I am livid after reading this AP article concerning the teaching of science, particularly creation-based science in homeschools. It’s not bad enough that public schools refuse to present Creation-based ideas in the classroom, now they want to criticize homeschoolers for including them. I’m particularly unhappy that the article assumes Darwin’s theories are fact, while dismissing Creationism as a possiblity at all! The article also specifically mentions Apologia Science and BJU. In fact it quotes a BJU text and then mentions that BJU stated that this particular statement was inadvertently missed during editing and will be removed in the next edition. So why even mention it?
It’s ludicrous to believe that just because some homeschoolers choose to teach science with a Christian worldview, that our children are not aware of the theory of evolution. Ben and I discussed evolution in the first grade, when we studied dinosaurs! We continue to discuss it every single time we go to most any science museum, accept the Creation Museum. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. As in most areas of life, it’s important for our children to be aware of differing beliefs, if only to be able to honestly and adequately state and defend their own. We are Christians, but Ben knows a lot about Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. Why do people think that homeschoolers are so narrow-minded as to completely shelter their children from anything different from what they believe?
So, if the article isn’t bad enough, MSNBC also has a poll out with the title “Is it OK for homeschool textbooks to dismiss the theory of evolution?” Please take a few moments of your time and participate in this poll. Personally, I want to see the poll “Is it OK for public school textbooks to dismiss the theory of creationism?” Because while I and many other homeschoolers at least present the theory of evolution to our kids, I’ve the opposite to be true in the public schools. I’m not usually big into polls, but I’d love to see the homeschool community bombard MSNBC with this one!
Here’s Jeannie Fulbright’s (author of the Apologia Elementary series) response…
Yes! Please do send your vote in response to the disparaging article about Apologia science that went out on all the major networks today. As usual, the article had no evidence or any data to back up their beliefs – it was run under the “assumption” that evolution is true because everyone “knows” it. I’m sure the person who wrote the article could not even give one solid scientific reason for his beliefs. It is sad and we are under attack because people think that believing in evolution is “thinking” when they themselves haven’t even begun to explore the reasons they believe what they do. The comments on the poll are so ludicrous, even more evidence of faulty logic. It’s tragic. The good news is: Homeschoolers are an amazing group of individuals – tightly knit and in close communication with one another (I don’t think any other group on earth is like we are) – and we can rapidly change the results of this poll with a few emails here and there. We are a force to be reckoned with because, after all, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
And for comic effect, here is Spunky’s response…
“To my secular homeschooling friends, if you’re upset because there isn’t a science textbook available that supports your worldview then create one. Otherwise, just wait around I’m sure one will eventually evolve out of your math book.”
🙂
