Bride of the Creationist "Science" Fair

This is science education?

Yes, its that time of year again, when creationists homeschoolers show off the results of their child abuse. (For the record, I believe that systemic lying to children about reality is child abuse.)

I commented on this religious fair last year. I will try to go again, but I am not sure I have the fortitude. Why might I skip out? Well, this religious fair is advertised as being about science, however the truth is clear from the TCCSA website...

The Scientific Method and Home School Science Fair procedures
....Im skipping ahead here...
VII. Science Fair Day. You as the presenter are the key to a great Science Fair Day.
Five things to remember:
1. Know your material.
2. Be Confident.
3. Communicate well.
4. Be thorough.
5. Pray your exhibit will witness to non-Christian visitors.

That is one of our main goals at the Science Fair.
(adapted from: The Complete Handbook of Science Fair Projects, Bochinski, 1996)

First of all, there is no THE scientific method. There are approaches and methods that are scientific, but there is no one true scientific method. See the real point is not science, not doing science, not communicating science. Nope, its main purpose is to convert non-christians to your religious perspective. Think I might be overstating it? Keep reading

7. Approximately 3rd Weekend in February: our science fair presentation at Har-Mar Mall in a public-secular setting for three reasons:
1) To promote home schools,
2) To show that Homeschool students can do good science.
3) To present our science fair project to non-Christian people. This should be a great Gospel outreach.

In reality, this fair should only promote that these home schools lead to close minded indoctrination. If it shows some good science, it will be in spite of, not because of the viewpoint of the TCCSA. Finally, these knobs need to look up what secular means, its seems to me they are confusing secular with atheistic. Science should not be great gospel outreach, that's like saying our history fair should really promote lollipop consumption (at least lollipops taste good).

But why do this?

We heard about one lady who saw the Science Fair displays at the Mall. She began to read some of the verses on the displays and was convicted to start attending church and get right with God. There are probably other stories like this we have not heard but it shows the power of God's Word through our program.

See, its not demonstrating what you learned or how you have used science, its to bring in more customers. The "science" was just a way to get those unsaved pitiful souls to approach until the trap could be sprung, the unsuspecting wretch sees the bible verse and voila! SAVED! Personally, I am not convinced by self-serving hearsay, but then Im a scientist.

To be clear it gets better (and by better I mean worse).

See here is the introductory premise to scientific religious education written by Russ McGlenn (aka Sir Bunghole). Right from the start....

The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7

Hey Sir Bunghole, finish the verse or have you no shame? Nevermind, just finish the verse.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

First, god/lord just depends on the version of the bible you use (although Im sure Sir Bunghole believes his version is the one true version written in the original english language). Now Sir Bunghole, see that little smudge at the end of your sentence? Its not a period, its supposed to be a comma. I can see making that mistake, but what happened to the rest of the clause? I mean your point is to make your god out to be a bully, which is fairly simple to do without distorting the bible. Science is hard and requires deep study and real work (both of which require discipline and leads to wisdom). I wonder mostly about the motive of distorting this passage, since virtually all of those looking at the website will be Christians terrified that their child may learn something the parents personally disapprove of, these are people who will parse any verse to fit their preconceived notions anyway, so why distort?

I think Proverbs 1 is an interesting choice here, because essentially it is set up to warn against rejecting knowledge and wisdom. If I skip ahead a bit...

20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

I would argue this argues pretty strongly that avoiding knowledge and ignoring information is considered bad in god's many eyes. I know, I know, this could be argued the opposite way as well, that's the joy of reinterpreting ancient vague texts. Back to the website....

This is a list of questions kids have asked in our brain storming sessions for science fair topics. These are the raw questions as I have not had time to clean them up or rephrase them in a statement for a hypothesis.

It was written in April 2008? Not had time over the last 9-10 months?

We need to train our students and ourselves to ask the right questions.

Anyone know how the "right" questions are determined?

Evolutionists ask this question:
How can I prove that evolution is true (and God does not exist). This may not be stated in this way, but is inferred by their writings. Darwin and others have said that if evolution is true, there is no need for God.

How many inaccuracies and/or logical fallacies can you find in that proceeding set of sentences? I found 4. Can you find more?

Creation scientists need to ask this question:
What can I learn about myself, God, and God's plan for the universe as I study His creation today. I believe true science is a way to learn more about God and ourselves. It is a living class room in which God is the Instructor and we the students. Jesus used common things in nature to illustrate his principles as he taught.

And so if Jesus used simple things to illustrate general principles to illiterate and fairly simple people, we can use simplicity to uncover the intricacies of the universe. You know, this does accurately summarize the approach creationists take to biology.

The Bible says, "The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge." God will not honor scientist's work if they do not honor Him. Some of the greatest scientific breakthroughs and discoveries were made by Christian men and women.
The following is a partial list of great scientists who were Christians seeking to understand God through His creation as well as the Bible. Sir Isaac Newton began his search for the laws of gravity and motion with this idea: God is a God of order, therefore His must have laws that govern the universe. Kepler discovered the formula for the orbit of planets around the Sun. Faraday developed many of the laws of electromagnetism. Maxwell invented color photography and discovered laws governing the distribution of molecules in gas. Lord Rutherford has been called the father of nuclear physics. Sir John Thomas discovered the electron. Petr Beckmann, a Polish professor who defected to the U.S. during the Cold War, has raised serious questions about Einsteinian physics and has shown that science based on solid experimental data is superior to many of Einstein's theories. These stories and more can be found in Science and Biblical Faith, a science documentary, by Thomas Barnes, 1993.

Some of the greatest serial killers, pedophiles, murderers, rapists, thieves were Christians too. What is the point you are making here? Simple logic is not that tough people. (How much you want to bet Sir Bunghole thinks Sudoku is a demonic ritual?). By the way, thanks Christians for coming up with the number 0. Wait what? Does that mean there will be a bunch of converts to Islam now?

Check out the website for 115 "ideas" for potential projects, I cant list them here because it isnt worth the electrons. However this is currently my favorite: 72. What is God made of? Good luck with that.

I don't know. Im not sure I can subject myself to the subtle undercurrent of hatred that permeates these events this year. Maybe Ill stay home and play with my son.