I got frustrated when I didn’t want to sign-up to the TES website just to give a comment on one of their stories - so I include my opinion below.

I’d be interested to hear other peoples opinions.

Here is the article in question: “Evangelicals’ free school would include creationism on science curriculum“.

My initial opinion is included below:

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This is a really tough situation. In order for us to have truly free schools (and a free society) we must be tolerant towards those who are intolerant - its one of the toughest things to do. The only thing that we can do, and maybe the only ethical thing that we can do, is politely put forward our arguments against the application of Creationism being taught as fact or at-least on par with Scientific statements (if our opinion is such).

I personally feel that a school needs to strike a careful balance between the extremes - too much faith-based teaching is bad due to intolerance to those who have found their answers purely in science, too much science-based teaching is also bad due to intolerance towards those who have faith. So I would say, teach religion as religion and teach science as science - but leave belief to the individual. Religion has been an important part of the worlds history (including the formation of modern Science), and we can’t just throw it away.

In addition to my opinion above - I would also add that it is still very much up to the parents about where they send their children. If an Evangelical wants to send their children to an Evangelical school then they will do so, if they decided to send them to a secular school (state or otherwise) then their child would probably end up Evangelical anyway because of their parents. Its just the unfortunate way that the world works - all we can do is try to be pervasive, ambient and ubiquitous with our tolerance.

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Cheers,

Daniel