Do you think it would be better, in general, for people to learn earth sciences

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Kevin S

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BEFORE adopting a religion? I'm wondering how a basic understanding of earth sciences coming BEFORE religious education would affect people.

Most people learn about God making the earth in seven days and fantastical stories about floods and talking snakes before they learn about any kind of science, and they are probably children who are inclined to believe in things happening magically.

I'm not suggesting that it would necessarily result in more atheists in this world, but I do think it might result in the Bible being taken as more of a symbolic or allegorical thing rather than literal throughout.
Still Thinking: Well, your opinion is your opinion, however I do think it's probably better to teach children about things we know before we teach them things that we guess at.
 
Right, I can see it now, millions of illiterate parents homeschooling their kids in earth sciences. It's much easier for them to teach religion.
 
I think that bible history should be part of history. Go trough the Bible and show that the events chronicled are not actual history. Moses, Jesus, Egypt, the wondering in the desert none of it historical fact.
Teach that. Teach science with out religious coloring of the facts. Teach psychology and the humanities with out coloring of religion.
Teach all religions with out the this religion is the right one, that they are all valid choices, then we wouldn't have the problem.
The problem is not that they believe silly preposterous things, the problem is they believe they are not silly or preposterous.
 
Pardon me a moment whilst I carefully place my pet, Chungue, in one of his favorite spots, a small, dark and wet, wooden box.
.
(short pause)

Now that I have my Chungue planted firmly in teak, I shall endeavor to answerer this question.

What a wonderful idea! In fact, why not require everyone to learn nothing but science until age thirty, then nothing but religion until they die? That way they will get a "balanced" education.

I just learned something also. With the world's population at about 6.75 billion, and since "Most people learn about God making the earth in seven days and fantastical stories about floods and talking snakes before they learn about any kind of science," then that must mean that China, India and a few dozen other countries are actually Christian, and the statistics that say there are only 2.1 billion Christians are woefully inaccurate.

I have a suggestion. Why do we not divide up the world into three geographical areas and prohibit any travel or communications from one to another? In one area, no religion taught until age twenty, but all sciences are taught. In another, no sciences are taught but any religion may be taught until age twenty. In the third, nothing but Baha'is who will continue what we are doing now. That is, teaching our children about every religion and about all the sciences as well, and allowing each individual to decided on a religion for themselves or no religion if that is their choice. Then grade each group at the end of one hundred years.

And a final comment to your "Additional Details." You wrote, "I do think it's probably better to teach children about things we know before we teach them things that we guess at." I agree. And relating that to your whole question, perhaps we should teach our children only science first. After all, science is nothing but things we "know" and can prove. I guess that is why there have been no advances in science in well over fifty thousand years. Science makes a discovery, and that is it, the truth and nothing but the truth forevermore. No more need to question. Ever.

**************************

Religion and Science are inter-twined with each other and cannot be separated. These are the two wings with which humanity must fly. One wing is not enough. Every religion which does not concern itself with Science is mere tradition, and that is not the essential. Therefore science, education and civilization are most important necessities for the full religious life.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 28)

If any religion rejected Science and knowledge, that religion was false. Science and Religion should go forward together; indeed, they should be like two fingers of one hand.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 70)

Sciences of former ages and philosophies of the past are useless today.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 224)

The fourth teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is the agreement of religion and science. God has endowed man with intelligence and reason whereby he is required to determine the verity of questions and propositions. If religious beliefs and opinions are found contrary to the standards of science they are mere superstitions and imaginations; for the antithesis of knowledge is ignorance, and the child of ignorance is superstition. Unquestionably there must be agreement between true religion and science. If a question be found contrary to reason, faith and belief in it are impossible and there is no outcome but wavering and vacillation.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 239)
 
Pardon me a moment whilst I carefully place my pet, Chungue, in one of his favorite spots, a small, dark and wet, wooden box.
.
(short pause)

Now that I have my Chungue planted firmly in teak, I shall endeavor to answerer this question.

What a wonderful idea! In fact, why not require everyone to learn nothing but science until age thirty, then nothing but religion until they die? That way they will get a "balanced" education.

I just learned something also. With the world's population at about 6.75 billion, and since "Most people learn about God making the earth in seven days and fantastical stories about floods and talking snakes before they learn about any kind of science," then that must mean that China, India and a few dozen other countries are actually Christian, and the statistics that say there are only 2.1 billion Christians are woefully inaccurate.

I have a suggestion. Why do we not divide up the world into three geographical areas and prohibit any travel or communications from one to another? In one area, no religion taught until age twenty, but all sciences are taught. In another, no sciences are taught but any religion may be taught until age twenty. In the third, nothing but Baha'is who will continue what we are doing now. That is, teaching our children about every religion and about all the sciences as well, and allowing each individual to decided on a religion for themselves or no religion if that is their choice. Then grade each group at the end of one hundred years.

And a final comment to your "Additional Details." You wrote, "I do think it's probably better to teach children about things we know before we teach them things that we guess at." I agree. And relating that to your whole question, perhaps we should teach our children only science first. After all, science is nothing but things we "know" and can prove. I guess that is why there have been no advances in science in well over fifty thousand years. Science makes a discovery, and that is it, the truth and nothing but the truth forevermore. No more need to question. Ever.

**************************

Religion and Science are inter-twined with each other and cannot be separated. These are the two wings with which humanity must fly. One wing is not enough. Every religion which does not concern itself with Science is mere tradition, and that is not the essential. Therefore science, education and civilization are most important necessities for the full religious life.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 28)

If any religion rejected Science and knowledge, that religion was false. Science and Religion should go forward together; indeed, they should be like two fingers of one hand.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 70)

Sciences of former ages and philosophies of the past are useless today.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 224)

The fourth teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is the agreement of religion and science. God has endowed man with intelligence and reason whereby he is required to determine the verity of questions and propositions. If religious beliefs and opinions are found contrary to the standards of science they are mere superstitions and imaginations; for the antithesis of knowledge is ignorance, and the child of ignorance is superstition. Unquestionably there must be agreement between true religion and science. If a question be found contrary to reason, faith and belief in it are impossible and there is no outcome but wavering and vacillation.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 239)
 
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