Saturday, May 06, 2006
Evolution of School Violence
What causes school violence? You probably thought the answers were complex and, perhaps, not so easy to understand. You poor fool.
School violence, according to Richard Smith, interim pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Manhattan, Kan., is caused by the teaching of evolution.
"The ramifications and consequences of teaching naturalistic evolution are enormous," says the good Rev., "especially in the moral realm. When children are educated, they are told that they should behave themselves, respect teachers and not shoot people. But does that follow from being taught that they are nothing but animals?"
The Right Rev. Smith was moved to call our attention to this particular connection following a recent vote by the Manhattan-Ogden school board to reject Kansas' new intelligent design and creationist inspired science standards in favor of real, science-based standards.
Although we're certain Rev. Smith is absolutely correct to say teaching evolution in public schools leads directly to school shootings, we can't help but note a bit of contradictory evidence.
The worst case of school violence -- a series of school bombings -- took place in 1927 in Bath Township up in Michigan. The perpetrator wasn't a student driven mad by his biology teacher, rather it was school board member Andrew Kehoe.
Kehoe was upset by a property tax levied to fund construction of a school. He thought paying the tax led to the foreclosure of his farm. He killed 45 people and injured 58.
Interestingly, when Kehoe was elected treasurer of the Bath School board, he fought endlessly for lower taxes.
Hmm... Could there be a connection between low tax activism and school violence? What do you think, Rev.?
Thanks to reader DR for calling this gem to our attention.
School violence, according to Richard Smith, interim pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Manhattan, Kan., is caused by the teaching of evolution.
"The ramifications and consequences of teaching naturalistic evolution are enormous," says the good Rev., "especially in the moral realm. When children are educated, they are told that they should behave themselves, respect teachers and not shoot people. But does that follow from being taught that they are nothing but animals?"
The Right Rev. Smith was moved to call our attention to this particular connection following a recent vote by the Manhattan-Ogden school board to reject Kansas' new intelligent design and creationist inspired science standards in favor of real, science-based standards.
Although we're certain Rev. Smith is absolutely correct to say teaching evolution in public schools leads directly to school shootings, we can't help but note a bit of contradictory evidence.
The worst case of school violence -- a series of school bombings -- took place in 1927 in Bath Township up in Michigan. The perpetrator wasn't a student driven mad by his biology teacher, rather it was school board member Andrew Kehoe.
Kehoe was upset by a property tax levied to fund construction of a school. He thought paying the tax led to the foreclosure of his farm. He killed 45 people and injured 58.
Interestingly, when Kehoe was elected treasurer of the Bath School board, he fought endlessly for lower taxes.
Hmm... Could there be a connection between low tax activism and school violence? What do you think, Rev.?
Thanks to reader DR for calling this gem to our attention.
