[Osx-nutters] The separation of church and state.

[Charles Bennett]

On Dec 3, 2007, at 9:51 AM, Patrick Coskren wrote:

> On Dec 3, 2007, at 9:05 AM, Charles Bennett wrote:
>>
>> On Nov 30, 2007, at 7:52 PM, Mark Smith wrote:
>>>
>>> On 30 Nov 2007, at 03:14, Matt Johnston wrote:
>>>
>>>> I admit there's a ruckuss in the media about creationism in Science
>>>> over in the US but that's just in backward areas right?
>>>
>>> Be afraid, be very afraid. Creationists are infiltrating schools in
>>> (at least) Denmark and Germany. There was a documentary from a
>>> reliable film maker on one of the most conservative channels here in
>>> Germany about this around 6 months ago.
>>>
>>> More recently, friends of ours reported that they were confronted
>>> with
>>> creationist school teachers at an open day at a *primary* school  
>>> here
>>> in Berlin.
>>
>> So..  Just to be clear.  Your friends object to a Creationist
>> teacher being in a school where Islam may taught?
>>
>> WTF?  Over.
>
> The problem isn't religious education, Chuck, at least in the context
> of the German schools, which I gather have a different approach than
> US ones by permitting religious education.  The problem is *science*
> education.  "Classes in the Roman Catholic and Protestant faiths were
> offered."  Nobody cares if the religion teacher says God created the
> universe in seven days.  People care when the science teacher says it.


No, I get that.   But when you talk about 'be afraid'

The rare odd Creationist slipping into the system isn't all that much  
to worry about.   He is by far the exception rather than the rule.

Setting aside that I don't think that religious education is the  
proper realm of public schools, at all,
I think that *if* you allow it, your least worry about subversion of  
the system is some crazy trying to get away with teaching Creationism  
in science class.

If he does it openly, it will only be a day or two before he's called  
on the carpet for it.    If he does it clandestinely, it might take a  
couple more before some kid reports it to mom and all hell breaks loose.

I'd worry about a school system that allows it, but, IFAIK, there is  
only like one that allows it, and they are laughed at by the rest of  
the nation.

=c=