Happy Atheist Forum

Just saw this article and it is truly face-palm worthy.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... gle+Reader (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310162833.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader)

Silly creationists.

I once had a science teacher refuse to teach me anything after finding out I was an atheist. She just blatantly ignored me or told me "It's not her job to teach, it's my job to learn." There was a big difference in the class before my outing and after. I still passed, mostly because I think I already knew more than my teacher and can/could always pass tests. We didn't have evolution or creationism in my high school. It was just left out completely (either by my teacher or because of curriculum, I have no idea which.) I mostly came to my knowledge of evolution from tv shows and outside reading.

Quote from: "Kidnapkid""It's not her job to teach, it's my job to learn."

Funny how she was the only one getting paid. You know, at your job?

Sounds like she was rightly afraid so say anything to you that could potentially out her as an ignoramus in front of the whole class. Hmmmf...intellectually intimidated by a high school student.  

I'd love to see this data broken down by state.  These guys have to be in the red states.

I was raised in Wyoming.  On the final for biology, one of the two essay questions was:  Describe why evolution is a flawed theory.  My biology teacher was an elder in our church

Quote from: "Kidnapkid"I once had a science teacher refuse to teach me anything after finding out I was an atheist. She just blatantly ignored me or told me "It's not her job to teach, it's my job to learn." There was a big difference in the class before my outing and after. I still passed, mostly because I think I already knew more than my teacher and can/could always pass tests. We didn't have evolution or creationism in my high school. It was just left out completely (either by my teacher or because of curriculum, I have no idea which.) I mostly came to my knowledge of evolution from tv shows and outside reading.

Wow... Just, wow...  

In other news, 16% of biology teachers wear helmets to eat dinner.

It just doesn't get any easier to hear this kind of news. The stupid still hurts, and it's just so depressing.

Arthur C. Clarke, please come back and assure me that humans will grow out of this phase! Please!
 :)

Ok McQ... you made me look up "Laphroaig"

I thought it might be something like agutak (aka. Akutaq), but yours sounds much better.

Back on topic... I can only hope that if they're that bad at biology, they won't be able to figure out how to breed.

Disturbing statistic.
JoeActor

Quote from: "joeactor"Ok McQ... you made me look up "Laphroaig"

I thought it might be something like agutak (aka. Akutaq), but yours sounds much better.

Back on topic... I can only hope that if they're that bad at biology, they won't be able to figure out how to breed.

Disturbing statistic.
JoeActor

Sláinte!

Quote from: "Kidnapkid"I once had a science teacher refuse to teach me anything after finding out I was an atheist. She just blatantly ignored me or told me "It's not her job to teach, it's my job to learn." There was a big difference in the class before my outing and after. I still passed, mostly because I think I already knew more than my teacher and can/could always pass tests. We didn't have evolution or creationism in my high school. It was just left out completely (either by my teacher or because of curriculum, I have no idea which.) I mostly came to my knowledge of evolution from tv shows and outside reading.

Your experience sounds very similar to mine. My biology teacher was very theist and I was pagan at the time so it's not like I didn't believe I just didn't believe her when her answer was "because god made it." That's the wild part to me, they resent anyone who approaches science with enthusiasm. It's not enough to be a believer you have to think the earth is 6000 years old, too. I felt so sorry for other kids in the class. We have colleges here like Mississippi College that are teaching new teachers to take the creationism into the classroom.  

Actually for those with just an undergraduate level education in biology I don't find this very surprising at all.  Then there's autodidacts in biology such as myself (although not all my education in biology is self administered) which must shake our heads when someone was a collegiate biology major and holds creationism as a possibly "alternative theory".  For those with doctorate level training holding this contention there is no excuse and is saddening.

Ohhhh it's not just red states.  I grew up in liberal hippie central, western Washington, and had a biology teacher in 7th grade, Mr. Rothlesburger, who would wear a GIANT jesus belt buckle to class who used to make fun of science as he taught it.  Every lesson was peppered with comments about how the school board was forcing him to teach certain things, but we didn't have to believe it, we just had to pass the tests.  He hated me because I had reading period right before his class so I would have to sit in his class while I read and I often read books about Paganism at that time (keep in mind, 7th grade misanthropic girl) and one day he commented on how I wasn't allowed to read 'that filth' in his class anymore because it offended him.  I remember being instantly super pissed off and without thinking shot back "well, your giant Jesus buckle offends me, but you don't see me bitching about it so you keep your opinions to yourself and I'll keep mine to myself.'  I remember he got the douchiest smile on his face and sent me to the office for disrespecting him, where I promptly told the office lady what had happened and she promptly told me to hang out for the rest of the class and not worry about Mr. R.  The next day I went in and read the same book and he didn't say a word.  A few years later when I had just graduated from high school, I heard that he finally got fired for being an asshole and of course, he cried persecution and tried to make himself a martyr.  I always wished I had been more annoying about the whole interaction because I knew if I wanted to I could have probably gotten him fired or at least I would have gotten more people talking about what a HORRIBLE science teacher he was, but I was in 7th grade reading books about Paganism.  I was pretty stupid back then myself.

Quote from: "pinkocommie"I was pretty stupid back then myself.

I think that "stupid" or at least naive and flighty is breed standard for humans in seventh grade.  Children can be excused for magical thinking.

Pinkcommie, you sound so much like me at that age. I feel like I could have written that!

After getting to know a few teachers its worrying to realise how ignorant many of them are given the position in society they hold.

Quote from: "Kidnapkid"We didn't have evolution or creationism in my high school. It was just left out completely.

The same thing in my school. Which is weird considering where I live...  

Quote from: "Cecilie"

Quote from: "Kidnapkid"We didn't have evolution or creationism in my high school. It was just left out completely.

The same thing in my school. Which is weird considering where I live...  

Yes it is. How old are you?

Incredibly enough, my high school, a private catholic school mentioned evolution  as real, we didn't cover it much but they still acknowledged it. Look up Hales Franciscan, if I ever have kids I would send them there.

Quote from: "Tank"

Quote from: "Cecilie"

Quote from: "Kidnapkid"We didn't have evolution or creationism in my high school. It was just left out completely.

The same thing in my school. Which is weird considering where I live...  

Yes it is. How old are you?

I turn 17 this summer.

Quote from: "Tank"

Quote from: "Cecilie"

Quote from: "Kidnapkid"We didn't have evolution or creationism in my high school. It was just left out completely.

The same thing in my school. Which is weird considering where I live...  

Yes it is. How old are you?

Quote from: "Cecilie"I turn 17 this summer.

That is interesting. I had assumed that you were older and that you were not taught about evolution because you were in education a while ago. There really is no excuse for leaving such a significant idea as evolution out of the education process. I though Norway was also mostly theist free so I'm even more surprised that it was not on your curriculum.

Quote from: "Tank"

Quote from: "Cecilie"I turn 17 this summer.

That is interesting. I had assumed that you were older and that you were not taught about evolution because you were in education a while ago. There really is no excuse for leaving such a significant idea as evolution out of the education process. I though Norway was also mostly theist free so I'm even more surprised that it was not on your curriculum.

I dunno about that, but I knew a girl from Norway who seriously believed in trolls.

Quote from: "Sophus"I dunno about that, but I knew a girl from Norway who seriously believed in trolls.

Wtf?

Quote from: "Cecilie"

Quote from: "Sophus"I dunno about that, but I knew a girl from Norway who seriously believed in trolls.

Wtf?

That's what I thought. She said whenever something in the house is moved or you can't find your sock... a troll did it. And THEN that same argument came up in the "How to Train Your Dragon" movie. Is this a common myth in Norway?

Quote from: "Sophus"

Quote from: "Cecilie"

Quote from: "Sophus"I dunno about that, but I knew a girl from Norway who seriously believed in trolls.

Wtf?

That's what I thought. She said whenever something in the house is moved or you can't find your sock... a troll did it. And THEN that same argument came up in the "How to Train Your Dragon" movie. Is this a common myth in Norway?

It used to be. But not any more...

Eh my teacher just had like a long speech about how you can still believe in God and evolution. At least maybe it would send a message to some of the fundamentalist students to open up a little more. But eh I doubt it really did anything.

Quote from: "Sophus"

Quote from: "Tank"

Quote from: "Cecilie"I turn 17 this summer.

That is interesting. I had assumed that you were older and that you were not taught about evolution because you were in education a while ago. There really is no excuse for leaving such a significant idea as evolution out of the education process. I though Norway was also mostly theist free so I'm even more surprised that it was not on your curriculum.

I dunno about that, but I knew a girl from Norway who seriously believed in trolls. :D

How about unicorns?

Nope. It was just fairies. There were a few white witches as well, although i'm not entirely sure what that entails. They were perfectly lovely people though. If someone wants to sleep in a coffin, that's entirely their prerogative.

Quote from: "karadan"Nope. It was just fairies. There were a few white witches as well, although i'm not entirely sure what that entails. They were perfectly lovely people though. If someone wants to sleep in a coffin, that's entirely their prerogative.

I'm sure they were. At least they don't push their beliefs on other people...

I can't help but wonder what the percentages are for other subjects. It really disappointed me to find out that my creative writing teacher was such a vehement b*tch. On my final project in the 8th grade I had a silly picture of Jesus holding Mentos, and she flipped the biscuit over it. She gave me an F on my project, and an F on the class. Later she told my parents about how I was the worst, most offensive student she'd ever had, all because of one picture.

If a 'creative' writing teacher can't handle something like that, she shouldn't be in the job. She shouldn't be in any job, least of all those which involve children, but that's just my opinion.

Quote from: "Kidnapkid"I once had a science teacher refuse to teach me anything after finding out I was an atheist. She just blatantly ignored me or told me "It's not her job to teach, it's my job to learn." There was a big difference in the class before my outing and after. I still passed, mostly because I think I already knew more than my teacher and can/could always pass tests. We didn't have evolution or creationism in my high school. It was just left out completely (either by my teacher or because of curriculum, I have no idea which.) I mostly came to my knowledge of evolution from tv shows and outside reading.

Seriously, I think she actually might have done you a major disservice if she felt she had to teach you whatever anti evolutionary theory she believed in.

It's really quite unbelievable that a biology teacher wouldn't accept evolution. It's the most comprehensive biological theory there is, and the unifying theory of biology. How can a person think they understand the science if they don't accept evolution? This sort of thing baffles me, really.  

Quote from: "xSilverPhinx"It's really quite unbelievable that a biology teacher wouldn't accept evolution. It's the most comprehensive biological theory there is, and the unifying theory of biology. How can a person think they understand the science if they don't accept evolution? This sort of thing baffles me, really.  :|