| Honesty Can Help Science Teachers Cope by Warren Krug (September/October, 2006) |
Another school year is upon us, and according to the newspapers, some public school science teachers are
getting nervous about facing their students. Why? They are dreading having to teach that chapter on
evolution. Polls continue to show a majority of Americans have serious doubts about Darwinism. That
skepticism in many cases is filtering down to the students who are becoming more knowledgeable about the
weaknesses of the theory, and many students aren’t shy about letting their teachers know about it.
Sometimes it takes the form of sarcasm. “I’m feeling a tail growing,” one student told his teacher,
accompanied by laughter from his classmates, when the alleged human-monkey link came up for discussion.
Other times it takes a more serious approach. When the subject of land animals evolving into whales is
discussed, students might ask, “How does the fur turn into blubber? How do the nostrils move? How does the
tiny tail turn into a great big fluke?”
Students are learning how to use materials and websites created by organizations such as Answers in
Genesis or the Institute for Creation Research.
Nervous teachers are responding in various ways: avoiding the use of the term “evolution” or honestly
admitting that they haven’t studied the subject adequately or using the extreme approach—opting out and
skipping the chapter on evolution entirely.
While public school teachers can’t teach creationism, they can, and should honestly lead students to
question some of the more outlandish claims of evolutionists. At the very least, they should admit that
amoeba-to-man evolution is still just a theory, at best.
Science teachers in Christian schools here have the advantage, even though Christian teachers too need
to prepare for some questions that might come up such as the long ages suggested by starlight and dating
methods.
Science is a field that should lead a Christian to praise the Lord for His wisdom, power, and love. No one
should be allowed to use science to destroy anyone’s faith. LSI
—Warren Krug, editor
getting nervous about facing their students. Why? They are dreading having to teach that chapter on
evolution. Polls continue to show a majority of Americans have serious doubts about Darwinism. That
skepticism in many cases is filtering down to the students who are becoming more knowledgeable about the
weaknesses of the theory, and many students aren’t shy about letting their teachers know about it.
Sometimes it takes the form of sarcasm. “I’m feeling a tail growing,” one student told his teacher,
accompanied by laughter from his classmates, when the alleged human-monkey link came up for discussion.
Other times it takes a more serious approach. When the subject of land animals evolving into whales is
discussed, students might ask, “How does the fur turn into blubber? How do the nostrils move? How does the
tiny tail turn into a great big fluke?”
Students are learning how to use materials and websites created by organizations such as Answers in
Genesis or the Institute for Creation Research.
Nervous teachers are responding in various ways: avoiding the use of the term “evolution” or honestly
admitting that they haven’t studied the subject adequately or using the extreme approach—opting out and
skipping the chapter on evolution entirely.
While public school teachers can’t teach creationism, they can, and should honestly lead students to
question some of the more outlandish claims of evolutionists. At the very least, they should admit that
amoeba-to-man evolution is still just a theory, at best.
Science teachers in Christian schools here have the advantage, even though Christian teachers too need
to prepare for some questions that might come up such as the long ages suggested by starlight and dating
methods.
Science is a field that should lead a Christian to praise the Lord for His wisdom, power, and love. No one
should be allowed to use science to destroy anyone’s faith. LSI
—Warren Krug, editor