> To: sschimmr@calvin.edu
> From: The Pinckneys <pinckneyhome@ephs.org>
> Subject: Teaching earth science to high schoolers
>
> I arrived at your web-site in a very round about way. Tonight I attended a
> talk by Philip Johnson at Williams College. I found his presentation very
> compelling and enjoyed it very much. I am a homeschooing mother of six and
> as an evangelical Christian who wants intellectually honest answers, I have
> had a hard time finding the right kind of science materials to use with my
> children. I don't want to use a secular text that teaches evolution as
> though there were no other option and yet most of the Christian texts I
> have looked at don't seem to have solid science behind them (on the
> question of origins). Just as many textbook authors include evolution as
> fact and do not question the shaky evidence, it seems that the Christian
> texts I have seen assume to have the answers and say "well we don't have
> the evidence yet but it will come and since we know Biblical creation is
> true, we know it had to be this way (young earth, worldwide flood, etc.)
> Is there anything out there that is unapologetically Christian and yet
> honestly and vigorously pursues the science? These questions have come up
> for us because we have been studying earth science this term and the
> Christian text just doesn't seem to be thorough in its science. I don't
> know if you have any insight on this issue, but if you do, I'd sure
> appreciate it. Oh, I started out by saying that I got to your web site in
> a round about way. I somehow found you through the ARN site. Thanks for
> any light you might be able to shed on my query.
> Beth Pinckney
She has a good point. For home schoolers interested in teaching science
to their children, there are two choices. Regular texts, many of which have
the implicit, if not explicit, viewpoint that there is no God and all of nature
is ruled by chance and time and young-earth creationist oriented texts which,
in my opinion, present completely nonsensical science but at least acknowledging
that there is a God and the world is His creation.
It would be nice if there was a middle ground of texts that would present
legitimate science within a Christian worldview. I don't know of any resources
which do that. If you do, please let me (and Beth Pinckney) know about them.
- Steve.
-- Steven H. Schimmrich, Assistant Professor of Geology Department of Geology, Geography, and Environmental Studies Calvin College, 3201 Burton Street SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 sschimmr@calvin.edu (office), schimmri@earthlink.net (home) 616-957-7053 (voice mail), 616-957-6501 (fax) http://home.earthlink.net/~schimmrich/