The United States has, in the way it teaches science, set itself up to look ridiculous to the rest of the world. We have in particular lagged in our teaching of finance, biology and the origins of man. In comparison to other developed countries, it is a scientifically ignorant nation, and growing more so all the time.
The mystic holistic believer shirks their duty to back up their claims with evidence, preferring mystic accounts and folklore. Refusing to allow "the dark side, the tragic side of science" to challenge what they "know in their hearts." Carelessly, they accept what their senses detect, and are constantly fooled by placebos. Trusting their ears, they accept what a radio infomercial says. Trusting their eyes, the surface of the earth appears flat. However, the senses do not fool the scientist, because they adhere to clear rules on what makes up solid, reproducible evidence.
A clueless majority is unmoved by the vibrant power of life in such a magnificent era. As a result, they become the butt of many jokes. Embroiled in ontological debates and the subject of demonic power, they are handicapped in a world that increasingly depends on science. Their imagination runs wild, giving rise to apocalyptic visions. The clueless insist on a blend of technological comfort and lifeless superstition, turning their backs on that which built their world.
And again, such scientific apathy has its roots in the way we teach science to young people. Responsible scientists express outrage at countries with loose educational standards. For instance certain teachers say that God intelligently designed a young Earth. This appears ridiculous to countries with high academic performance, and whose science teachers stimulate their students something of value.
Time-tested religious mysticism has failed to rid us of the perennial plagues, fly us from one part of the world to the other. Rather, it is critical thinking, education, technological discovery, and responsible science that have accomplished these things. Meanwhile, the great superstitions serve only the cause of ignorance, and put the world in danger.
America has always been a nation of legal immigrants: Hindus, Muslims, non-believers, Jews and Christians are in our classrooms. So if we are determined to foist a specific type of mysticism on students, we can have it taught in religious settings in our homes or churches. If our faith and family influence is strong, we should not be afraid of our kids hearing about science.
And so America has become a laughingstock. If it doesn't soon teach its kids good science, it will soon be handicapped in a world that increasingly depends on it.
