Public schools and the things they hide

[Alpha~Omega]

Being 17 and attending several public school's throughout my year's, i have noticed some things that they hide from us. For instance, the assumption they teach to us that Macro evolution is, at least to them a fact. They seem to force various amounts of philosophical standpoint's on us, in ways such as the book's they give us to read and other curriculum. The funny thing is, teachers are not allowed to say the word "God" in speech or writing, yet the book's we read seem to shed a negitive light on the Lord. Now to get to my question; what else could they be forcing on us, or hiding from us? (BTW im at my school while posting this lol) Thanks all!

[derrick09]

Even though this my opinion, currently I think I have good reasons to think this and even though later it may not turn out to be all 100% true, it's something worth thinking about and looking into.

http://discussions.godandscience.org/vi ... +part+of+a

[jlay]

The big one is endoctrinating children to accept the homosexual lifestyle as 'normal.'
Any experiences with this?

[MarcusOfLycia]

I'm in college for a Computer Science degree and I've found it depends on the professor. My CS profs are generally more concerned with actually teaching computer-related topics and getting students ready for jobs and research into this stuff. I've had a lot of non-CS professors too, and most of them do a very good job of just teaching information and not opinion. I really hate it when teachers try to do that with their views on things without room for criticism.

I did have a particularly nasty experience this summer. I took a class that was supposed to be on the history of communication, which sounded awesome at the time (I'm kind of a history geek). In the first hour and a half of the class, I learned the actual topic was going to be about how evil George W Bush is, how religion is stupid, and how postmodernism is the correct lens with which to view the world. Dropped the course before the second half of the first day was complete (didn't help that the teacher forgot we had the class, and missed the first week without notice).

[Alpha~Omega]

The big one is endoctrinating children to accept the homosexual lifestyle as 'normal.'
Any experiences with this?

I was able to dodge most of the sex ed classes, because i moved from california to massachusetts, so i kinda fell through the cracks in some areas. I have heard this though, and from what the kid's seem to do activity wise ( Silence for gay people days, wear purple for gay's who have commited suicide, etc.) They all seem to take what is spoon fed to them in terms of philosophy through these classes. It seems so much like brain washing, and no one, not even the teachers seem to notice.

[Alpha~Omega]

Pertaining to what MarcusOfLycia said:

I have heard that thing's in college are exponantially worse then they are in public school's. But it seem's where as public school's do it in a under-the-rug sort of fashion, some college professors come right out at infuse their athiest doctrine right into their lesson's. Which is why I am not looking forward to college at all.

[MarcusOfLycia]

Pertaining to what MarcusOfLycia said:

I have heard that thing's in college are exponantially worse then they are in public school's. But it seem's where as public school's do it in a under-the-rug sort of fashion, some college professors come right out at infuse their athiest doctrine right into their lesson's. Which is why I am not looking forward to college at all.

Nothing to worry about, I don't think, as long as you keep a level head. Remember that some professors are there truly to teach, while some want to add levels of opinion to it as well. Its not too hard to separate the two, especially when controversial issues come up. I've had a professor take a position on an issue I knew was controversial and claim that all other positions were wrong. Its kind of a dead give away.

What helps too is to take the skeptics own approach and use it against them. Question everything that the professors say and go out and research things that seem suspicious or that you are just curious about. In general, a good professor will be glad you did, and a bad one will be exposed.

[Alpha~Omega]

Pertaining to what MarcusOfLycia said:

I have heard that thing's in college are exponantially worse then they are in public school's. But it seem's where as public school's do it in a under-the-rug sort of fashion, some college professors come right out at infuse their athiest doctrine right into their lesson's. Which is why I am not looking forward to college at all.

Nothing to worry about, I don't think, as long as you keep a level head. Remember that some professors are there truly to teach, while some want to add levels of opinion to it as well. Its not too hard to separate the two, especially when controversial issues come up. I've had a professor take a position on an issue I knew was controversial and claim that all other positions were wrong. Its kind of a dead give away.

What helps too is to take the skeptics own approach and use it against them. Question everything that the professors say and go out and research things that seem suspicious or that you are just curious about. In general, a good professor will be glad you did, and a bad one will be exposed.

Well that's a relief, i was worried that i would have to endure large amounts of "God sux lolol". I can deal with a little, so i guess its nice to know that it wont be so bad afterall Thanks dood.

[narnia4]

I do believe there is a problem in public schools and in universities, but but a lot of it depends on the classes, university, and professor for university. I was home schooled and went to a private school, so I was worried too when I went to college. It was really much better than I expected, although I cringe at philosophy classes (I wasn't really as well-prepared as I am now). I basically thought of professors as some sort of super-powered geniuses who could out-think me in every category and attack my faith whenever possible. For the most part, they were just regular people with varying beliefs, most of them are unaware that they often are teaching worldview and philosophy. A politics professor that struck me as Catholic (just an assumption), a couple that I couldn't get a read on and a couple more that talked about their churches casually, an agnostic theater prof who made a couple jokes about church being boring but nothing "dangerous". My sociology had an incredibly liberal tilt to it (we rarely talked about religion either, more about conservatives), but my professor in that class was incredibly careful not to step on anybody's toes whatsoever, especially on religion. He took it to an almost ridiculous level, and frankly I think that's where a lot of professors are at right now, although there are certainly plenty with an agenda as well (I was just lucky enough not to really meet any).

The best professor I had was a history professor who was very aware of theology, history in general, and knew all along that bringing your personal philosophy to the table is unavoidable. He was respectful and all that (kind of crazy), but seemed to espouse a sort of liberal theology himself. For most teachers AND most students, I don't think their aware that any worldview is being taught. For a Christian student, in many cases all you need is to be aware of what's being taught, and that student should be just fine. Preparation is absolutely key imo.

[Alpha~Omega]

Preparation is absolutely key imo.

Now in what manner should i prepare? Arm up with apologetics and grow in the faith?

[Canuckster1127]

I wouldn't get too worked up about it. Read a good apologetics book, maybe Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, or get the radio recording that he did in WWII that are the foundation of that book. A lot of people don't know that Lewis broadcasted what are "chapters" in that book as radio shows during the bombings in London.

Maybe read some general philosophy, Will Durant's Story of Philosophy is old (from the 1920s) but it's still an excellent summary that will help you to see and understand what philosophies are being presented to you, even when they are not named.

Don't go in however with an attitude that you cannot or will not learn in this realm for your time and experience there. It would be a shame to come through that without having taken the understanding you have now and adding to it, growing and changing where valid information leads you to modify or change an opinion. What should not change is your personal relationship with God through Christ.

Don't be afraid of challenges. Learn how to take them, examine not only what is being presented up front, but learn how to analyze and see what is behind and supporting those things and that will help you discern where something may be value driven.

My Masters work is in a field of psychology and I continually have to do this in my own reading and research. Much of what I come across is based in behaviorism and there's a lot of influence from B.F. Skinner. By being familiar with it, I can see it coming when I'm presented with things that otherwise look logical and appear to make sense. Things can be perfectly logical and internally valid, but that doesn't make something true, if any of the premises upon which it is based are themselves, not true. That doesn't mean all of behaviorism or all the B.F. Skinner taught is wrong. This is more vital in the arenas of soft-science where many of the premises are really values. Hard science is less prone to things like that. Soft sciences like psychology, sociology and related subject like History and Literature presents a lot of opportunity for things like that to slip in unannounced and a knowing what those little suckers look like, makes then easier to spot and then do your own thinking based on your own beliefs and values to come to conclusions without being led by the nose by others who try to do your thinking for you.

Hope that makes sense. That's some of what I wish someone had told me when I first went to college.

bart

[narnia4]

Preparation is absolutely key imo.

Now in what manner should i prepare? Arm up with apologetics and grow in the faith?

Nothing in particular for me. Sometimes if there was something that challenged me, it seemed as if God led me to the right sources. The usual, you know. I try to keep up to date with my favorite apologists, stay in the Word, just continuing to live a Christian life. For me, it's when I slack off on the basics (reading Scripture, praying, Christian fellowship, etc.) that I have issues.

Even a basic understanding of what I was supposed to know as a Christian and of philosophy/apologetics was helpful. Too often a Christian allows an atheist to tell him what the Bible says, misquote it, take it out of context, etc.

But yeah, it wasn't as bad as I expected, and it didn't take long for me to start enjoying it and stop fretting about it.

[Alpha~Omega]

The feedback im getting tells me that college wont be so bad afterall! Although public school's are still a diffrent story for the most part. Thanks for the advice as well, ill try my best to apply it!