Of religion and education

12/25/05

COMMENTARY, Teele Manning

A Dec. 11 column has a concern that "religious fanatics" are currently attempting to infiltrate public education.

I offer the following from the National Education Association on teaching about religion: "The National Education Association believes that educational materials should accurately portray the influence of religion in our nation and throughout the world."

(Resolution E-7, 2000-2001)

Also from the Anti-Defamation League on teaching about religion: "Teaching about religion is permissible when it is presented as a part of the secular educational program. Such programs should teach about the role of religion in the historical, cultural, economic, and social development of the United States and other nations and should instill tolerance and respect for a pluralistic society."

This from the American Civil Liberties Union on teaching religion: "The history of religion, comparative religion, the Bible (or other scripture)-as-literature (either as a separate course or within some other existing course), are all permissible public school subjects. It is both permissible and desirable to teach objectively about the role of religion in the history of the United States and other countries" (Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law; endorsed and signed by the ACLU, 1995).

Finally a reminder: In 1979, the Sioux Falls school district was sued by the ACLU because of its policy on celebration of religious holidays. On April 22, 1980, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, upheld the constitutionality of the school policy. As of September 2002, this has not been overturned.

Archeology, physics, all sciences point to a "fine tuner."

Consider this from Stephen C. Meyer, Ph.D. With degrees in physics and geology, he went on to receive his master's degree in the history and philosophy of science from Cambridge University in England, where he focused on the history of molecular biology, the history of physics, and evolutionary theory: "Take the expansion rate of the universe, which is fine-tuned to one part in a trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion. That is if it were changed by one part in either direction -- a little faster, a little slower -- we could not have a universe that would be capable of supporting life" (Ref. Chap. 4 Where Science Meets Faith, Lee Strobel in A Case for a Creator.)

My thinking would come down to this: It would take more faith to believe in evolution than in God; and there is hope in God.

The author lives in Goleta.