Creationism in german schools

[Shevek-72]

The Tageszeitung reports today (http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=start&art=1585&id=442&cHash=d7bcc821db) that the hessian minister of education Karin Wolff wants christian creationism taught in biology classes, as science's anwers to certain questions are limited and "philosophy and theology" have to take over. :jaw-dropp

Well, I don't see any chances of that happening soon, but I'm shocked that she can even stay in office having said something like that. In any decently run country she would have been tarred and feathered and dumped into the north sea. :D

But education in Germany is totally [rule 8] anyway.

[Puppycow]

She could probably get elected to a school board in the US Bible Belt.

[TragicMonkey]

She could probably get elected to a school board in the US Bible Belt.

Not with the word "Hessian" involved. Some things tend to stick in the collective memory, justly or not.

[sphenisc]

The Tageszeitung reports today (http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=start&art=1585&id=442&cHash=d7bcc821db) that the hessian minister of education Karin Wolff wants christian creationism taught in biology classes, as science's anwers to certain questions are limited and "philosophy and theology" have to take over. :jaw-dropp

Well, I don't see any chances of that happening soon, but I'm shocked that she can even stay in office having said something like that. In any decently run country she would have been tarred and feathered and dumped into the north sea. :D

But education in Germany is totally [rule 8] anyway.

Surely sackcloth and ashes would be more appropriate? :D

[MortFurd]

The Tageszeitung reports today (http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=start&art=1585&id=442&cHash=d7bcc821db) that the hessian minister of education Karin Wolff wants christian creationism taught in biology classes, as science's anwers to certain questions are limited and "philosophy and theology" have to take over. :jaw-dropp

Well, I don't see any chances of that happening soon, but I'm shocked that she can even stay in office having said something like that. In any decently run country she would have been tarred and feathered and dumped into the north sea. :D

But education in Germany is totally [rule 8] anyway.
Where's the surprise? They teach religion here in school, anyway. There's a religion class for all kids, and they split 'em off into Catholic, Lutheran, and (some places) Muslim (lots of Turkish folks in some areas.)

[Herzblut]

The Tageszeitung reports today (http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=start&art=1585&id=442&cHash=d7bcc821db) that the hessian minister of education Karin Wolff wants christian creationism taught in biology classes, as science's anwers to certain questions are limited and "philosophy and theology" have to take over. :jaw-dropp

Help! Die Hesse komme!

I'm not sure Koch would hire a lesbian religious fundamentalist next time. I mean, these folks must be in mental disarray! "There are amazing accordances between evolution and biblical genesis." Yeah. Right, Miss Wolff. :D


Well, I don't see any chances of that happening soon, but I'm shocked that she can even stay in office having said something like that. In any decently run country she would have been tarred and feathered and dumped into the north sea. :D

Well ... if u need help. With due decency. :D

Herzblut

[Shevek-72]

Where's the surprise? They teach religion here in school, anyway. There's a religion class for all kids, and they split 'em off into Catholic, Lutheran, and (some places) Muslim (lots of Turkish folks in some areas.)

Yes, I am surprised as I always had the impression that this whole evolution/creation issue was pretty much settled here. One is science, the other belongs to the realm of religion.

Yes they do teach religion in the schools here, and there are good arguments both for and against that. But teaching religion in religion classes and teaching religion in science classes are different things alltogether I'd say. And you can opt out of the religion classes if the school is not governed by a church.

I took religion as one of the major subjects for the Abitur. Did not get in any trouble as an outspoken atheist.

[Chaos]

The Tageszeitung reports today (http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=start&art=1585&id=442&cHash=d7bcc821db) that the hessian minister of education Karin Wolff wants christian creationism taught in biology classes, as science's anwers to certain questions are limited and "philosophy and theology" have to take over. :jaw-dropp

Well, I don't see any chances of that happening soon, but I'm shocked that she can even stay in office having said something like that. In any decently run country she would have been tarred and feathered and dumped into the north sea. :D

But education in Germany is totally [rule 8] anyway.


You forgot to mention that this conniving, two-faced, slippery, lying weasel, Roland Koch, whom we have the misfortune of having to endure as Prime Minister of Hesse, endorsed this *********** pile of crap, stating,

"Those who consider religion absolute truth are wrong, just like those who consider science absolute truth, and the curriculum should reflect that."

[Darth Rotor]

I took religion as one of the major subjects for the Abitur. Did not get in any trouble as an outspoken atheist.
That's very good news. :) For those who are trashing the German educational system, I can only say

Huh? Care to enlighten me on what has gone wrong in a very good system?

DR

[Gurdur]

.... For those who are trashing the German educational system, I can only say

Huh? Care to enlighten me on what has gone wrong in a very good system?
DR
Not much. MortFurd has a real downer on Germany; maybe the constant rain is getting on his nerves or something. It's quite interesting; every country has its malcontents.

The German educational system is much as it ever was for the last 40 years; a mixture of good academic and more occupational-orientated high-schooling. Religion is taught, but usually offered with Ethics or Philosophy as an optional alternative; and the "Religion" actually taught tends to be much more actual "Comparative Religion", which is usually harmless and also a good all-rounder to help understand the human condition and history.

Creationism simply doesn't get any look-in in Germany; you will find the occasional nutter (like now) advocating it in education, but the outcry tends to drown them quickly.

As for outside education, among the general public, again it's pretty much of a no-hoper; I once went* to a fundamentalist, non-state-church-affiliated, Protestant lecture to hear a YEC Creationist nutter preach the word (he was a physicist), and I was quite interested to listen to people's reactions afterwards by eavesdropping in on their converstations between themselves; despite being a fundamentalist Prodo sect, most actually didn't believe the lecturer despite finding his lecture interesting, and actually kind of vaguely thought that the "evolutionists" must have the better answer.

For the established churches, Creationism simply doesn't exist; they get along with evolution quite easily.

[BPSCG]

The Tageszeitung reports today (http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=start&art=1585&id=442&cHash=d7bcc821db) that the hessian minister of education Karin Wolff wants christian creationism taught in biology classes, as science's anwers to certain questions are limited and "philosophy and theology" have to take over. :jaw-dropp Well, she's right on that, of course; science doesn't have the answer to life, the universe, and everything 42, but she drives off the cliff when she says "philosophy and theology" have to take over.

Science doesn't have all the answers. But it keeps looking, and it keeps getting more and more answers.

Theology doesn't have all the answers; it just thinks it does, and hence, has stopped looking.

Ask The Scotty Who Knew Too Much: "It is better to ask some of the questions than to know all the answers." - James Thurber

[Miss Anthrope]

Science doesn't have all the answers, so teach what answers they DO have. Not the most popular mythology.

[Herzblut]

Science doesn't have all the answers, so teach what answers they DO have. Not the most popular mythology.
Really appreciate your recommendations but: we do.

Herzblut