Speaking at a Bob Jones Curriculum High School

[John_Harshman]

First to mention evolution in a favorable way?

[JSmith (Jeremy)]

I think we accomplished what we set out to accomplish. That is, exposing students to various views and highlighting the strengths and weaknesses. I’m glad it worked out.

Jeremy Smith

[Philosurfer (Daniel Deen)]

@Jordan @cwhenderson @swamidass

I’d love to be apart of this conversation. I think that applying a little philosophical nuance, exposing the students to a bit of epistemology (my guess is they have been fed metaphysics), might help provide a bit of “neutrality” to help better critically think about science/religion issues. Virtue language is the rage these days, but science (and/or theology) lessons structured around the exercise of intellectual virtues might help illustrate how someone committed to belief X can empathically engage antithetical view Y.

[Jordan (Jordan Mantha)]

@Philosurfer

exposing the students to a bit of epistemology (my guess is they have been fed metaphysics), might help provide a bit of “neutrality” to help better critically think about science/religion issues.

Absolutely. I think many would be surprised how little most scientists care about metaphysics.

@Philosurfer

science (and/or theology) lessons structured around the exercise of intellectual virtues might help illustrate how someone committed to belief X can empathically engage antithetical view Y.

This is an interesting idea, I like it.

[Philosurfer (Daniel Deen)]

Cultivating intellectual character has the added benefit of sidestepping the problem of “teaching to the test” – providing the absolutely right answer. It focuses more on that traditional educational goal of carefully thinking through something. Thus, one, whether a student, teacher, or administrator, doesn’t have to worry about the curriculum being YEC/EC/OEC/TE/whatever… You don’t have to get into those debates – the Bible seems to say Y and science seems to say X, what intellectual character traits need development to manage this real/perceived tension? Thus, a character forward approach would preserve the authority of family/personal life (YEC/EC/OEC/TE/whatever) while giving freedom to explore the issues divorced from providing an absolute answer.

This should be fun!

[Argon]

@swamidass

I didn’t argue in favor of evolution. I don’t do that in places like this. I just explained who I was and why I believe Jesus rose from the dead. Whether evolution is true or not, and I think it is, I know God is exists, is good, and wants to be know through Him.

In other words, to show them that you don’t have horns and carry a pitchfork, unlike popular depictions in YEC literature. That’s the first, necessary step in the conversation.