Religion in public school question?

Question

So I was teaching my students about the Bering Land Bridge and explaining that Native Americans migrated from Asia between 20,000 and 10,000 BC, when 3 of my students got upset. One was an Evangelical Christian, who argued this wasn't possible since everyone knows the earth is only 6000 years old. The second was a Mormon, who argued the Indians were one of the lost tribes of Israel that came by boat a mere 600 years ago. The third was a Native American, who stated that according to his religion his people were created in America.

My question is, how can religious folks expect rational people to take them seriously when their beliefs not only contradict overwhelming scientific evidence, but also directly contradict each other!?!

Jocko - who said anything about evolution?

Peace yo - I handle these situations by saying something like "Yes, many people belive that," or "Yes, that is a matter of faith," etc., and not giving my personal opinions or judgements.

Jacob - Thanks for the info. I'm no expert on Mormon beliefs. You guys must be doing something right, though. My Mormon students are always nice, polite, and usually hard workers.

Coolrogu - What "records" are you speaking of?

Answer 1

wait... you are a professor/teacher/educator and you are asking a question as such? you sound like a poser to me more than anything. any school would have to be stupid to give you a teaching certification.

It doesn't make sense dude. and I expect you are one of these "rational" people you are referring to.... ok whatever.you sound like a poser. Any college that gave you a certification in teaching must have been on crack or something. Your story sounds too perfect. Everything at your covenience.What makes it even sad is that you as a "teacher" didn't know how to answer this so you come on yahoo answers to get a few thumbs up.

also, where/what is this scientific evidence that religion contradicts?

Answer 2

First of all, it's not like the scientists wholeheartedly agree on everything.

1. It is the THEORY (and not the Law) of evolution (which I actually believe in as a Christian).
2. It's improbable that all of the people in the Americas came from a single group of people. It's not like it's a small island, it's 2 contentments that span the heights of the earth.

Mormons, for the record, teach of 3 separate groups of people that came to the Americas at different times. They make no claim that these were the ONLY people that came. The Mormon in the group had some false assumptions and misunderstandings about his own faith.

I believe that Adam walked on the earth 6000 or so years ago. However I don't know the process that God used to get him there. I have no problem with Adam being a descendant of evolution and "Cro Mangnum man".

I sincerely believe that some day perfect science and perfect religion will be nearly identical, however, right now we have some imperfect conclusions and assumptions that lead us to believe that they're miles apart, when I don't believe that they are.

Answer 3

Alex, I strongly suggest you read "Red Earth, White Lies" by Vine Deloria jr.

You should NOT be teaching the Bering Straight THEORY as fact. It has NOT been proven and in fact, there has been more to suggest it isn't true. Many scientists in fact have began to look at ocean travel, rather than at the Bering Straight as a possible migration route.

I also think you should look at your own prejudices. You just called religious people irrational.

Also, you should be aware that you are totally disrespecting your Native student. Why are you calling your student "Native American?" You don't know his Nations name? Is he Lakota? Is he Dine? Is he Anishinaabe? Why do you say he's irrational because of his religious beliefs and basically that you can't take him serious?

It's also not only Native creation stories that say the Bering Straight THEORY isn't true, it's the Native history that says it isn't true. Native history isn't any less valid because it's oral.

I agree with the other Yahoo, I think you are only posing as a teacher. I can't believe anyone would let you teach with all of your prejudices. You wouldn't be teaching my kids.

Answer 4

You might say to them, in all honesty, that religions require faith from their adherents. You could also say that is the normal human condition to ask questions. Why does the sun rise? Why do the stars appear to change position in the night sky? Who came before us?
Every civilization pondered these questions and each came up with some answers. You might talk a little about some ancient peoples' mythology--the Greek god Apollo racing his chariot across the sky, the study and naming of the constellations by the Romans, and the Egyptian concern for the present being preparation for an elaborate afterlife. These stories were part of the religions of the people of those times and those places. While we might not believe the same things, we respect that those people did believe and our literature, culture and history is more beautiful as a result.
You could also say that many religions have common features dealing with how we treat one another and act for the common good and this is a very good thing. ('Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill,' etc.) Without the ability to live in an orderly and safe society, people would not have the opportunity to use their God given intellect to study the world around us. So by studying and learning about the world now and it's history, we are paying respect to our Maker.
Finally, and this is the biggy, what we now call a year, 365 days, may not be the same amount of time to God. Per the Christian Bible, He created the earth, the heavens, and everything in them in six days. Who are we to say the days had 24 hours? Could this not have been millions of years? Could it be that ancient people had no way to wrap their heads around the concept of tens of thousands of years--didn't even have words for numbers that big?
Don't all religions teach by parable and metaphor and analogy? Since creation is such a miracle, does it not sound emphatically more so to say it happened that quickly?
And to the young person who was taught that his people were created in America, could he have meant "from here, from this place?" America didn't exist in the early history of his people when their oral tradition began. And if they believe they were created "here, in this place," and the place is this Earth, not America, then they are correct. If we merely broaden the definitions of the words each of these students use, then they are all correct in their fashion.
You can say to them you understand they believe what they have been taught by their religions. And you hope that they will also believe what you have to tell them, the result of scientific inquiry, inquiry made possible with the brains God gave us.

Answer 5

Your Mormon student does not accurately understand the teachings of his religion. While Mormons do believe that a small group of people came to the Americas in 600 B.C., it is not a Mormon teaching that this small group of people are the sole ancestors of all Native Americans. Bruce R. McConkie, a now deceased prominent Mormon leader, once said, "The American Indians, however, as Columbus found them also had other blood than that of Israel in their veins...It is quite apparent that groups of orientals found their way over the Bering Strait and gradually moved southward to mix with the Indian peoples."

Unlike many other Christian religions, Mormonism is remarkably compatible with science. I am currently pursuing a combined MD/PhD degree in biomedical science, and I have no problems reconciling my religious and scientific beliefs.

If you'd like to know more about Mormons, visit my site at http://www.allaboutmormons.com .

Answer 6

How can an educator not understand the difference between denominations? And, more importantly, how can educator not know that the majority of Christians believe in evolution? How can an educator not know that native American spirituality is not a form of Christianity? And, last but not least, how can an educator use Mormons as representative of Christianity when they actually make up less than 1% of Christians (12,500,000 members)?

Answer 7

Well let me throw a wrench in your works....

We were created right here on this continent, we have histories going back over 30,000 years. Long before any supposed land bridge. And forget that DNA thing, it doesn't hold water.

The land bridge THEORY is so full of holes it looks like Swiss cheese, and it's getting more holes shot in it as we speak.

The exception to this may be the Alaskan "tribes" since they moved with the food source, back and forth between Siberia and "Alaska"

Answer 8

Such religious folks will only be taken seriously by those who share their religion. To rational people outside of their faith, they sound very ridiculous. I suppose this is why most religions urge their followers to associate mostly with each other, to reinforce the delusions with social acceptance.

Answer 9

It's people like you that put faith back into public school educators. Ha! The Earth only 6000 years old? I've heard the theory, but I haven't actually heard it as an argument...

Answer 10

I don't think many of those religious folks care much about being taken seriously by rational people.