Can You Stick to the Facts?
Is that possible?
“Just tell me the facts.” We have the perception that facts are unbiased, but every fact is colored by the viewpoint of the recorder. If four people on four different corners of an intersection observe the same traffic accident, their witness testimony will vary somewhat by their physical perspective of the crash. Other factors may also come into play. An artist might be more alert to the colors of the cars. A musician might observe that the squealing tires hit a high F sharp. A mother might have noticed the car seat in the back of the minivan. A physicist might have an accurate estimate of the cars’ speeds at impact. Our recital of “facts,” as much as we may try to stick to them, are influenced by our worldview.
The same is true for teachers. The worldview of those who teach your children does matter. History, science, and civics “facts” are heavily influenced by worldviews. History textbook authors impose their worldview in their selection of which people and events to include or exclude. No historical figure is perfect, and an author may focus on a man’s heroic actions or his failings. Was George Washington a villainous slave owner or a valiant freedom-fighter who voluntarily gave up power and returned to his farm? Science textbook authors present “evidence” of evolution, and creation scientists use the very same “evidence” to support supernatural creation and a worldwide flood. A priori assumptions or worldviews affect what a scientist believes the evidence “says.”
Even if the textbooks are as “unbiased” as possible, the teacher’s worldview will come through in the classroom. If she loves George Washington, that enthusiasm will be manifest in her teaching. If she loathes him, his heroism will be tarnished in her teaching, no matter what the textbook says. An enthusiastic proponent of evolution may spend a week in science class discussing “origins of species,” while a Bible-believer may gloss over that unit. Don’t blame the teachers; everyone has a bias.
Even “neutral” subjects like reading and math are influenced by worldview, especially in the teacher’s philosophy of teaching. If science and facts truly prevailed in education, then every child would be taught reading with a phonics-only approach. Children would be required to memorize math facts and solve unambiguous math problems. But, math and reading have been tainted by the woke ideology, too! Reading is still taught via the “whole language” approach and “three-cueing” systems. Math has been dumbed-down and infiltrated with DEI and “alphabet community” ideology. There is no such thing as “neutral.”
If your children are taught in a public or private school, you should assume that they are being influenced by the teacher’s worldview. Do you know what it is? If you want your child to have a Biblical worldview, then you will almost certainly have to STEP OUT!