The Media Just Doesn't Get Homeschooling

In an AP story I found on foxnews.com, someone evidently discovered that a lot of the most popular science textbooks among homeschooling parents do not promote Darwinian evolution. Early in the article we find this:

Christian-based materials dominate a growing home-school education market that encompasses more than 1.5 million students in the U.S. And for most home-school parents, a Bible-based version of the Earth's creation is exactly what they want. Federal statistics from 2007 show 83 percent of home-schooling parents want to give their children "religious or moral instruction."

No surprise there—that's why they homeschool! The public indoctrination centers (a.k.a., public schools) promote and propagandize the theory of evolution while trying their very best to demean and squash any thought that an all-powerful and all-knowing God created everything.

The majority of the rest of the article then whines about the fact that some homeschoolers—presumably that other 17%—don't want their children taught about Creation. Why such people would choose to use Christian science materials is beyond me, unless it is because such books do such a good job of teaching science overall.

One of the two books featured in the article is the Biology (3rd ed.) text from Bob Jones University Press, my alma mater. I am somewhat familiar with the first two editions of the Biology book, and I am even now using their 3rd edition 7th grade Life Science textbook with my daughter. This is an absolutely top-notch textbook in every way. If the Biology text is even half as good as the 7th grade text—and I strongly suspect it is—it will still be one of the very best Biology textbooks around.

The "reviewers" used by the AP in this article demean these texts; one said he would give the books an F. They clearly equate "good science" with slavish devotion to evolutionary theory. This is one of the greatest errors of our age. The mass of evidence points to a Creator far more powerful than we comprehend, not to an existence that came about by some happenstance or chance.

And if parents want to teach this to their children, more power to them.

Bible, SCIENCE, and Politics: What Should a Christian Think?

Our homeschooling year began this week and I have accepted the fun task of teaching 7th grade life science to my eldest child. This has caused me to think a lot about science and what it means in our lives. Oh, yeah—science affects the political scene, too, sometimes in absurd ways.

Key Bible Points Regarding Science:

1. God Created Everything. Genesis 1-2 give the details of God creating all things in six literal solar days. This happened several thousand years ago. Evolution, therefore, is a complete lie, as it denies God did anything, or that God even exists.
2. God gave "Dominion" to man over what He created: Genesis 1:28 tells us, "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." In short, mankind is to control and steward the earth and its resources. Which brings us to...
   
3. Stewardship: Mankind is to be wise in his use of the earth and its resources, taking care of them and making best use of them.
   
4. Man sinned, and this brought a curse upon the Creation. While the initial creative work of God was good, sin brought decay and death into that creation. Now the universe deals with this. Scientists quantify this phenomenon with such things as the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
5. Because of man's sin, there was a worldwide flood. Evidence of this Flood can be found in the sedimentary layers, fossils, and various other geological features of the planet.

Additional details and more thorough analysis of these items can be found at the websites of the Institute for Creation Research and Answers in Genesis.

The Christian is obligated to believe the Bible account. The Christian is also obligated to have an impact on his society; what does that imply in the political arena?

1. The Christian knows that God created everything and that, therefore, we are accountable to God. It is God that provided our rights (see the Declaration of Independence) and established the parameters of right and wrong, of morality and sin. Our government must recognize these facts as it makes and enforces law.
   
2. The Christian needs to identify the differences between a "proper stewardship" that uses physical resources wisely and "environmental activism" that does not allow that stewardship to be implemented.
3. The Christian should not endorse any efforts that promote the teaching of evolution, the mitigation of our God-given rights, or the practice of anything the Bible calls sin.
   

This is just an overview; much more can and has been written on the topic. What are your thoughts?

Is Evolution Integral to Science? No.

I encountered the following on the internet today. The statement below (which can be found here; the facts about this group are here) is offered by....

The 21st-Century Science Coalition is a group of Texas scientists who have come together for a common purpose: to ensure that Texas students get a sound science education that reflects the most current scientific knowledge and is based on established scientific data. We simply believe that students deserve the best science education in their Texas classrooms.

Good science education is certainly desirable, but it is not possible apart from objectivity, observations, solid reasoning, and facts. This group is actually quite concerned that those in a position to impact state science curriculum standards in Texas will allow teachers to discuss intelligent design and creation, thus decreasing the absolute stranglehold evolution has on the public education establishment in this country. Evolution is not a fact. It has never been observed; it is not observed today. I would like to critique their statement below.

Scientists for a Responsible Curriculum in Texas Public Schools

A strong science curriculum is an essential part of a 21st-century education and should be based on established peer-reviewed empirical research. In 2008-09 the State Board of Education is revising the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum standards for the sciences.

Scientifically sound curriculum standards must:

• acknowledge that instruction on evolution is vital to understanding all the biological sciences; It is not vital. Some of us got great understanding of the biological sciences while receiving a creation-based education. Really.

• make clear that evolution is an easily observable phenomenon that has been documented beyond any reasonable doubt; It has never been observed, much less easily. It is not documented, much less beyond a reasonable doubt.

• be based on the latest, peer-reviewed scholarship;

• encourage valid critical thinking and scientific reasoning by leaving out all references to “strengths and weaknesses,” which politicians have used to introduce supernatural explanations into science courses; and What?!? By choking out a discussion of strengths and weaknesses, critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills are strengthened?!? What sort of ridiculous reasoning is this?

• recognize that all students are best served when matters of faith are left to families and houses of worship. OK. Better there than in public schools, but public schools still need to reinforce the basic tenets of religion and morality in society.

We, therefore, call on the Texas State Board of Education to approve science curriculum standards that prepare Texas students to succeed in the 21st century. I do, too. I just want to see something different than this group wants to see.