Palin Blogging: Creationism

Let's talk politics. There are so many policies that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has espoused that are fundamentally flawed, it's almost too hard to start writing about them. However, they need to be written about because they are the reasons why American women shouldn't vote for her.

A more comprehensive list is here.

Creationism, and its cousin Intelligent Design, are two dicey subjects that most people won't touch for fear of causing offense. I will tread lightly, but talking these subjects out is the only way we'll ever reach a resolution.

I actually think there is a place for creationism to be taught in schools -- in history classes. I learned about several different major religions in my freshman history class, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. I do not, however, think it belongs in science class. It's not science.

Christianity (and thus Creationism) is a major, major part of Western civilization. I learned about it in political theory classes in college, in history classes in high school, and probably in many other places outside of school. It can and should be discussed when talking about the American revolution, when talking about philosophy, and even when talking about literature.

Science and religious views can co-exist pretty happily in America. Why push something into a science class when there is as of yet no proof it is true? Why politicize our kids' science classes? It's unnecessary, too. If parents have educated their kids according to their religious views, then the child, upon hearing of evolution, will just assume that was how (G)god planned it. The kids who aren't Christian, or who believe in other religions, won't take it as proof there isn't a Christian god. Why the story of Adam and Eve should be discussed alongside Darwin's theory of evolution is beyond me. Keep them separate and have parents teach their kids what they want them to know. It's crazy to have one religious group deciding it in one town, another in a different town, so kids all know something different.

Separation of church and state should apply to public schools too. Our country was founded on that principle. Many of the men were Christians of those who signed the Declaration of Independence, and they had a good reason for cutting religion out of public life.

Their reason was they didn't want any one religion foisted on Americans, as many of them had escaped religious persecution in their home countries. It's important that we don't lose sight of that truth as we struggle to find our own truth. Framing public school curriculum in religion goes against what our founders wanted. They knew better than to involve religious views in the public sector because it can too easily be abused.

How?

Below are a few religious views I think would make most folks nervous about what their kids were learning. Beliefs that are not universal:

1. Reincarnation, a core belief of many Buddhists and in Hinduism
2. Allah created man from a clot of blood, a belief of Islam
3. Birth and death are illusions, and sickness results from fear, illness, or sin ( From Christian Scientists, Not Scientology)

In essence, I'm saying you never know what can be inserted as "fact" and called "religion" in the future. I don't mean to pick on any specific religions, you could find questionable beliefs in nearly any religion that wasn't your own. Clearly people should be allowed to believe and worship as they please, as long as they don't harm others or interfere in non-believers lives. But children in our publicly-funded schools should be taught facts.