Re: "Scientific" position on philosophical questions

Susan Brassfield (susan-brassfield@ou.edu)
Mon, 12 Jul 1999 09:52:23 -0600

I should probably let this pass, but I was tempted and the flesh is weak :-)

>Chris
>There is another reason as well, at least for not discussing it in SCIENCE
>classes: Creation Science ISN'T science. In fact, in all the versions I know
>of, it's ANTI-science. If it is to be discussed at all, it should be in
>culture and philosophy-oriented classes.
>
>Preferably, of course, the entire government-school system would be
>abolished for exactly the same reasons that we have separation of church and
>state. Government has no more business in schooling than it does in
>religion, and, in fact, all the arguments that justify the separation of
>church and state also apply equally to schooling and state.

Our constitution was set up by the founding parents in such a way to make a
theocracy impossible. Therefore the mythology of only one religion, to the
exclusion of other religious mythologies, cannot be taught in an
institution that is financed by society as a whole. (That's my nod to
staying on topic :-))

The idea of universal, tax-supported education--as opposed to education of
only the priviledged few who can afford to pay for it themselves--is such a
powerful one that I don't think we as a society are quite ready to discard
it.

In a democracy the "government"--usually (ok, sometimes)--represents
society. In the case of education, it is *society* that is educating its
children. In today's modern world, any society that does not educate its
children in a broad-based way is doomed.

Susan

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"Life itself is the proper binge."
--Julia Child

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