(June 4, 2015 at 9:54 am)robvalue Wrote: The problem with beliefs is that they can't usually be proven. So someone could, in theory, understand evolution perfectly well, and teach it well, but secretly not believe in it. There's not much you can do about that.
But say in the above example they found out the guy doesn't believe in it, yet continues to teach it at a good level and doesn't bring his beliefs into the classroom, what would be the opinion of that?
That is an interesting point. I don't know. The problem with creationists is that they can't help but let their beliefs slip into their teaching because so many are contemptuous of evolution. In the link in the OP, teachers are using Genesis as a science textbook. My guess is that this is something that has probably colored their lessons for a long time but only now are they able to be so open.
I had a wonderful Biology teacher in highschool who was also a Christian. When we got to the subject of evolution he stated that religion and science don't have to be at odds. He was teaching in a school in the south with students who often had very conservative parents. The first day, he had a question and answer session where he let the students ask or discuss any problem that they had with the subject. He also wrote on the board the different reasons why god couldn't be taught in a science course. One reason was that it would be blasphemous to do scientific tests to prove god so religion really doesn't have a place in the realm of science(he explained it better, of course) He also stated that if he taught Christian creationism then he would have to teach all religions' creation story which would eat up all his time. No student complained or got upset so his method must have worked.
