If you feel offended by my using the word "lame" in this thread then I apologize. Otherwise, I see nothing uncivil on my part.
I haven't read ChristianAnswers.net but if you're a critic and the claim is poor let's get together, let's talk reasonably and I will buy lunch. How far will you have to fly to Houston? I like eating lunch with Rocket fans.
oooo free lunch... btw rhester, I have read your articles, and it doesn't seem like the schools are passing the American Indian religion as fact. They seem to be teaching the American Indian 'myth'. Basically, giving little credence to the authenticity of their religion. Now, if you want Christianity to be taught as a 'myth' in schools. I'm totally ok with that.
Thank you rhester. I'd love to meet as many cf.net Rockets fans as I can when I am in Houston. Just don't know when I am going to be in town. BTW, now that you've learned about that site. What do you think it? (Please don't answer now since you haven't spent enough time reading it) I may ask you a question or two from time to time if I have problem with the answers from the site.
Wow this thread really filled up since I checked it this morning. I've only had a chance to glance at the thread but caught the part of Rhester being called evil. I have some very fundamental philosophical disagreements with Rhester but I certainly respect him and find debating him a pleasure. While there are issues I will never agree with him on debating him has helped me understand the other sides position better and I think we're all enriched by that. If that's evil then evil aint as bad as people make it out to be. Unfortunately I don't think I will be in Houston anytime soon other I would be glad to take your offer up for lunch.
I agree that some kids are not disciplined, but this was true of any generation of children. You may just notice it more because of your children or some other life experience. I don't believe that children thinking for themselves has anything to do with discipline. Discipline comes from within, not from obeying dictation. Also, children are not the only ones confused by debates that go on and on. Adults are confused too, but I don't believe that confusion is a bad thing. Confusion leads one to make up their own mind and the more information they obtain by listening to arguments leads to more informed decisions. For instance, if two presidential candidates are in a debate and you only hear one side for each question, how are you supposed to decide your preference? Debates, while taxing, have a tremendous value... why else would we work so hard at them?
Sorry, RR, I did not fully address your statements. The 2+2=4 thing is a solid point. I would counter it by saying this: Teacher pulls out 4 sodas(2 cokes and 2 sprites) and because she is from Texas says, "How many cokes are here?" One of the children in front from Sugarland says, "Four" The Yankee child from Michigan in the back of the class is confused by this because she has grown up thinking that cokes were coca-colas and sprites were sprites and that grouping them together they would be called 'pops'. If this Yankee child does not open discussion or ask a question and just accepts dictation, she will be confused and 'left behind' because she is still unaware of our custom of calling all sodas cokes. This is why I believe that open discussions and two way streets of teaching are more important than dictation. Yes, it takes longer, but it also establishes a solid understanding for all those being taught. The teacher might also learn something while teaching this child(i.e. that Yankees call them coke: pop). Education is not just for those that are smart and raised in local culture. Education helps everyone in a society and in the world and even more so when done with great care.
i understand but not everything can be debatable we need to stand on a . . foundation of agreed upon information You can never argue math . . .if you cannot agree on a numbering system Cooperation and unified thought are some of the reason that humanity is about the animals Social contract of agreed upon foundations Intelligent design . .. it does not really say ANYTHING *against* the scientific explanations of creation . . . however scientist and athist INSIST that it not be taught . . why? I don't beleive Religion per se is the tentpole but we need some. .. Rocket RIver
wnes, You are on the wrong track. The ancient Greeks discovered the roundness of the world and t was pretty much accepted as fact from that time on. Some of the earliest images depicting Christ (as Christ and not as a symbol) from 400-500 or so often show him holding a globe in his hand to represent his dominion over Earth. It is round, it is a sphere, it is a round sphere.
Did you read my post about the sodas and math? I don't believe that a foundation of one set of beliefs is important in the world because every single person is different. It used to be widely accepted that the World was flat, then someone proved that wrong, now Friedman(author) is trying to prove that the world is flat again. Because we are all different, we have different perspectives. So, math can be argued and it is. 2+2 does not always equal 4. (again, I've given an example in a previous post)
I did see the post and see there is the point no foundation of communication If we don't agree that what one means by Cokes then the whole system has fallen apart. The idea of communications is to settle on those points and work from there Rocket River
My point is that two way communication is important any time you teach and that relying on dictation to get the lessons done quicker does not always translate to learning. Sometimes it translates to students being dumber. Extreme examples of dictation teaching lead to brain washing. I'm sure you've had an argument with someone that is incapable of thinking outside their own experience or what they've been told, it's not as much fun. The United States is full of very creative thinkers because of this method of two way teaching done in many classrooms here and as a whole we are a very educated country. Teaching from a controlled environment, is this what you are saying we need? If you are saying that, I agree, but only for short periods of time. If you were saying in your initial post that our young people in America act out of line because they aren't disciplined enough, I disagree whole-heartedly. I don't believe our students are being engaged while teaching is going on.
