Oregon Biology Teacher Fired Over Bible References

That was the headline on Fox News’ website regarding the firing of a biology teacher who included some biblical references into his teaching as a part-time high school biology teacher.  Kris Helphinstine was also alleged to have given a PowerPoint presentation that made links between evolution, Nazi Germany, and Planned Parenthood.  In a quote from the story Helphinstine said he included the material:

“…to teach students about bias in sources, and his only agenda was to teach critical thinking.

“Critical thinking is vital to scientific inquiry,” said Helphinstine, who has a master’s degree in science from Oregon State. “My whole purpose was to give accurate information and to get them thinking.”

The teacher added that he DID NOT teach creationism, which is what the flap is really all about….

“I never taught creationism” he said. “I know what it is, and I went out of my way not to teach it.”

What I found truly amazing about this is the reaction of a few parents:

Parent John Rahm told
the newspaper that he became concerned when his freshman daughter said
she was confused by the supplemental material provided by Helphinstine.

“He
took passages that had all kinds of Biblical references,” Rahm said.
“It prevented her from learning what she needed to learn.”

“How many minds did he
pollute?” Dan Harrison, the father of a student in Helphinstine’s
class, said at the meeting. “It’s a thinly veiled attempt to hide his
own agenda.”

Okay…calm down Mr. Harrison.  Let’s look at this logically.  First off, the evolution argument is still not provable.  There’s merit to it yes.  Even Albert Einstein admitted that this world had the markings of being put together by a force beyond his theories.  Not having been in the class, I’m unable to put together a proper response about Helphinstine’s curriculum and what exactly he said.  Including a response from the bible as a historical reference is well accepted in many educational circles.  As long as it’s not taught as fact (though we as Christians believe it to be so), the historical references made in scripture, which many archaeologists have confirmed through research, is completely appropriate to teach.

As for John Rahm’s comments, what did his daughter need to learn?  He makes a comment used by Fox News in it’s story but the writer doesn’t elaborate on the “what” of such an accusation.  Does Mr. Rahm has a master’s degree in science like Helphinstine?  Can he accurately say what she needed to learn in a high school biology class?  Is critical thinking a part of learning how to use the scientific method?  Sure it is.  So why complain?  Because you though your daughter was getting indoctrinated with some biblical logic?  What if she was presented various sides of the same argument so that she could make an informed decision rather than hearing just one side of the equation and taking it as the one and only source.  That’s not good learning Mr. Rahm.  Your daughter would be short-changed into becoming a lemming that believes anything she hears from those who make a compelling argument but are wrong. 

I doubt anyone involved in this situation will read this.  My conclusions are simply drawn from what little I’ve read on this case but it appears Mr. Helphinstine is being run out of the school simply by presenting a multi-faceted view of the world around us.  It’s the same thinking that great minds used to change our world over the years and just because one side doesn’t like the other, we shout down the offending viewpoint as illogical and wrong.  It sounds a lot like communism to me.