\doc\web\99\12\newage.txt curiouser and curiouser..... I know the christian homeschooling moms are no big fans of New Age religion, but guess who says it's OK to teach creationism when it is congruent with local beliefs?? ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- From: "George K. Cunningham" To: "ClearingHouse" Subject: [education-consumers] RE: More re: Evolution discussion Date sent: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 15:32:10 -0400 Send reply to: "George K. Cunningham" ===================================================================== I have been at American Education Research Association (AERA) meetings where new age, inquiry science education was being touted. One of the ideas that was emphasized was that science curriculum should be not be introduced if it conflicted with the belief systems of minorities in the student population. One of the examples was teaching that Amerindians came to this continent from across the Bering Strait. This is in conflict with various native American creation myths. Likewise they asserted that it might be appropriate to teach creationism if that comported with local belief systems. Post-modernism is very similar to and sympathetic with creationism, because it denies objective reality and is strongly anti-science. Usually, post-modernist are hostile to creationism because they are elitist and despise beliefs not held by their own social class. George K. Cunningham University of Louisville ----- Original Message ----- From: J. E. Stone To: ClearingHouse Sent: Monday, August 23, 1999 3:04 PM Subject: [education-consumers] RE: More re: Evolution discussion > ===================================================================== > > > > At 11:54 AM 8/23/99 -0400, you wrote: > >Actually, I don't think that postmodernism has much to do with the push to > >put "creationism" into the curriculum (or to keep evolution out). This has > >much more to do with American fundamentalist religious movements that seem > >to rise and fall cyclically throughout American history. I have long thought > >that American history could be conceived as a long and continuing struggle > >between the Enlightenment (and largely Deist) ideas that underlie the > >Constitution and the religious revivalism that continually cycles up and > >down. It goes way back and doesn't need > >postmodernism. > > I agree that postmodernism did not play a role in the actions of the Kansas Board of Education but it does seem to me that if the postmodernist view legitimates the curricular creations described by John Leo it would legitimate curricular creations by other education officials and that strikes me as a rather delicious irony. >