Re: [asa] Homeschool science curricula

Jack, Randy, et al.

Charles Hummel's piece on Interpreting Genesis One from the Galileo
Connection is quite accessible. The key chapter was reprinted in PSCF
and is available on the web at

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1986/PSCF9-86Hummelwithcss.html

TG

On Nov 10, 2006, at 7:51 AM, Randy Isaac wrote:

> Jack,
> Thank you so much for sending this insightful email. It really
> helps us focus on where the real concern is. Normally we wrestle
> with teachers advocating YECism or we rant on this list about how
> the YEC's have won or how their science could possibly be so wrong.
> But here we are taken right to the heart of the issue. It's not
> at all a scientific issue but a hermeneutics issue as many of you
> have been saying. This note is well written and articulates
> precisely the fear that permeates hearts and minds of Christians
> throughout the church.
> Our first reaction might be to recommend NT Wright or Walton or
> Kline or any of the evangelical bible scholars who have focused on
> OT interpretation. But will these folks be able to wade through all
> the scholarly language? Is there a lay level book that takes their
> ideas and puts them at a level where the writers of this note could
> grasp the essence? It would be a great project to take such a work
> and put it in an audio mp3 format and make it available on our
> website. If such a book exists, I'll bet we can do the audio part.
> Any recommendations?
>
> Randy
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "jack syme" <drsyme@cablespeed.com>
> To: <asa@calvin.edu>
> Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 7:00 AM
> Subject: [asa] Homeschool science curricula
>
>
>> I received this email from a friend of mine, who has organized a
>> tutorial in science, math and other subjects, for homeschooled
>> children in grades 9 - 12.
>>
>> Can anyone help me help him? Does anyone know of any good web
>> sites that have mp3's that concisely explain non literal creation
>> views? He is more interested in hermaneutics than scientific
>> evidence.
>>
>>
>>> Jack
>>> I hope you are doing well. We got the below email from one of the
>>> parent's in our tutorial. I immediately thought of you. The
>>> family that sent
>>> it are an excellent family and easy to work with. They are well
>>> educated and
>>> always a delight to talk to. I am curious to hear how you would
>>> respond to
>>> the points made below about the poetic view of the creation
>>> account. I know
>>> you disagree, but how would you respond to the theological
>>> arguments ?
>>> Is there a website that has mp3 files that can explain your view
>>> from a
>>> hermeneutic perspective (not scientific perspective - I only have
>>> time right
>>> now to analyze the hermeneutic issues). I have an ipod and would
>>> like to
>>> listen to one or two in the car.
>>
>>
>> This is the email that he is referring to:
>>>
>>> There is one more item I wanted to bring up. I am coming to you
>>> and not
>>> the teacher because what was taught was taught to the whole class
>>> and as
>>> part of the curriculum. In other words, if the matter was a
>>> private issue,
>>> simply a disagreement with teaching style or classroom dynamics,
>>> I would go
>>> directly to the teacher. Rather, this is a issue of curriculum
>>> content and
>>> therefore, to my understanding, under your auspices. My
>>> children have told
>>> me that the teacher taught them today that she does not hold to a
>>> six day
>>> creation viewpoint. From what I gather from them, she believes a
>>> form of the
>>> framework hypothesis. She told them that she believed that
>>> Genesis is a
>>> "poetic" book and that the Genesis account was not necessarily
>>> literal. She
>>> said that each day could be viewed as being eons - defined as an
>>> unspecified
>>> amount of time. I am coming to you because this may be something
>>> of which
>>> you are aware and you may be at ease with. I apologize that I
>>> did not
>>> specifically address this in our interviews. I assumed a six day
>>> literal
>>> creation viewpoint since we were using Wile's book and that, to my
>>> understanding, is his view.
>>>
>>> In the opinion of my husband and me, the ramifications of this
>>> point of view are myriad. I am especially concerned that it
>>> undermines the
>>> authority of God and His Word and the very Gospel. If man was
>>> created over
>>> eons of time, was there death before the Fall? If so, then death
>>> was not as
>>> a result of the sin of the federal head, Adam, and therefore, we
>>> are not
>>> under its curse. If we do not die because we are under the
>>> curse, we have
>>> no need of a Savior. See what I mean? The Genesis account is
>>> a paradigm
>>> for marriage, dominion of the earth, and other foundational issues
>>> including our view of the nature of man and our need for
>>> redemption. Carey
>>> questioned her in class about the effect this view has on our being
>>> specially created in God's image and our being given souls, if as
>>> she
>>> believes, these matters are simply poetic.
>>>
>>> I am grateful that my children have discussed this with Mike
>>> and me (it
>>> was the first thing out their mouths when we got in the car) and
>>> we are
>>> aware now that we will need to counter these views in our
>>> instruction. In
>>> many ways it will be good for my kids to have to deal with the
>>> opposing
>>> views of creation. I did want to bring this up, however, in case
>>> this was
>>> not what you understood to be the perspective in the science
>>> class and were
>>> concerned for the rest of the students.
>>>
>>> I know many godly Christian brothers and sisters who hold to
>>> similar
>>> views as the teacher. I do not want you to think I am in any way
>>> questioning
>>> her character or her faith. I am sure you would not have hired
>>> her if you
>>> did not believe she was a godly woman. On your testimony, I have
>>> every
>>> confidence that she is. I simply believe she holds to a serious
>>> error and
>>> sadly, she has influence to spread that error to vulnerable
>>> students who are
>>> trusting that they are hearing the truth. It is my opinion that
>>> this error
>>> is insidious. If we allow Satan to undermine the authority of
>>> God in the
>>> Genesis account by relegating it to being "poetic" why stop with
>>> Genesis?
>>>
>>> My husband and I are happy to meet with y'all to discuss this
>>> further.
>>> My children are very concerned that they not be seen as the
>>> source of this
>>> information. They want to have a good relationship with their
>>> teacher. We
>>> have every intention of keeping them in the class; we will
>>> simply instruct
>>> them counter to that teaching at home. Like I said, I am not
>>> sure whether
>>> this is the view of the school or not, therefore, you may not
>>> feel the need
>>> to do anything. If that is the case, like I said, we will keep
>>> the kids in
>>> the class and handle this at home. In case it was not the view
>>> of the
>>> school, we wanted to let you know.
>>>
>>> Thank you both so much for all you do to make this school
>>> available to
>>> my children. We are very happy here and hope that we are an
>>> asset to the
>>> school. Please take this concern as just that. As Christian
>>> brothers and
>>> sisters, there is no issue that should not be able to be
>>> discussed gently
>>> and kindly in light of the authority of God's Word and in love.
>>> I hope I
>>> have succeeded in communicating in that spirit.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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>
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Received on Fri Nov 10 15:49:55 2006