Why teach the theory of evolution at all? Children can be taught about microevolution (via mutation and selection) and the history of life of earth (eg, the fossil record and the appearance/extinction of various creatures) without fogging their minds with atheist bed-time stories about rodents turning into whales and dinosaurs turning into birds, etc.
Convince children that evolution is an atheist bed-time story and watch their faith melt away as they encounter the science without us. Our credibility will be shot, especially when we can’t point to a barrier between the lion-and-housecat ancestry we accept and the hippo-and-whale ancestry we deny.
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I didn’t say anything about convincing children that evolution is an atheist bed-time story.
I agree that teaching should be age appropriate, but they learn about the world much younger than they used to, for better or worse. It is important they learn of how God’s hand is in the marvels of the universe rather than learn they have been taught lies about creation by the same people who insisted on their knowing the truth about Santa Claus.
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They do seem to learn a lot by imitation. If we’re cynical ourselves that can be the lesson. Probably the best place to start is to learn as Christian parents the ways evolution can be conceptualized as compatible with faith even if one doesn’t happily embrace them.
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Actually @Relates is correct. The word is ἐγένετο meaning came into being or came to pass. And Thus you see it used often in the NT for things which came about without any implication of intention, planning, or design. For many uses of the word in the NT, translating it as “made” or “created” wouldn’t work at all.
3 First of all you must understand this, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own passions 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago, and an earth formed out of water and by means of water, 6 through which the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
No. This is not a passage about patience. This is about dealing with those who scoff at Christianity because of a failure of prophesy. And so this is EXACTLY about how God measures time so that we cannot claim a prophesy hasn’t been fulfilled just because what is “soon” to us is not what “soon” means to God.
Agreed! High school is soon enough. Understanding the logic of evolution requires preparation and without that I don’t really see the point as far as science is concerned. There are too many who are seeking to use public education as a means for social engineering and that is just WRONG!
My kids are familiar with some concepts of evolution currently, but I hear them happily discussing Pokemon evolution at 8, 11, and 14, and I’m worried about how they think it really occurs 
hah
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And my eyes have been opened to how early most kids these days learn the biologics of sex. I suspect most kindergarteners can tell you how babies are made.
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I’ve got nothing against teaching high school students that evolution is the best scientific explanation for the fossil record … with the caveat that, since it’s God’s creation, the best scientific explanation may be worthless and not even close to the truth.
Reposted … sent it to the wrong poster the first time.
I think not.
It is a human analogy at best. God is out of time so 1000 years is as meaningless as here and now.
Richard
Sadly by the time they hit puberty, most have forgotten anything useful about the topic.
I do wonder what “age-appropriate” would mean here, though. For some, I’m afraid it would mean ignoring the topic until kids are teens. But every third grader with a fascination for dinosaurs (and honestly, what 3rd grader does NOT have a fascination for dinosaurs?!) is just beginning to confront evolution and the age of the Earth. When were these things alive? Are any of them alive now? Why? How do we know these are bones of real things? How do we know how the skeleton should be put together? Are they going to eat me? Where are all the dinosaurs now? Why? Are alligators dinosaurs? When can we go see dinosaurs at the zoo? Etc.
In the same way, the best math curricula are sneaking Algebra concepts into Kindergarteners’ heads, it would make sense to start working with young kids’ interests in things like dinosaurs, and use that as a hook for connecting important scientific concepts and methods.
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What is the one essential claim of these podcasts? In the light of the eternal automatic pilot of nature?
i really enjoy watching Dino Dana with my first grade grand. They do a great job. I think the age appropriate refers more to how we teach the Bible. Kids are more literal when.young, and you focus on God as creator. No need to bring up evolution to pre-schoolers, but certainly no need also to bring false age of earth discussions. They have a tough time distinguishing between 4 and 5 years old (a whole hand!) much less 6000 vs. 13.4 billion.
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They are still alive. People can even ride them. 
That leads to a discussion of why birds are considered dinosaurs, and that has everything to do with our understanding of how life has evolved. These discoveries are some of the most amazing human achievements, and that’s why they should be taught, IMHO.
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Thanks, T. I’m cracking up here. I needed a good laugh! 
Yes, I think you’re right about these discoveries. Think of the really great opportunities for cross-disciplinary teaching, when the dinosaur bug hits the 3rd graders (all of them; not just the boys): animals, basic connections to taxonomy, geology, geography, environment, and Much Much More. All at a 3rd grade level, starting layering basic concepts now and more later. It’s possible and good pedagogy.
How about this awesome beauty (which is also on my personal book shelf) a children’s picture book of Michigan geology:
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Martin, are you talking about the assumption that the Christian God is part of the picture? And you find this impossible, or rather irrational, right?
Do you see any way to reconcile faith in this God with the functioning of the universe? If so, how?
If not,…maybe you know better what question should be asked here.
The picture may be in Him, but the picture is all we see, and it doesn’t need Him. The picture, the movie, of nature is eternal. Projects itself. Even the Jesus sub-plot in the movie can be explained in terms of nature. If Jesus was God (substance by nature, not noun) then nature is part of the eternal movie running autonomously in God('s head).
All I know is what works for me.
So what is the essential, one line, definitive, headline claim of the podcasts?
The title is suspect. It isn’t evolution that needs reconciling. It’s faith.