Joel Koslicki – 10/16/05

This page was last updated on October 16, 2005.

Teach biology, not theology; Joel Koslicki; Beaver County Times; October 16, 2005.

I get a kick out of this debate. I learned about evolution during my eight years (1958 - 1966) at St. Titus and it was made clear that evolution and creationism were not mutually exclusive.

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“I have one thing to say about the debate over intelligent design and evolution:

“I pay for my daughter’s education with my taxes, and, frankly, I do not think I should have to pay for my daughter to be taught theology that is taught in church.

“If you want to teach intelligent design, either do it at home, do it at church or have the churches and religious groups start paying taxes to fund this added curriculum, not me.

“The Pythagorean Theorem is also a theory, and no one questions that when it is taught. So why are you questioning evolution? It is still taught as a theory, and so far it is the best scientific theory we have about the creation of mankind.”

[RWC] Mr. Koslicki either needs to go back to school or needs to consult a dictionary. Theorem and theory are not synonyms. For theorem, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary has two relevant definitions. First, “a formula, proposition, or statement in mathematics or logic deduced or to be deduced from other formulas or propositions.” Second, “an idea accepted or proposed as a demonstrable truth.” The common point is theorems can be proved. Theories are unproven speculation. I’m not saying the theory of evolution is wrong, only that it cannot be proven at this time.

“Furthermore, when did we start expecting the public school system to raise our children? The teaching of respect for your God should come from your home, as should the theological theory behind that respect.”

[RWC] Where has Mr. Koslicki been? Liberals have been trying to turn public schools into surrogate parents for decades. That’s why we have school breakfast programs and programs to turn schools into after-school daycare centers.

“So in the meantime, keep your religion at home and in the churches, not in my daughter’s science classes. Keep it out of her history classes, and keep it out of her math classes.”

[RWC] If you omit religion from history classes, you omit a lot of history. For example, if you don’t mention religion, how do you discuss the motivation for the Pilgrims to come to America? If you omit religion, how do you discuss the Crusades?

Regarding math, I attended St. Titus for eight years and to the best of my recollection, religion never came up during math classes.

“The day my daughter comes home and tells me the value of Pi is not 3.142, but is 3, because in the Bible it is said that a man drew a circle that had a circumference three times the diameter, is the day I sell my house (so as not to feed into stupidity by paying taxes) and I pull my daughter out of public school and home school her.

“If you want your children to be taught biblical lessons and not factual ones, send them to Sunday school or a private religious school.”

[RWC] I hate to break it to Mr. Koslicki, but I learned at St. Titus that Pi is roughly 22/7’s, or 3.1415927… if you need to be more exact.

Mr. Koslicki may have been able to make a credible argument against teaching the possibility of Intelligent Design. Instead, though, he chose to show us he doesn’t know the difference between a theorem and a theory and used an over-the-top hypothetical that someday schools may teach Pi is 3 because the Bible allegedly says so.