Swimming in Worldviews, at the Aquarium
August 10, 2006
This past weekend, my wife and I took our youngest daughter and some out-of-town friends to visit one of our favorite attractions, the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The wildlife displays truly are spectacular, educational and entertaining for all ages. During past visits, my eyes have been drawn to the spectacular and entertaining. This time, I tried to focus on the Aquarium’s educational efforts.
In addition to the wealth of information describing the animals, their habits and their habitats, several exhibits included descriptions and pictures of environmental damage caused by the human race. This is not surprising given that the Aquarium’s stated mission is “to stimulate interest in, develop knowledge about, and inspire stewardship of aquatic environments” (emphasis added).
What interested me most was trying to identify the worldview(s) to which the Aquarium is appealing in order to “inspire stewardship of aquatic environments.”
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Exploring the Illusion of Buddhism
July 27, 2006
Recently, my daughters and a few other neighborhood girls set up a lemonade and cookie stand. Business was brisk notwithstanding a price of 25 cents per 9 ounce cup. The afternoon was made even more enjoyable by the fact that parents from four families gathered around the stand, lounging in chairs or on the grass and talking for several hours.
During this time, I had one long conversation with my neighbor's father that was particularly interesting. He is a retired professor of Japanese religion and comparative religion, a Quaker, and a former Presbyterian minister. It also seemed clear based on several statements that he has thoroughly adopted a postmodern perspective on truth.
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What are they teaching in middle school art class these days?
July 22, 2006
Imagine that your eighth grader comes home from school, excitedly sharing what he learned in art class that day. Initially, you’d probably be pleased that he was excited about anything to do with school other than girls or sports. But what if the focus of that art lesson was the intentional exposure of your son to a New Age religion that deifies light and color? What would you do?
Read Curing What Ails the World: Colors, Computerization and Christ
