I don’t see what all the fuss is about. If it’s a news program and it’s impartial and objective then what’s the problem? If our kids understand that not everyone believes the same thing, and that not everyone in the world has the same family life, how is that bad? If Nick gives the information, and parents provide context and their own spin, I think it’s a great opportunity to warp your kid’s life however you want. If you let them watch it and then say all those people are going to hell for being weird and unholy, go right ahead. Or, how about you let them watch it, and let them decide for themselves? Or, if you’re so weak you can’t handle exposing yourself to anything outside your small sphere of belief, then don’t watch it at all. Go watch Reverend Jerry or Pat tell you all the bad things that happen in the world were caused by those dirty non-believers. Don’t let your children learn. Keep them bottled up and frustrated. Make them xenophobic.
It’s like the whole creationist argument. If you run around you whole life with your fingers in your ears screaming that Genesis 1 is the way it is, end of story, then I don’t think you’re giving God enough credit. You’re reading a chapter that’s been rewritten, translated, edited, and futzed with for thousands of years. If you’re reading the New International House of Pancakes Student Edition with Genderless Pronouns and With Liberal Use of the Word ‘Dude’ edition of the Bible anyway, how can you trust what you’re reading anyway? How can you be absolutely positive it didn’t start, “And the first day, God sat down at a drafting table with a box of freshly sharpened pencils, a big pad of paper, a cup of cocoa and started doodling. And God saw that his doodles were good. And that the was the beginning and end of the first day except when God went to get the paper. On the second day, God did rewrites. On the third day, God showed them to Jesus and Jesus nodded, smiled and then giggled when he got to the platypus. God was pleased at the giggle and nod and said, ‘Go forth and build me this place so man might be.'”
The world is small; God is big and wise; the universe is apparently infinite in all directions; our belief systems should be able to compensate for knowledge. I accept that evolution might very well be true. It makes sense to me. I also believe that even if evolution happened exactly like Charlie laid it out, that I also believe that God designed it that way. I am not so proud to think that my ancestors ran around naked swinging from trees and were hunted by large beasties with gigantic teeth. I’m ok with that, and it makes the story much more interesting than the mother of humanity being made from a rib. I believe that people are different for a reason. Everyone has the right to think what they want, do what they please, make the choices they make. It’s called free will, and it’s our greatest gift. Now, if you think you should kill people and then go do it, society has the right to throw you in a little room or fry you in a chair with a pat of butter. But, you’re welcome to think it. And I’m welcome to think you’re a freak. You also have every right to think that homosexuality or any number of other things is wrong, but don’t you think your kids should at least be aware of it? If you don’t teach your kids about the world, they won’t learn how to make decisions. If they have all the facts, and understand the consequences of their choices, then you’ve done what you can. It’s up to them to use their free will and decide for themselves. Just arm them with all the information you can get your hands on and let ’em go.
So, there you go… I’ve rambled enough. I should get back to work.
