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cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
Tue Feb 5, 2013, 08:39 PM Feb 2013

Physicist Lawrence Krauss on teaching creationism: It’s a form of child abuse

xpost from GD.


In brief video published by Big Think on Monday, physics professor Lawrence Krauss said that teaching school children incorrect facts about the age of the planet was a form of abuse.

Krauss noted that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) recently declined to say how old the Earth was, insisting it was “one of the great mysteries.” Krauss blasted the idea of teaching the Earth was 6,000 years old — as some Christians believe — rather than 4.55 billion years old.

“If you think about that, somehow saying that, well, anything goes, we shouldn’t offend religious beliefs by requiring kids to know – to understand reality; that’s child abuse,” he said. “And if you think about it, teaching kids – or allowing the notion that the earth is 6,000 years old to be promulgated in schools is like teaching kids that the distance across the United States is 17 feet. That’s how big an error it is.”

Krauss added the “purpose of education is not to validate ignorance, but to overcome it.”

Bill Nye “the Science Guy” made similar comments last year in another video published by Big Think. Nye implored parents not to teach creationism to their children because the country needed “scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future.”



Raw Story (http://s.tt/1zqrd)


He is right, but he fails to go the next step and say that pretty much all religious belief in the supernatural that is forced upon children is abuse, so I will.
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Physicist Lawrence Krauss on teaching creationism: It’s a form of child abuse (Original Post) cleanhippie Feb 2013 OP
Are you distinguishing between forced religious belief and religious belief? rug Feb 2013 #1
I'm distinguishing between an adult believing what they want, and children being forced to church cleanhippie Feb 2013 #3
Are you saying every child in a church is there as the result of force? rug Feb 2013 #4
Nice try. cleanhippie Feb 2013 #5
That's not an answer. rug Feb 2013 #6
Oh, it's an answer all right. cleanhippie Feb 2013 #7
No, it's, what's the word, an evasion. rug Feb 2013 #8
I've made my positon on religious indoctrination of children before the age of reason quite clear... cleanhippie Feb 2013 #9
So the answer is yes. rug Feb 2013 #10
The answer is: Nice try, but fail. cleanhippie Feb 2013 #11
Oh, the answer is no? rug Feb 2013 #12
The answer is: Nice try, but fail. cleanhippie Feb 2013 #13
What is failing here is your ability to draw distinctions. rug Feb 2013 #14
What is failing here is your inability to accept the conclusion. cleanhippie Feb 2013 #15
No, your conclusion, which you're apparently afraid to speak, is quite clear. rug Feb 2013 #16
This entire subthread = facepalm Wednesdays Feb 2013 #17
What a beautifully cogent remark. It's time some one with some sense comes down on those ladjf Feb 2013 #2
I have never met, on or offline, a creationist who isn't a raving lunatic. 2ndAmForComputers Feb 2013 #18
Teaching children what to think felix_numinous Feb 2013 #19

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
3. I'm distinguishing between an adult believing what they want, and children being forced to church
Tue Feb 5, 2013, 08:44 PM
Feb 2013

and to accept religious beliefs.

 

rug

(82,333 posts)
8. No, it's, what's the word, an evasion.
Tue Feb 5, 2013, 08:51 PM
Feb 2013

It's very simple to answer. Either you believe every child in a church is there by force, and is thereby abused, or you don't.

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
9. I've made my positon on religious indoctrination of children before the age of reason quite clear...
Tue Feb 5, 2013, 08:53 PM
Feb 2013

child abuse.

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
13. The answer is: Nice try, but fail.
Tue Feb 5, 2013, 09:08 PM
Feb 2013

If you need clarification on what I already stated, several times, you can see my comments at the bottom of the OP or in post #9, both of which have already addressed your question

Now, do you have something else or are you going to beat this horse some more?

 

rug

(82,333 posts)
16. No, your conclusion, which you're apparently afraid to speak, is quite clear.
Tue Feb 5, 2013, 10:44 PM
Feb 2013

You consider parents raising their children in a religion to be child abuse. Period. Force has nothing to do with it. It's absurd but it's clear that's what you're trying to say. Without saying it of course.

Why are you running away from your own conclusion?

ladjf

(17,320 posts)
2. What a beautifully cogent remark. It's time some one with some sense comes down on those
Tue Feb 5, 2013, 08:42 PM
Feb 2013

ignorant bastards. Stop giving them a free pass to make up their "facts". nt

felix_numinous

(5,198 posts)
19. Teaching children what to think
Wed Feb 6, 2013, 01:52 PM
Feb 2013

is very different than teaching children HOW to think for themselves. Children who do not learn to reason for themselves learn to give their freedom of choice away. These kids are being conditioned against creative original thought, and it is not far fetched to say that this is a form of psychological abuse.

I wish philosophy was taught in the place of religion, so that young people could make up their own minds what they want to believe. I think we would have a much more diverse and creative society then (not to mention interesting!)

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