Rightly our atheistic brothers complain about religion forcing itself on the curriculum of liberal thought and philosophy. The divorce of religion and the state is acceptable to me, but for a global trendsetting organisation like Disney to try to infiltrate another religion’s framework, humanistic as it may be), is bang out of order. I believe in the Christian message, but struggle with some aspects of the creation story.
However, that does not mean I want to give the ground over to something that has equally limited empirical evidence – Darwinian evolution. John Locke in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding wrote about the tabla rasa (blank slate) of the human mind at birth and how experience precedes reasoning when forming our opinions; “Our Observations, turned upon either external objects, or upon the internal operations of our minds, is that which supplies our understanding with all the materials of thinking”. Rousseau warned us about the injurious nature of society’s ability to foist customs and culture on its young; his Emily was to grow up and empirically evaluate all that was around. Those wise sages of the enlightenment period would not be amused at the brutal assault of Walt’s heirs on impressionable minds, Neither am I!
Amen brother! Keep politics and religion out of commercial offerings to children and families alike unless you are explicit about it. It just makes good business sense and I’m happy also happy to keep state and “religion” apart, I object in schools to the “act of worship” every day that is supposed to be 51% Christian, how can that be and how can you expect an unbeliever to in all good conscience carry out an act that makes them a hypocrite. In contrast to Rousseau is William Golding’s Lord of the Flies which shows that children, left to themselves degenerate into savages, some reality shows illustrate this as well! Such is the fallen nature. Either way, we seek to encourage our children on the straight and narrow and give them guidance on how to live their lives according to the good book. Keep up the good work Kris! Tim
Tim, you might remember that Lord of the Flies was a work of fiction — but then I don’t suppose one who puts literal credence in the Bible would be able to tell the difference.
I’m truely shocked that a man so eloquent and inspiring such as yourself, Kris, can use the phrase, “something that has equally limited empirical evidence – Darwinian evolution”. To be put yourself in the position of being a role model for hundreds of school children whilst denying one of the most fundamental scientific principals is extremely worrying.
Well a majority of christians believe in evolution. The Pope believes in evolution. Genesis is a creation myth that in no way contradicts or interferes with the concept of evolution. Evolution also makes no reference or claim to explain the genesis of life, just the path it follows. This is a non-issue that’s been blown out of all proportion by a small group of extremists with contempt for scientific reasoning. Preaching creationism as science is not just bad science, it’s bad religion.
Hi Dave, thanks for your comments, Prior to Kepler science postulated geocentricity (earth as centre of the universe). Everything seems right in its own season relativly speaking Darwinian Evolution is pretty young as a theory of creation, but that was not my argument. My point was not about the rights or wrong of the hypothesis but the imbedding of the idealogy into a public theme park. There is a time and a place to preach religion.
Once again thank you for taking the time to comment on my thoughts it is appreciated.
regards
Kriss
Hi Nano, I never thought I would find myself as an apologist but your comments that the majority of “chrisitians believe in evolution” is an interesting assertion and begs the question “define christian” My point was not about the veracity of Evolution or Creationism but how surprised I was that a childrens theme park could display the ideology so blatantly, yet surreptitious as fact.
Anyway I am very honoured that you have taken the time to post your ideas to my blog and I will consider more your stream of thought.
regards
Kriss
Hi Tim, I agree with the seperation of church and state and believe that all though faith is of public concern it is a private matter. I was very surprised to see Disney proselytizing.
I do appreciate you taking the time out to comment on my muses.
God Bless you
Kriss
The Scientific Method consists of observation and repeatable experimentation. Creation, by definition, was not observable by anyone within the bounds of this universe. And it is beyond our power to repeat the experiment. Therefore, the whole debate about origins is a philosophical, not scientific, debate. A basic philosophical axiom is that if your foundational assumptions are wrong, then the conclusions drawn from those assumptions are also wrong. Let’s examine the unprovable, foundational assumptions about each philosophy: Evolution states that in the beginning there was nothing, that became something, got itself organized, gave itself life, and then made itself better. Christianity states that in the beginning there was God, who created the world and everything in it in perfect harmony. Then Adam and Eve rebelled, and sin and death entered the world. But, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 If you bbelieve in evolution based on faith, because the beginning is not verifiable. I believe in the God of the Bible based on faith, because the beginning is not verifiable. Which belief system requires the greater faith? I only know of One who there at the beginning. I choose to believe His first hand, written account, instead of placing my faith in the assumptions made by those who were not there at the beginning.
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