German Creationism Home-Schoolers Find a Home

            Between January of 1998 and July 2002 I spent nearly five years in Berlin. During which time I taught one of the most interesting classes of my life: a group of East German engineers with a decent grasp of English grammar, incisive minds and wonderfully ironic points of view.

They were fond of asking me incriminating questions like: “Why do UFOs always land in the U.S?” and I believe I learned more from them about skepticism than I ever taught.

            As they needed speaking practice especially with the progressive tenses (-ing verb forms—was going, had been driving, etc.) most sessions were conversation. They were fascinated with how Scientology, the Hari Krishna, Amish, and all orthodox and extreme groups affect overall American society.  They regarded their own Skinheads as no asset.

I staunchly maintained ours was a more open and flexible society because of the freedom it offered individuals as far back as the Puritans citing productivity as proof. They countered with social disorganization figures, and I am glad it was then, not now, as we trail most Euro democracies by most parameters from infant morality to criminality.

 Once, in mock exasperation I exhorted them, “Well, would you guys stop sending us your weirdos and wackos?!”

            They laughed and loved it, but I see it hasn’t stopped: a new group of German Creationists have immigrated to Kentucky to evade the German equivalent of Common Core, the standard ideas and skills mastered by every child in the education system.

            It will take more than a high Critical IQ to explain to a dozen East German engineers how these immigrants are going to impact American science scores positively.