Beware of Dogma: Bob Jones University’s Biology for Christian Schools
Posted by: RB on: April 2, 2008
Page ONE of Ultra-Christian Bob Jones University’s Biology for Christian Schools reads:
(1) “‘Whatever the Bible says is so; whatever man says may or may not be so,’ is the only [position] a Christian can take . . . .”
(2) “If [scientific] conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong, no matter how many scientific facts may appear to back them.”
(3) “Christians must disregard [scientific hypotheses or theories] that contradict the Bible.”
With a first page like this, it is clear that this book is little more than programming for the cultivation of what should be known as a psychological disorder: dogmatic theism, which may be the most prevalent form of the broader should-be psychological disorder, dogmatism. What the religious right community is doing is full-throttle brainwashing, with the end result ideally being a person who is completely unwilling to think outside of a pathetically narrow and obviously misguided 2000 year old box. In a world that is so divided along religious and cultural lines, how dangerous is it that children be taught that no matter what, their Bible-based beliefs are necessarily 100% correct and everyone is not only wrong, but is hell-bound wrong?
Hat Tip: John Pieret
10 Responses to "Beware of Dogma: Bob Jones University’s Biology for Christian Schools"
April 27, 2008 at 9:24 pm
And you have a problem with that? Christianity is a religion which is followed by faith. As is yours, whether or not you claim to have a religion.
April 28, 2008 at 6:18 am
Andrew: Bullshit.
Explain to me how my position is one of faith. Here’s my position: I hold beliefs in correspondence with the evidence. That’s it. I’m an agnostic atheist. This means that I lack a belief in God due to lack of evidence. I have not said that there is no God, but I will treat a belief in God the same way I would treat a belief in martians living below the surface of the earth controlling our thoughts.
April 28, 2008 at 6:19 am
PS: I like how you try to put a positive spin on your stubborn dogmatism.
October 19, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Where does this evidence you believe in come from? How is it any different than brainwashing? You sit through school for over a decade, along with millions of others, and are spoon fed information that is supposed to be fact, without ever checking its credibility. That sounds like brainwashing to me. How do we know that the things we are taught about history ever really happened? Or is it just what the mainline media and government agencies want us to think. I guess you’re the one who is under mind control.
October 21, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Once you get to see the facts you will, or you will not depending on if you want to accept the truth, be able to understand that evolution is the most destructive lie perpetuated by western civilzation and undermines the basic truth that human life is divinely created and invaluable. The world is awesome and amazing, a place for humanity to learn and experience all that God has created for us – from dust to dinosaurs. Science and Christianity are not at odds. Secular humanism and Christianity are at odds. I was not a cosmic accident, my children were not cosmic accidents, and my friend, neither were you! 
[...] Quote posted by mrplunkey I should have been more specific. If you are an evolutionary scientist, then you have to be an atheist! ;p Got any data to back that up? If they want to be an ID evolutionary biologist they can always get tenure at Bob Jones University, Liberty University or any of the other super jesusy schools. Page ONE of Ultra-Christian Bob Jones University’s Biology for Christian Schools reads: (1) “‘Whatever the Bible says is so; whatever man says may or may not be so,’ is the only [position] a Christian can take . . . .” (2) “If [scientific] conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong, no matter how many scientific facts may appear to back them.” (3) “Christians must disregard [scientific hypotheses or theories] that contradict the Bible.” Beware of Dogma: Bob Jones University’s Biology for Christian Schools « The Frame Problem [...]
November 22, 2008 at 1:49 am
Please be aware that fundamentalist Christianity, like that taught at Bob Jones University, is not Christianity. It is only one small part of Christianity, and not the best part by a long shot.
I am horrified at how their textbook attempts to teach science. Those books will end up harming not just the students who use them, but anyone in the public whose views on science, the natural world, or critical thinking are influenced by the books, people in science who will now face more hostility and misunderstanding, Christians who who don’t believe that nonsense, and nonChristians who may assume that we all do.
Please continue to distinguish between Christians who buy into and promote pseudoscience and superstition and those of us who don’t; those of us who want to apply bronze age purity codes to today and those of us who don’t; and between those of us with narrow, exclusivist theological views and those of us who don’t.
February 7, 2009 at 5:07 pm
I would rather be a Christian and be wrong than be and atheist and be right. Fact is the earth is burnin to the ground and mankind isnt getting better in most ways we`re just getting dumber plus dying sooner. How can someone accept that the earth the sea the moon the stars just happened by accident? YOU may brainwash yourself into thinking that mankind evolved from a monkey but for me its just plain impossible to accept. My heavenly Father created a perfect world and man corrupted it. Man`s wages were death but Jesus Christ came down and died for the sins of man. Those who put their faith in Him will live with Him in Heaven for all eternity.
April 1, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I agree with Jason, at schools across the country the evolutionary THEORY as though it is a fact; however, many of the major supporting arguments for evolution are either based on circular reasoning or “proof” which was inconclusive/ has since been proven false. However school ciriculum books only pose the evolutionist side of the argument and do not allow for alternative views even by the teacher again the material is taught as fact as though it has no flaws and there are no alternative viewpoints. with referance to Eddie’s post i would like to comment that if this is not enough proof to show that this is a form of evolutionary brainwashing I would also like to point out the multiple school’s which at the end of evolutionary study chapters the student are required to awnser questions such as ” What benifits can humanity reap by futher studying the evolutionary relationships between humans and primates?” this question is a one sided question and is used as a brainwashing technique because the question sub-conciously causes the student to admitting to himself that evolution is a fact. and with eddie’s accusation that Christianity “brainwashes” is absurd. yes the front page of the Bob Jones book may seem dogmatic however from a christian perspective, we are constantly being bombarded by claims that evolution is fact and than assulted relentlessly with “the facts”. this can easily overwelm a mind which is still developing and does not have all the facts thus this three part ultimatum, of sorts, is to start out with a clean slate to be used to help show the newly unbiased student that their is another side to the evolutionary argument. also the ultimatium states” …. is the only position a CHRISTIAN can take” If the student is a Christian, which the text implies, the bible is fact thus when it comes to situations in the bible which can not be explained by nature the Christian student can consider Divine intervention.
April 2, 2008 at 9:35 pm
The first page? What about the title: Christian School is an oxymoron. School is a place of learning and instruction. Christianity is a method of brainwashing.