Intelligent Life

The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. - Thomas Edison
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."                  Calvin and Hobbes  (Bill Watterson)

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Another School Year Begins!

Okay!

The blackboard was washed in the summer and is deep charcoal black inviting you to make the ever so neatest chalk introductions on this ancient source of communication, but one that works, and so will probably be with us for a long time.

I don't think teachers are jumping to PowerPoint presentations by the masses... It just takes more time than a teacher can muster except on those special occasions to make a very special point for a change!

The students are wondering what their new teacher will be like.

The teachers are wondering the same about their students. The students want a fun year with a not-so-grouchy or fussy teacher who makes you do EVERYTHING HER WAY!

The teachers are wondering if this year she will have students who really care about their work and want to do their best.

And then some students are wondering why they have to participate in an educational system that often thinks it is much smarter than their parents about what students SHOULD learn. And some parents are wondering why the secular humanist agenda of many systems must be crammed unwillingly down their children's throats. A task that requires some up-chucking of family-unfriendly facts.

Some students are wondering why their beliefs are mocked as being somewhat stupid if not downright unintelligent and childish.

Some parents are wondering why in a democracy like Canada [or United States], we DON'T GET WHAT WE PAY FOR. They are wondering why Roman Catholic parents and students are more privileged than they. Their schools are funded by the Government of Ontario. Why not Jewish or Muslim [the ones which don't teach hate], Christian or other faith-based schools who wish to pass on their belief system? Why are public schools and the Catholic "separate" schools more favoured?

They are wondering why Mr. McGuinty was able to send his children to a school system paid for by his taxes and why they have to help fund the education of Mr. McGuinty's children. Why?

They are wondering why they have to support a system they do not approve of that does not respond to their needs and beliefs and also pay to have their children go to a a school of their choice. Isn't democracy about choice?

Yes the students, the parents, and the teachers are all wondering....

And waiting ......., Mr. McGuinty, for real democracy to emerge in the learning venues of Ontario. [and perhaps elsewhere]

As a former public teacher who favours diversity of education instead of monopolies, I also wonder .......................................................

Charles Pedley
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The Other Side. Is Evolution a New Religion?

Education?

Is Education what it was intended to be or has it become a religion?

I present here some links to Intelligent Design websites. I do so only because EVERYONE is taught about Evolution but FEW if any are ALLOWED to TEACH about the ideas about Intelligent Design.

Doesn't it strike you as odd, that scientists, and quasi-scientists like Dawkins DO NOT WANT to ALLOW ID to be presented alongside evolution??

If Evolution is purely science, should it not stand up to the questions and "but's" that intelligent people have raised about it?

Isn't an important element of education to hear BOTH SIDES of an argument and then select what you believe is most accurate?

Or have we degraded to the evolution religionists who COVER THEIR EARS and DO NOT WANT TO LISTEN to anything else except what they have been taught?

Could CENSORSHIP be leveled against the adamant evolutionist community? What else explains their lack of listening to the other side? Do they want to protect impressionable minds from being deluded? Or do they want to delude impressionable minds?

Intelligent Design is simply the idea that there is so much order and complexity in the universe of life that it is possible that life shows a design not simply an accident.

I can not as a former teacher agree that evolution is all about science. I have heard Duane Gish at McMaster University present ONLY SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS THAT SEEM TO BE A REAL PROBLEM TO EVOLUTION. He DID NOT MENTION RELIGION ONCE!

But as soon as questions were allowed, ALL OF THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST HIS QUESTIONS assumed that he mentioned religion. HE DID NOT.

NOT ONE of these objectors EVEN ATTEMPTED to answer the questions that HE RAISED in the presentation.

There was so much blindness, seemingly lack of paying attention to what he said, that it was shocking to me.

How in a university community could people who want their students to LISTEN carefully present such a poor example of LISTENING???

The only reasonable answer can be that there is such a prejudice and bias AGAINST religion that many think they hear "religion" when NONE is ever mentioned.

That is why the other side should be aired. Some are blind to anything except what they believe. If Galileo or Copernicus were in that lecture hall in a time warp going back 500 years or more would these same people who did not hear Mr. Gish also not have heard Galileo or Copernicus?

Unfortunately I see the same lack of listening on the part of many evolutionists.

So if you are open-minded at all, please at least look at the other side.

Should Evolution be Left to The Scientists?


Evolution in Education 2

Evolution Controversy

Notice:

Many of these articles are from newsletters that are sent to me. I include them because they are informative. I leave everything the same except the blurb at the bottom which was directed to me. I would suggest that if you like any of them you may wish to go to the website and subscribe to get your own copy.