[ExI] creationism in britain?

[MB]

>
> Oy freaking vey.  The nation that gave us both Darwin and Wallace now wants
> to discuss creationism in the public schools?
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7612152.stm
>
> My British friends, do tell me this creationism plague long suffered by
> American scientists isn't spreading to England of all places on this
> superstitious planet.
>

Oh indeed it is spreading, between the AIG folks and the conservative Muslims
there's a goodly number of believers.

However, if you read the article carefully, you'll see the gentleman is recommending
an approach to dealing with creationist discussion *when it arises* in science
classes - one that he hopes might be more effective than the approach he had been
using for years.

It sounds to me rather like the approach I used with my own children. When they
asked religious-type questions I tried to answer them without freaking out - mostly
by admitting that people had worried and thought about these subjects for centuries
and the church answers were.... and the science answers were....

I don't know the "right" way to deal with these subjects. They *will* arise, no
matter how you raise your kids, if you allow them to talk openly to you about their
questions. And questions they will have, either from their own minds or from some
school friend's talk.

If one is too emphatic in a put-down it will probably backfire into some schoolyard
trouble - so one must be careful and gentle, is my experience as a parent.

YMMV. But I got a children's bible story book and read it to my kids as information
so they'd have some familiarity with the subject matter. I *will* say I was startled
 when my pre-teen daughter asked me what Easter was about... :)))  We had to go
through that all over again. (rolling eyes)

Regards,
MB