From time to time, there are opportunities for Christians to tell the truth in a public forum, in a way that might make a big difference for our children and grandchildren. One such opportunity just became available, and the family at Macland Road could lead the way.
On January 14, the Georgia Department of Education published its new science standards, guidelines for what will be taught in public schools’ science classrooms across the state. You can read the standards here: http://bit.ly/1SUeSNS. These standards simply must be modified before they go into effect, because they would enforce the teaching of Darwinian evolution as the sole plausible theory of origins. Here are quotations from the standards:
- Students will learn that “all living organisms are related by way of common descent.”
- “Biology students [in high school] are able to recognize the central role the theory of evolution plays in explaining how the diversity observed within species has led to the diversity of life across species through a process of descent with adaptive modification”(emp. added).
- Students will “Analyze and interpret data to develop models … based on patterns of common ancestry and evolution to determine relationships among major groups of organisms.”
The Darwinian theory of evolution contradicts the biblical record of creation, which we find in Genesis 1-2 and in the words of Jesus (Mark 10:6). And, because the Bible and true science always go hand in hand, the new Georgia standards also run counter to the scientific evidence.
Now the good news: The Georgia public has until March 14 to give its feedback about the standards, and there is the possibility that they will be changed. The Bremen Church of Christ has begun a campaign to get the standards modified before they go into effect. Our brethren at Bremen have produced a free, on-line video discussing the new science standards, with suggestions about how we may effectively comment. The video from Bremen is here: http://bit.ly/1XzI8IE.
The Georgia Department of Education urges you to complete a survey at this link: http://bit.ly/24c14Su. I took the survey, and so I can verify that it takes about five minutes to complete. At the end of the survey, there is an opportunity to make a comment, and here is the comment I made:
“I do not want Darwinian evolution to be taught as the only plausible model of origins. Creationism also ought to be explained to the students, and ALL the relevant scientific evidence ought to be presented so that students can make a responsible decision.”