China is a country where science cannot be more valid. Except those researches with explicit ethical problems like human clone, we do GM crops/food/animals, and I still can’t find a regulation that bar stem cell research in my country. We youth are educated from early that science is the only good thing that lead eventually to communistic heaven or whatever.
Therefore I understand in some western Christians’ eyes China is literally the hell: How could human science possibly not balanced by caution? By ethics? Or simply, by God? How could views be possibly taught in such an unbalanced way?
Yes, I totally agree that the one-sided education in China in every disciplines has poisoned by mind. I and my young compatriots find it quite hard to disagree with others, or to propose unique, original views. This deeply harm the nation’s capability of innovation. But still I feel fortunate that we are at least free from things like this:
When a chance peek over 11-year-old Taylor’s shoulder revealed a biology worksheet, she realized a teacher she’d trusted had been secretly teaching her only son about the physical world and its mechanics for almost a year. —
“THEY TRIED TO TEACH MY BABY SCIENCE”
by Rick Cantrell on The Onion
I did a search on this title and was implied that the cover might be fake. However, I couldn’t sleep well after seeing this cover. The mother’s eyes as well as the boy’s are perfect for any kind of nightmare, in which typically a scary religion or mind-controlling organization has grown into a scary population. This mother and son are mind-controlled and trying to control others’ mind by supernatural eye contact ability. They watch you with those eyes, and you think ‘yes…maybe…why…definitely, they shouldn’t teach us science!’ and you become one of them and obtain that kind of supernatural eyes.
I wonder…are you seeing things like this everyday? You tolerate these things?
Hey Andrew!
I just read ur post, and laughed at the magazine headline: “They tried to teach my baby science.”
but yea, u couldn’t be looking at a more sensitive subject—the conflict of religion and science in the west, especially in US. There’s been debates and numerous court hearings in a few states over Intelligent Design & Creationism, and whether or not it should be taught in schools as an alternative to Darwinian Evolution as the biological theory explaining how life began. For a bit of background on Intelligent Design (just in case),
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_design.
Luckily though, it’s not everywhere, and the future Obama Adminstration seems more keen on leniency towards stem cell research than educating students on creationism.
Cheers
I know quite a lot about ID and related debate, in fact. What I’m curious is how ID see China, where as I’ve mentioned science is so exclusively supported.
Hi Andrew!
While less extreme versions of this story no doubt do happen, The Onion is, as you said you suspected, 100% satire…
Cath: Thank God!
hey, sorry about my rather long tirade/explanation of ID then! That is a really intriguing question though, how ID supporters might view China’s policies on science, considering the cultural differences and just how different their beliefs are.
A little off topic, and likely politically incorrect (my apologies if i offend anyone), but this kinda reminds me of having lunch at the student cafeteria at uni, during the beginning of a semester when clubs and student societies would be aggressively trying to recruit members. Among them would be the Campus Crusade for Christ club, totally harmless if not over friendly. Their members would also randomly poll the student body, and if you replied that you were Christian they’d try to convince you to go to bible study with them. One time I kinda wanted to be left alone, so I told them I was atheist and my parents were from Communist China (stretching it, but partly true, my parents are Beijing-er’s). They were actually completely captivated by my reply, and i think their next question was “what do you think would happen to your family if they died in a car accident tomorrow? and how would you feel about this?” :S
I told a friend about it later, she said that usually if she told them that she was buddhist, which she is, they’d leave her be. So from then on, I lied and said i was buddhist and it actually worked, the Campus Crusaders for Christ would just smile and wave as they walked past.
Sorry about the lengthiness again and if the subject touches politically sensitive areas.