Re: Cobb County

I'm forwarding this message from Ed with his permission.

Ed Hassertt wrote:

I am gathering this information now, as I have not had access to these
textbooks for about 3 years since I started law school and have had my
time filled with other things. I am in the middle of a case, so
research takes the free time I have, which isn't much. Give me a few
days and I should be able to produce them as long as the schools are
using the same textbooks I had to examine 3 years ago for my Philosophy
of Science course.

Maybe you could cite a signal textbook that has no philosophical or
religious claims in its statements concerning evolution and cosmology and
we can compare.

Here are a few examples I have:

This is a book our neighbor's daughter had in her Sociology Class:

Sociology by Beth R. Hess, the quote is from page 400

"Secular humanism "reflects the Enlightenment's emphasis on rationality,
science, and personal effort rather than blind faith in supernatural
powers. Among the tenets of humanist philosophy are:

    1. A faith in human intelligence and abilities.
    2. A commitment to democracy and civil liberties.
    3. A belief in the importance of, if not the divine origin, of the Ten
Commandments and of the ideals of social equity, the community of
humankind, and world peace.
    4. Opposition to all theories of predestination, divine
    determination, and fatalism.
    5. Compassionate concern for all human beings."

    "These are the beliefs that conservative Christians in the United
States fear being taught to their children"

This book was used at my wife's high school although she didn't take the
course:

Anthropology, by Haviland

"Religion can be defined as: when people are unable to solve their
problems through knowledge and science, they "turn to the manipulation of
supernatural beings and powers." - 563

Roger G. Olson wrote:

>Ed, Welcome back from your several day hiatus!
>
>Now, could you kindly address the question I asked regarding textbooks?
>
>Please provide bibliographic information on textbooks you have reviewed
that indicate that following: that evolution excludes the possibility of
God; that teach evolution by constant beratement of religion; that have
clear anti-religious statements; that teach evolution by making religious
claims.
>
>I sure would appreciate this specific information. Thanks, Bro!
>
>In God's Peace,
>
>Roger
>
>
>
>
>>Edward Hassertt wrote:
>>... (snip)
>>
>>
>>
>>>I would rather have self examining science taught in the classroom than
anything religious, but the way the textbooks are written, with a clear
atheistic and anti-Christian bias (at least the ones I have had to
examine here in Washington), it is not sufficient to allow the status
quo to reign. If a child is taught every day that evolution excludes
the possibility of God, and other "religious" statements made in the
name of science, we need our children to be skeptical of such things.
If evolution were taught without the constant beratement of religion
and exaltation of science as the final arbiter of truth, most
Christians would have little problem with it.
>>>
>>>When we here knowledgeable Christians in Science fight to support these
textbooks which we know have clear anti religious statements, it tends
to make us wonder where their loyalty lies, with Christ, or with
science. I know they do not have to be mutually exclusive, and
shouldn't be, but the constant circling of the wagons anytime there is
criticism of school science textbooks really is disturbing from a
pastoral point of view (I was a pastor for several years before
attending law school). Why not textbooks that teach evolution without
making religious claims?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>(snip) ...
>>
>>Have you seen biology textbooks (you used the passive voice, so I'm not
sure whether you mean the teachers teach it this way or the textbooks
teach it that way?) that teach that evolution excludes the possibility
of God? If so, I'm certainly against that!
>>
>>Do textbooks (teachers?) teach evolution with a constant beratement of
religion? If so, I'm certainly against that!
>>
>>Do textbooks have clear anti-religious statements? If so, I'm certainly
against that!
>>
>>Do some textbooks teach evolution by making religious claims? If so,
I'm certainly against that.
>>
>>Give examples of such a textbook. If you can't, it would seem you are
being a tad hyperbolic.
>>
>>God's Peace,
>>
>>Roger
>>
>>P.S. BTW, I don't strongly one way or the other about the disclaimer
stickers. They could lead to a fruitful discussion of the philosophy of
science.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>Edward J. Hassertt
>>>Reason By Faith
>>>Auburn, Washington
>>>
>>>http://www.reasonbyfaith.org
>>>
>>>Christian Legal Discussion:
>>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advocatusdeus/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

-- 
.......................................................................................
The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between 
classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every 
human heart   -  Alexander Solzhenitsyn
.......................................................................................
Edward J. Hassertt
Reason By Faith
Auburn, Washington
http://www.reasonbyfaith.org
Christian Legal Discussion:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advocatusdeus/
--