You want red herrings - the whole creationism thing is a red herring. If you a referencing the bible or some such other theological writing - you are having a philosophy discussion. If you are using the scientific theory to prove a fact you are dealing with science. When the day comes that we can prove life after death, and knock on gods front door and get invited in for a cup of tea - that's when philosophy (some call it religion) will move into the scientific realm and science will merge into the faith realm by having the need for "faith" eliminated. Now what kind of religion wants to eliminate faith, trust - it's the most important component - a belief and a trust in things unseen.
Science is not religion and religion is not science - otherwise "faith" wouldn't be an issue, have an impact or be the necessary ingredient in the "belief" models of organized religion and individuals personal philosophies.
If you want to teach creationism put it in a philosophy or religious studies class. If the school is getting public funding you have to make sure the school board, district, staff and principle aren't advocating for one religion or another.
What's so hard about bringing some ethical clarity and intellectual honesty to personal behavior. Stow your religious agendas at the school house door. Children deserve to see and hear all the world has to offer before we try and make up their minds for them. That's intellectually honest. Someone advocating for their religion over someone elses isn't being intellectually honest. They are recruiting.
Religion was the first system of laws put forth to civilize society. Now the pendulum has swung too far and we have religious sects - acting in cult like fashions using and manipulating "believers" and the faith mechanism in an effort to seek personal gain, wealth and power for themselves.
My recommendation is believe what you want to believe but unless you are following these two rules "live and let live" and "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" you are the one doing the wrong thing - you don't need dogma to tell you that's right. Our collective conscience informs us all.
Life is a tapestry with many points of view - most likely a different one for each person. Impose your "belief" system on someone else - worse yet call it science and you will meet immediate resistance from those who are exercising their "god given" free will. This is what all the wars are about. Trying to now shroud (pun intended) the christian myth legends as science does both science, critical thinking and belief and faith a huge disservice.
Show me Jesus's robes, sandals, bowl he ate out of, name written down in the tax records - he allegedly walked on water - you think someone would have kept a lock of his hair. Show me something with provenance and we can move him to an unquestioned, existing, human being. Until then he is someone or something that requires faith and who knows - maybe that's the way it's supposed to be.
Something tells me that when we die whatever we see if anything will be based on what we need to see based on what we believe inside our souls and consciousness. Buddhist will see Buddha, Muslims will see Mohammad, Christians will see Jesus, Native Americans will see the Great Spirit as a wolf, bear, eagle or Geronimo, some of us will see Hendrix, Garcia or Pablo Neruda, families, friends or pets. Who's to say it's not all the same thing. After all creation has shown us that variety is it's hallmark and change is it's constant.
Finally I would add we didn't put this planet or ourselves here. We should treat each other and the planet with that in mind. This is not a world of our doing and it is only our undoing that we can control. I would recommend treating all that we see as sacred and that despoiling this creation of air land and sea with pollution is an affront to the creator and the creative process. Would you throw battery acid, pesticides, soot, or oil on the Mona Lisa? Don't you think creating the Earth and all that is in it took more talent?
Paul Burke
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