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From: warren@ihnss.UUCP (Warren Montgomery)
Newsgroups: net.origins,net.politics
Subject: Re: Education of creationists' children
Message-ID: <2319@ihnss.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Nov-84 14:00:11 EST
Article-I.D.: ihnss.2319
Posted: Wed Nov 28 14:00:11 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Nov-84 04:39:40 EST
References: <886@ihuxn.UUCP> <1231@dciem.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
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Children ought to learn the lesson that different people have
different opinions and tell them as if they were known facts as soon
as possible in life.  Keeping pseudo-science out of the classroom
won't keep it off of the front page of every magazine in the
checkout line in the grocery store (probably far more influential on
young minds just learning to read it -:), and parents bent on
keeping the evil influence of evolution away from their kids in
school won't protect them from TV, printed media, friends, etc. 
People have to learn to reason for themselves who and what they are
going to believe, whether the process is by scientific reasoning or
blind faith.  Religion versus science is not the only issue where
judgement is needed.  What about history texts and teachers that
belittle or ignore the contributions of large groups of people or
exaggerate others?  (One of my most vivid childhood memories of
school is the fit my very conservative father threw over a
composition I wrote outlining the glorious accomplishments of FDR as
taught to us in school).  How many of us never heard a teacher
express a political opinion, directly or indirectly?  My advice to
concerned parents is to focus on teaching people HOW to think, not
WHAT to think.
-- 

	Warren Montgomery
	ihnss!warren
	IH ((312)-979) x2494