Re: Re: paleonet Not only in the USA do creationsist/IDs abound amongst Christians

["Michael Kishel" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

While I see this point I have to question its validity by virtue of the
simple fact that we are slipping badly in the U.S. in science and math.  If
this debate isn't a big deal then what are the alternative explanations for
this phenomena?  It seems to me that clearly something in the psyche of
Americans makes them not take these subject areas seriously and the best
explanation would be that these areas are being undermined by competing
ideas.

-Michael Kishel


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <chaim@bgumail.bgu.ac.il>
To: <paleonet@nhm.ac.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 9:11 AM
Subject: Re: Re: paleonet Not only in the USA do creationsist/IDs abound
amongst Christians


> Paleonetters:
> I refuse to cringe in horror over the impending ID doom hovering over us.
There are worse things.
> In Israel a non-Christian, ID-type of creationism is alive and well in all
the religious educational systems, including the state supported ones.
There is no constitution, bill of rights, or separation of  'church' and
state to hassle them.  The religious kids simply don't learn about
evolution.  That's right – they skip it, and nothing happens.
> The system could of course be improved, but it produces loads of
reasonably good biological scientists, chemists, physicists, doctors,
mathematicians, social scientists, artists, businessmen, academics, geeks,
etc. and even a few, albeit second rate, politicians.  A similar private
system in the US even produced me, a geologist, paleontologist and
evolutionist.
> On the other hand, in state schools where they do learn something about
evolution, it doesn't seem to have left much of an impression.  For those of
both groups who get to the university and study geology, I don't see much
difference.
> The point is that I haven't found ID and creationism in the schools all
that threatening.  I have been invited to talk about fossils and evolution
in these schools lots of times.  My main point, that knowledgeable
scientists seem to think that evolution explains things rather well, usually
goes over quite well.  We have spirited discussions, although the students
(and their teachers) tend to remain skeptical.  That's probably quite OK,
because they seem to be skeptical about a lot of stuff they learn.
> How about lightening up a bit?
> --CB
>
>
> Professor Chaim Benjamini
> Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
> Ben Gurion University of the Negev
> P.O.B. 653 Beer Sheva 84105 ISRAEL
> Tel: +972 8 646 1289 office
> +972 8 646 1369 direct
> Fax: +972 8 647 2997 (day)
> +972 8 647 7655 (after hours)
>
>