the light from them to even travel to the earth for us to see it. When you look at the stars, you are actually essentially looking back in time. The closest stars to us are about 4 light years away, so the light we see left them four years ago. The center of our Milky Way Galaxy is about 26,000 light years away, so when we look at those stars we observe the light that left them 26,000 years ago! Possible, if the world is only 10,000 years old? No.
In the Christian timeline of the earth, dinosaurs walked the earth alongside humans, which is also scientifically false. However, in these fundamentalist schools, they are teaching (I repeat) THOUSANDS of children that "Nessie" is proof that Noah's flood happened 4,000 years ago (which they literally believe), because obviously a sea monster survived. Something which couldn't possibly be the case if dinosaurs were actually alive over 65 million years ago and weren't saved as baby dinosaurs on the ark. Duh!
And these are schools. This is what children are actually being taught as the truth of what's real in the world. It's just actually incredible.
Their text books are such a joke. You can read parts of them on Amazon if you've got too much time on your hands... William S. Pinkston, Jr.'s 1991 "Biology for Christian Schools" openly admits at the beginning, "The people who have prepared this book have tried consistently to put the Word of God first and science second." Students are urged to disregard facts and conclusions widely held in the scientific community. "If the conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong no matter how many scientific facts may appear to back them."
Sexual behavior is linked to disease and divine retribution. God "demands sexual purity" and sexual sins "are a transgression of God's commandment and defile the body and mind." Therefore, "The diseases that may result are a reminder that God punishes sinners." Abortion is "the killing of an unborn child" and never can be acceptable. "People may try to redefine the terms and may pass laws to the contrary, but abortion is killing a human - and that is murder."
Which is quite ironic, given the fact that the sexual antics of the evangelical youths have been brought to public attention recently. According to one survey, despite almost universal affirmation that premarital sex is a sin, 80% of unmarried evangelicals are at it, and 30% of those who accidentally get pregnant actually get an abortion. Also, it has been brought to light that states where abstinence is taught over contraception in school, have teen-pregnancy rates as high as double those of states with a comprehensive curriculum. Nice one.
Another good quote from their text books: "...the [Ku Klux] Klan in some areas of the country tried to be a means of reform, fighting the decline in morality and using the symbol of the cross... In some communities it achieved a certain respectability as it worked with politicians." GOOD.
So who lets this form of education continue to grow?
Thousands of students across the state of Louisiana are eligible to receive publicly funded vouchers to allow them to attend these ACE schools. Private religious schools have been cleared to receive the state voucher money transferred from public school funding, thanks to a bill pushed through by Republican state governor Bobby Jindal.
Bobby Jindal is a hindu who has recently converted to Catholicism. He is 100% pro-life, opposes the legalization of same-sex marriage, and supports American's rights to bear arms. Now there's someone I'd like to have over for dinner at Hermit HQ... A Christian Republican... Just my type!
NOT.
Anyway, the whole thing is so beyond me that I don't even know how to conclude this post. The inanity of the whole thing has rendered me unable to articulate my frustrations, so I'll leave you to your own thoughts about it.
One thing I will say is, sarcasm aside, it properly upsets me that children are being brain washed like this. They are having the fear of hell drummed into them, and are being denied information about the truth of the world they live in. Nature and science are so amazing, way more amazing than the idea that a deity just created everything in seven days- everyone should be given the chance to properly appreciate it. It is ridiculous to think that myths such as the "Loch Ness Monster" are being presented as facts to undermine actual science, and that children are being indoctrinated with this fundamentalist propaganda, otherwise known as bullshit.
Alright, probably too far. Sorry I got carried away and that this is such a long post, but I'm really looking forward to hearing what you guys have to say on this...
L.
