Elementary School Science

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Actually oddly enough even believing that "the dinosaurs all died in the flood" is a bit of a heresy among YECs.

Even THAT would be too logical for some strict Fundies (the dinos existed, but all died in the flood because Noah didn't rescue them- at least that would make some superficial sense).

But the Bible doesn't say that Noah left animals off the Ark.

Ken Haim, the founder and CEO of the "Ark Experience" park in Kentucky, says that Noah wrangled dinosaurs, and put them on the Ark as well. And that dinos (apparently) survived on Earth for sometime after Noah's flood (in 2300 BC according to the King James).He has dinosaurs as passengers on his replica Ark. Some Creationist books even show Jesus riding saddled up tricerotopses.

When I was growing up, one of my elementary school teachers taught reincarnation. She spent a hour describing how her father died and was reincarnated as an insect. She forbad everyone in the class from killing an insect because it might be a loved one from the past.

Lots of kids who don’t celebrate Christmas are uncomfortable when someone wishes them a Merry Christmas. It made me feel uncomfortable and like even more of an outsider than I already was, and I’ve heard the same from Jewish and Muslim students.

It’s a bit grating. It would really suck when someone would ask me if I had been a good girl that year and if Santa had brought me something nice. Awkward!

“Happy Holidays“ or “have a nice vacation” are more inclusive terms to use with students who may have diverse religious backgrounds. Religious holidays should really be kept out of public schools as much as possible.

I really want to go to there. It sounds hysterical! Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be supporting it by paying admission...

That's probably a local culture thing but here some religious holidays (Christmas, Easter, Day of the Dead) are celebrated by atheists, too - the family meeting aspect goes beyond religion.

That's probably a local culture thing but here some religious holidays (Christmas, Easter, Day of the Dead) are celebrated by atheists, too - the family meeting aspect goes beyond religion.

My University tries to be inclusive by mentioning a wide variety of holidays from different cultures.

However, my secondary and primary schools mainly focused on Christianity. The latter is understandable considering that my primary school was a church school. We had to go to church every Thursday afternoon.

In the case of my secondary, it wasn't officially a religious school but it tended to push us towards Christianity regardless. Often on the last week before winter break we would have an assembly about the "true meaning of Christmas", which was usually met with a collective groan. I remember one assembly where a Christian youth club came in to talk to us. They showed us a picture of a cartoon living room decorated for Christmas and we had to name what was missing. People yelled out suggestions for better presents, and one person pointed out that fire safety was missing because the stockings were too close to the blazing fire. Predictably, the answer they were looking for was Jesus.

After the assembly came to a close, the youth club handed out Bibles to everyone. Sure, you could refuse, but that would hold up the line and no one wanted to be that person. Even the Muslim students took one. Later on that week we had to have another school conversation because some of the students from my school had publicly destroyed their Bibles, which upset the locals.

I have three Bibles that were given to me by my schools, and I'm an atheist. My parents had to meet certain requirements in order to qualify for a place at my primary school. It apparently had a good reputation, but fell under new management when I was there. Unfortunately, that's when things went downhill really fast.

The requirements were that parents must attend at least two weeks of church attendance, and the child needs to be Christened. Of course, living in the area helps. I was actually Christened at the church that is a part of the primary school. My parents aren't religious, the only reason they went out of their way to meet those requirements was due to the school having such a wonderful reputation. Now my mum sometimes cries because she wishes she knew the full extent of what happened in that place, and she's sorry she didn't take me out of that school and file a report against them. I'm in University now. My parents still feel bad. I keep telling them it's fine. Hopefully the management is much better these days, for the sake of the kids.

Apologies for going off the main topic somewhat.

How do you know nonChristian (or nonChristmas celebrating Christian children) aren’t uncomfortable during such times in your country? I can assure you that Jehovah’s Witness children are (whether they tell you or not) because they’re much the same everywhere. Certainly, many JW children in the UK are. I’ve talked to some of them.

I never told anyone I was uncomfortable (other than talking with other people in my group who felt similarly).

Feeling uncomfortable could affect a child’s learning.