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I Got Chills (not the good kind) When Reading This News Item

The infection from the fundamentalist belt is spreading up here with an odd coalition.

I never thought the teaching of evolution would be challenged up here in Ontario.

How the province responds is going to be an interesting test for my countrymen. I hope we are up to it.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/education/article/1254611--stock-le...

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Chang on September 16, 2012 at 12:49am

Looking on the bright side is another way of saying put your head in the sand so you do not see, hear, or feel the growing needs of a decaying middle class. Looking on the bright side is a PollyAnna techniques that does not end hunger, lack of housing or education or retirement plans.

You are exaggerating. Looking on the bright side referred to Christians who, themselves, want to not to go school for science. This is clearly harmful to them, but not necessarily harmful to the rest of us. An answer to the needs of a middle class is still required to those who desire it.

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Permalink Reply by Karina on September 15, 2012 at 3:25am

I felt the same way when I read that after a friend sent me the link a couple of days ago. Truly scary stuff. One of the reasons why I moved to Canada was because I had had enough of religious nuts in Mexico. I'd hate for that follow me up north!

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Permalink Reply by Russell Pangborn on September 15, 2012 at 6:52am

Looks like there was a good response in the Saturday paper against this practice. My letter is somewhere in this link - so you don't have to scroll - I copied and pasted it after the link.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/1256448--more-voices...

Societies evolve. Ancient religious texts don’t. We probably have all agreed for a long time that it is not right to sacrifice the life of a child based on instructions from God. Unfortunately certain things have taken longer to become acceptable.

In the United States there were some that pointed to their faith and ancient religious texts to deny interracial marriages. It took a 1967 Supreme Court decision to allow people that right.

The fundamentalist Christians and Muslims who have united to deny their children exposure to the iron-clad science of evolution and the replacing of tolerance for bullying with the homosexual lifestyle in public school discussions may express their opinions at home.

I’m not happy with it, but they may also teach some of that reprehensible stuff in church. But these citizens of Ontario should not be allowed to deny future citizens the arguments that I believe the province as a whole embraces in taxpayer funded schools.

My children do not agree with all of my conclusions about this world and that probably is a good thing. They have actually challenged me and changed my mind on some issues as well. Those people who want to deny their children access to ideas should have more confidence in their arguments.

If we allow this faith argument to win to deny proper education, then we are increasing the chances of an ignorant society and an ignorant electorate.

Russell Pangborn, Keswick