Comments on: Secular Thursday: Electricity is a mystery? Really?

By: MamaB2C

MamaB2C — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:56:18 +0000

You asked: Can’t you teach your children a creationist viewpoint without screwing up the rest of science?

No, they cannot. Imagine my shock when I came across Creationism in a math curriculum! How does that work you ask, making pi = 3 as it does in The Bible? Actually no, A Beka chooses not to “burden” students with modern math such as set theory.

By: Secular Thursday: Triceratops is a big fat liar (but at least he isn’t a mixed swimmer) » Smrt Lernins

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:46:32 +0000

[...] sensible “no mixed swimming” policy) or that we really don’t have a clue how electricity or magnets [...]

By: Nightfall

Nightfall — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:18:05 +0000

I would like to point out that the older version of this book (which is the one being referenced) predated wikipedia, so they couldn’t have just “looked it up on wikipedia”. Also, the type of people who would write this would probably turn to conseravapedia instead, because wikipedia “has a liberal/secular/watever-their-particular-bogeyman-is bias”.

By: Rube Goldberg Style Posting | I Capture the Rowhouse

Rube Goldberg Style Posting | I Capture the Rowhouse — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 01:20:25 +0000

[...] out there. I knew that already, but this really let me know it. Also, I kept thinking about this recent post from Smrt Lernins about a Bob Jones University homeschool science textbook that [...]

By: Smrt Mama

Smrt Mama — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:32:26 +0000

I don’t think the origin of man is a mystery. I think the origin of man is a topic of disagreement between the secular and religious. Different thing all together.

By: Smrt Mama

Smrt Mama — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:38:54 +0000

Well, to be perfectly honest, I find pretty much ALL of BJU and Apologia’s work to be fictional bordering on ludicrous. This was just a particularly striking example to me.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:38:31 +0000

I fully agree with Daisy.
You seem to be rushing quickly to condemn a textbook as an “un-scientific” piece of propaganda, unworthy of educating your children with, based on one solitary box of text separated from the rest of the material. I think most high school students would actually not have much trouble getting what the author is after in this passage: just to tease out some wonderful reflections about the “mystery” of immaterial forces like electricity and to bring up some sense of awareness in the students about how much there is about the universe that we do not think Science can adequately explain: using electricity as the example.
Is the lesson in the box out of line? Hardly! Isn’t it great when people can acknowledge the limitations of their field — even scientists, forevermore!
And, as for reaching out into religious postulates to describe things at the margin, at the point where one’s empirical grasp of learning gets a little thin, hasn’t this been the habit of the human race since the beginning of time?
My only quibble? I would have chosen a different Scripture verse than one the BJU Press used. “From the far-shining radiance that was before Him there passed by clouds, hail, and coals of fire. And the Lord thundered out of heaven, and the Most High gave forth His voice. And He sent forth His arrows, and scattered them; and lightnings He multiplied, and troubled them sorely.” (Ps. 18) It turns out, we DO know where electricity comes from!
Peace to you and yours!

By: William Pow

William Pow — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:11:10 +0000

Very nice. However, I wouldn’t the origin of man is a mystery at all. The origin of life, yes, but not of man.

By: Jeniver

Jeniver — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 01:22:35 +0000

Hi, Just reading your post and wanted to add my 2 cents worth. I have not read the BJU science as we choose a different route for Science. I do teach creationist view point with the help of the wonderful Apologia Science Texts. These are written on about a 4th grade level with lots of terms to challenge us as we learn. It is written to the student and so far explains everything with accuracy and detail. We are finishing our second in this series and love them. My girls even seem to understand the mechanics of flight, which I now understand better.

We will begin Exploring Creation with Botany in the fall and can’t wait to study all the plants and such that we can. Hope you find what you need to spark the interests of your child(ren) and that you can be happy with your findings.

In His Grace,

Jeniver

By: Daisy

Daisy — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 21:21:33 +0000

While I find the page scanned to be cheesy, I’d prefer to read the entire chapter before passing judgment. The chapter is 16 pages long (in the older edition cited) and over 22 in the current edition. According to the Scope & Sequence the usual standards-based information is covered, so perhaps this is only a poorly written opener. I’ve read plenty of textbook introductions that were lacking in content. They often attempt to begin with a child’s frame of reference and then move them into deeper thinking. You should take a look at my husband’s science text. Blech!

Anyway, I’m not a huge fan of BJU but mostly because it makes for rather dull reading.