DafMaven

Cosmology is not part of the physics curriculum. Also I have have a minor in physics and have never taken a course of Physics that involves cosmological topics about he creation of the universe. However the idea of string theory I have come across many times and I have mentioned in many of chemistry or physics classes. Some people who understand or know what string theory is claim in contradictory to biblical creation but I don’t see it to be that simple.

The Earth Science curriculum has a god chunk of its curriculum contradictory to Biblical creation, to the point where I think no Yeshiva should offer this course. A Yeshiva most offer 3 sciences it should not offer Earth Science. I have Taught Earth Science and I feel like I need permission of the Yeshiva on what I can and cannot teach and also how I need to approach many of the topics. But must yeshivas offer Earth Science because it is considered the easiest of all 4 of the science regents.

When I mentioned this cancellation of the bio regents to my principal of mine and few others I know they were very surprised that any Yeshiva was doing this for a few reasons. 1) Evolution has been covered on the regents for almost 40+ years why are they making an issue what has changed. 2) You can do fairly well on the regents even if you skip or just guess on the Evolution questions because the regents usually words them in such a way that they are easier to answer. 3) Some Yeshivas think that Evolution should be addressed on a basic level so when students encounter at a older age in college or from colleagues at work , they should know how to defend themselves from it because parts of theory do not defy biblical creation and some of it ideas can be found in midradshiam, Gemerahs and derashim from the Rishniom and Early Achroniam that predate Darwin and Lamarck. 4) It only regents that state mandates every school must offer. 5) Most of the information of the course makes you appreciate Hashem even more once you learn how the human body works.

That is why according to me this the wrong approach for a Yeshiva to address this topic by just canceling the regents when, a yeshiva should try to find a way to teach without completing making sound completely contradictory tot he bible.I think I do my best job when I do these topics which my Yeshiva lets me teach to approach in a correctly way and if I cant and deal with he regents questions during regents. Because their are way to get out from these questions based on religious reasons.

Yehudayona – I hope this answers your question. However, I will not discuss here the following 3 questions 1)What Yeshiva I teach at? (because I want to keep my identity secret) 2) My personal opinion on this topic? 3) How I go about teaching this topic? (Not so easy to explain in a simple fashion like this forum requires)