BlessedCause Critical Wolf

This article published at GOPUSA and ChristiansUnite

Modern STATE STANDARDS clearly equip teachers to scrutinize our children's faith with an ATHEIST agenda. Christians walk by faith, not by sight. It is NOT public schools place to decipher our faith with our children!

THE WOLF IN CRITICAL THINKING

Public schools and textbooks now have a license to control our children’s thought process under their favorite phrase, “critical thinking.” The definition is well written, but in reality it only opens the door to our children’s minds for teachers and textbooks to instill their own agenda. Our children are being ravaged by a two-headed wolf; the current emphasis to teach religion while simultaneously giving teachers the right to lead our children to believe what they deem “rational.” More often than not textbooks prove their “rationale” is atheism.

Example: from Houghton Mifflin’s “Modern World History,” (pg 627):

"Human beings are spiritual animals...Men and women started to worship gods as soon as they became recognizably human; they created religions at the same time they created works of art." (see full text )

From “History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools”: http://www.cde.ca.gov/cdepress/hist-social-sci-frame.pdf
(this file takes a few minutes to download)

“Students should understand the intense religious passions that have produced fanaticism and war as well as the political arrangements developed (such as separation of church and state) that allow different religious groups to live amicably in a pluralistic society.” (pg 23)

These state standards admit RIGHT HERE that the goal is to water down the faith of children. We can believe, just do not believe passionately. “Intense religious passions that have produced fanaticism and war.” What about the intense religious passion that has prompted so many to love and acts of compassion? Overwhelmingly the largest charities and free service organizations world-wide stem from passionate religion and faith. But public education sees passionate religion as something to be abolished and is taking steps to do so. It was the passionate religion of our forefathers that shaped the foundation of this nation. To diffuse the passion of religion is not the purpose of public schools. In addition, different religions were already living amicably in a pluralistic society without the help of separation of church and state, as indicated above.

“Students need to understand why a democracy needs citizens who value give-and-take on issues, who do not feel it necessary to go to war over every idea, and who seek the middle ground on which consensus and cooperation can flourish.” (pg 39)

There IS a right and wrong, and when something is very wrong, I hope our children become passionate about it. The above sentence is not about peace, it’s about dumbing down America. Teaching us to be non-responsive and apathetic. What if Patrick Henry or our forefathers were conditioned this way? What if America sought the middle ground with Hitler? There is such a demand in society to deny right and wrong and to put everything in the gray, but this will not achieve peace, we will become like sheep ready for the slaughter.

Modern textbooks have successfully rewritten American history and we are behaving like sheep in allowing it with an occasional bleating. Under the guise of “critical thinking,” textbooks are taking the opportunity to instill their own atheist philosophies and lead our children down any slanted path imaginable. Our children should be learning FACTS, and need protection from the exposure of personal agendas easily blanketed by the term “critical thinking.” Our “History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools” State Standards describes critical thinking as follows:

Critical Thinking Skills

“The skills involved in critical thinking enable students to question the validity and meaning of what they read, hear, think, and believe. Critical thinking requires a questioning mind and a skeptical withholding of assent about the truth of a statement until it can be critically evaluated. While such skills are developed through everyday living as well as by schooling, the history–social science classroom is an especially appropriate setting for developing such skills.”

Why is the history-social science classroom an especially appropriate setting for developing such skills? The Houghton Mifflin textbooks are a prime example of how “critical thinking” can be used to promote an agenda. The textbooks are literally saying, "This is a religion and this is how you look at it." The presented religion is not fact based, as openly admitted the goal is to present the positive attributes only, (except for Christianity).

Critical thinking is indeed “especially appropriate” if you are an atheist eager to apply skepticism of religion to young impressionable minds. Would an atheist hope to “critically evaluate” religion with children? Oh you bet.

A far better application of “critical thinking” would be in the classroom of science. Why not teach children to question the truth about scientific theories? In the case of evolution, the “rational thinking” would be most appropriate. Scrutiny of Darwin’s theory could prove invaluable. “To reach conclusions of solid evidence” would be a welcome reality check. Continued on Page 2

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