How children learn about God and Science

[LunaSea]

http://www.livescience.com/othernews/060517_religion_science.html




A new review of scientific studies supports the idea that children do not take all the teachings of parents and teachers at face value.
(snip)

But the study revealed an interesting sidebar that is tougher to explain. Among things they can't see, from germs to God, children seem to be more confident in the information they get about invisible scientific objects than about things in the spiritual realm.

"We don't have a firm view on why it is they're a bit more confident on the scientific information," said Paul Harris, a professor of education at Harvard University. "But one possible plausible reason is that when we talk about things like germs or body organs, we talk in a very matter-of-fact fashion. We don't say, "I believe in germs," we simply take it for granted that they exist."

On the other hand, adults tend to assert the existence of God more strenuously, possibly raising doubts in children's minds as to the existence of an unseen deity, Harris said.

[valerief]

1. Germs don't have motives or rules or conflicting stories across

different cultures either. Germs make sense. Kids get sicks, parents tell them germs cause the sickness and their bodies will fight it, and the kids get better. They *experience* germs or whatever it is that makes them sick. They're asked to *believe* in god.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. You can see germs in a microscope.

If you haven't got a microscope, there are plenty of nice photographs in any given biology textbook.

What's this "we simply take them for granted" shit?

[Greyhound]

3. As a former child that never bought the "Invisible man in the clouds"

story, it was simply that science is about questioning and testing. If science thinks something is so and then something becomes known that does not fit, the theory is declared incorrect and a new theory is developed to accommodate the new facts. IOW, science knows that it doesn't know, and leaves room to be proved wrong.

OTOH, religion is strictly unreasoned belief, even in the face of blatant contradiction, and any child can see the folly of following that path.

[dysfunctional press]

4. some people seem to think that you can "choose" to beleive...

i don't see how- either you "believe" the god stuff, or you don't.

i don't.

and i couldn't "choose" to, even if i wanted to.

which i don't.

[1620rock]

6. Yes, that is my point also. People are horrified that I don't...

...believe, yet since I don't, I can't pretend that I do, and say I do....it would be fake, a lie. So the people that I know who do believe will just have to accept the fact that I don't, and I can't lie to them and say that I do just to make them feel good. :shrug:

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. Once children figure out Santa Clause

Usually by emperical methods (snooping around the house), there's a pretty good lesson there.