Re: Emily & teaching Science, or not

Holy crap!  I'm trying to catch up on email & I didn't realize you  guys were 
talking about this subject.  
 
Sadly, my parents are rabid Christians and, as a result, I am a victim of  
this.  I was forced to attend religious schools during grades 1-8 and I was  
taught that the earth is only 6,000 years old; that the geologic evidence that  
the earth is really older all occurred because of the flood (you know, Noah  & 
the Ark, rain for 40 days & nights, etc); and the Grand Canyon is a  result of 
the flood -- all of that crap.  
 
READY FOR THIS ONE? --- I was taught that evolution was a lie that the  devil 
wants us to believe, and that if I was tempted into believing in  evolution, 
as opposed to the creation story that the earth was created in 6  days, that I 
will burn in hell & not be "saved", hence I would not go  to heaven.  (gasp!)
 
I can tell you -- I am seriously screwed up as a result.  I can't  believe 
the creation theory, yet I am so screwed up that I don't believe  evolution 
either.  I am not a scientist by profession so thankfully this  information as to 
how the earth came to be is not 'critical' for me to get on  with everyday 
life, so I put it out of my head and realize that I'm screwed  up.
 
My hubby makes fun of me, though, whenever we are watching the Discovery  
channel or any similar show that talks about the age of the earth.   When they 
talk about gazillions of years ago, he turns to me & says, "Oh,  for you that is 
8 weeks ago."  LOL  It makes me laugh.  I  realize I'm ridiculously screwed 
in the head about this.  I just have to  laugh about it.
 
Don't worry David -- I'm NOT offended in the slightest.  I wish people  would 
just teach the kids science & not screw them up as badly as I have  been.
 
Eva
Long  Island, NY
Zone 6/7

Honor our dead.  Demand the  truth. _  http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/_ 
(http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/) 
What is the Downing Street Memo?_  
http://democracyforamerica.com/memo_movie.php_ (http://democracyforamerica.com/memo_movie.php) _  
www.downingstreetmemo.com_ (http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/) 

 
In a message dated 7/12/2005 9:23:50 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
hodgesaa@earthlink.net writes:

40%???  That's alarming. 

I had to teach a class on dinosaurs my first year out  of college at the
museum I worked for. I had a Christian academy class come  in one day. They
brought their texts with them, and I soon found out that  the only reason
they came to the class was to argue their point that  dinosaurs and man
"walked the earth together." Their text actually depicted  a photograph on a
dinosaur fossil and a fossilized "caveman" footprint in  the same picture,
thus proving that they lived at the same time according  to the text. It was
disconcerting to say the least, and of course I was  only 22 at the time and
had no idea how to respond with offending someone.  Now, I am NOT slamming
the Christian religion, so no one start getting  upset please, but that was
way over the top. It amazed and appalled me what  those children were being
taught.

Andrea H
Beaufort, SC  


> [Original Message]
> From: David Franzman  <dfranzma@pacbell.net>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
>  Date: 7/12/2005 8:59:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [CHAT] Emily
>
>  Hey Jim
>
> Interesting and goes along with my thoughts.  One  word on what you wrote 
> about evolution:  National Geographic had  an interesting article on 
> evolution and Darwin's journeys.  The  author lamented that the title of
that 
> breakthrough scientific  work was labeled "The Theory of Evolution."  This 
> gave the  naysayers wiggle room  to denigrate it as merely a
theory...meaning  
> just an idea rather than a firm scientific basis for the study of  life 
> science.  Also, and I think I wrote about this a few months  ago, most 
> shocking of all was that more than 40% of the American  people do not buy
the 
> theory.  A significant number believe  that the age of the earth/universe
can 
> be counted in thousands not  billions of years.
>
> David
>  http://www.atouchofthetropics.net

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