Anyone else disturbed by satanic connotations of Beast Academy?

[sweetpea3829]

For anyone who is reading about the MATH, we started using Art of Problem Solving this year. My son is 17. Beast Academy was not out when he was younger. He says AoPS is the first math program that truly explains math so he understands. I wish we had tried it sooner. That's a huge statement coming from him. It'll be exciting to see how kids who actually learn that thinking at a younger age, such as through Beast Academy, will progress through their upper level maths as well. 

 

I can tell you right now that kids who are taught this (Beast) way from a younger age, are going to be much stronger math students.

 

My 8 yr old is already benefiting tremendously from how Beast Academy has taught him to think about math.  

[Pen]

In that vein, am I the only one who saw this controversial topic by a brand new poster and looked at her username backwards to see if it spelled anything interesting?

 

 

No. Did you find anything interesting?

 

I think freches means impudent in German. A while back I saw some posts from the OP about German materials that I found helpful. I do not think she is a troll. But I think it is easy to find problems or spiritual concerns in things that do not warrant them if one is looking for that sort of thing.

 

 I would never have thought of the backwards idea, but when I saw your post, I checked the name numerologically--  though that is not my thing really and I might have done it wrong.    Still, I got 3 6's and 2 11's out of it.   Hmmm.   666 and 11 11...   I guess if the Beast in Beast Academy caused me to feel disturbed so would those numbers.

 

As it happens, neither disturb me.  But, OP, it is just so easy to find just about anything in anything if you want to do so. I don't think it is correct to draw some satanic inference about OP based on it being possible to draw a 666 out of the username, (I did not think to check my own), nor to draw similar inferences about the title of the math curriculum this thread is about.

 

I think Beast Acadmemy is a wonderful math option.  I wish it had been published just a little sooner to be available at right levels for my son. Happily, there are the AoPS and other materials though.

 

I hope the OP will find things she likes.  

 

And although this thread has been interesting to read and may be cause for some laughs here or even amongst AoPS people if they read it, I think at this point the OP's question has been answered and the thread title should be changed or the thread deleted even.

[beaners]

Is anyone else sharing my sense of horror and curiosity to see the coming spam threads this topic is going to trigger?

[Steven]

I wade into this discussion a little reluctantly, and do so mainly because find the mocking tone that resonates through many of the responses objectionable. While I find the original concerns expressed about Beast Academy to be totally without merit, the posters does not deserve to be mocked. I found the initial responses to her to be well focused and appropriate and was disappointed by the tone in many of the later responses.

 

Moreover,  since the original poster specifically cited the AoSP Wiki article as confirming her concern, I think that that article needs to be more seriously addressed.

 

Although I am not a member of the AoPS Wiki and do not know very much about how it is runi, I fail to see what relevance the following paragraph has to the wiki's avowed purpose of "supporting educational content useful to avid math student":

 

The pentagram has many usages in the occult and in religion. For example, Satanists use an upside-down pentagram, inscribed within two circles, to symbolize the horns of a goat. The pentagram focuses and concentrates magical energy for many rituals, helping it to bind to the recipient. In one such context, the pentagram is called the Sigil of Baphomet, and it has changed little since Pythagoras used it. Some claim that the infamous story of  did not in fact refer to , but to the golden ratio that the sides of Pythagoras' pentagram formed as he paid his homage to Satan. Because he was such a promethean and liberating figure, Pythagoras drew inspiration from him to continue his mathematical research.

 

 

First of all, just what is the "infamous story" of the the square root of 2? I haven't been able to find anything about it. Is it suppose to be the story of the follower of Pythagoras who committed suicide because the square root of 2 is irrational? A curious story, but of no relevance to a math education today. 

 

Second, what evidence is there that Pythagoras ever paid homage to Satan, a religious concept that I doubt was knows to a Greek in 500 BC.

 

Third,  the "Sigil of Baphomet" is a theological idea from the middle ages (it relates to the heresy charges made against the Knights Templar) and is a corruption of Mohammed's name. So the Sigil of Baphomet certainly has nothing to do with Pythagoras or math.

 

The article continues by asserting that Pythagoras found Satan "a promethean and liberating figure"and drew inspiration from Satan for his mathematical research. Really??? What evidence is there of this? Yes, Pythagoras founded a strange cult of mathematicians, but I seriously doubt that we know anything about Pythagoras' views on Satan. 

 

It appears that this paragraph has been on the AoPS Wiki since 2011 (and was posted by a now-banned person). Nonetheless, the article was edited as recently as March of 2014 without removing this paragraph. Has none of the authorized editors since 2011 found it odd?

 

By the way, it also appears that the article at one time contained a link to the topic "Demonic Possession." At least someone had the good sense to get rid of that. 

 

Given the sloppiness of the AoSP community in allowing this silliness to remain on their website for so many years, one can hardly fault the original poster for wondering if it reflects the outlook of AoSP in some way. 

 

If any authorized editors of the AsPS Wiki are following this discussion, it would behoove him or her to delete such silliness from the wiki. 

[snowbeltmom]

I think by the time they get to page two (if they ever do), they will have found confirmation for the stereotype that home education is a practical system for brainwashing children without the inconvenient interference of academic knowledge (or anything outside certain cultish beliefs). Post after post reacting to the OP's question as if it were a legitimate, understandable concern will all but seal the deal.

 

 

:iagree: :( .

 

[Mom28kds]

I DON'T think you're reading too much into this. That is what is slowly happening to our society.They make evil look cute so people would begin to get used to it.  I would stay clear of it. Too many good things out there. I'm so glad you posted this. I was going to look into this and now I will definitely not. Thank you :)

[jeninok]

But how is a drawing evil, if the character was in the shape of a koala or puppy or unicorn would it still be evil? What if it was in the shape of a Brown Recluse spider, or White Oleander, or Rattlesnake but still did a great job teaching math. There is real physical danger from those things, but there are not actually tiny beasts or dragons, Monsters Inc was not a documentary.

And what about the poor goats, what if it was a book full of Nubian Goats who excel at Math. Goats are often used as a symbol of satan, and were certainly an older personification of both major and minor nature dieties such as Pan. Does this mean all stories which include them are indoctrinating children?

 

I know I am being silly, but truly, where does one draw the line with pretend characters and symbolism?

[dirty ethel rackham]

Satanic notions would be farthest from my mind.  When I hear "beast" I think of wild animal (I call my dog a "snow beast" because of his appearance when he comes in from playing in the snow.) or the athletic slang for a person who is really strong and awesome at their sport. 

 

Then again, we read Harry Potter and all sort of things that make us one of "those kinds of Christians."

[Roadrunner]

I think it's important to call out the ridiculous.

[lillysmom216]

I think it speaks volumes that the original post has not been edited to provide crucial content information re. wiki banned user. If my child cited this as a source, I would be questioning my homeschool cred. If the OP needs help on how to edit I hope she asks.

 

[sweetpea3829]

While this whole thing has gotten quite silly...

 

And while I think its pretty clear there is no link between Beast Academy and satanism or any other occult...whatever you might want to link it to...

 

I think the OPs underlying concern is valid.  Perhaps not a concern for those who are not of faith.  But for those of us that ARE of faith...we DO have to be watchful and wary of surreptitious attempts to sway the minds of our children.  Your beliefs may be different, but our beliefs and convictions are true for us.  

 

I mean, its not like this has happened before.  Oh wait...Hollywood.  

 

In our family, we have struggled, for example, with the Harry Potter debate.  It is an absolutely amazing work of fiction.  Children should read it!  But how does God feel about Harry Potter?  The Bible speaks outright against witchcraft and sorcery.  We all know HP is fiction, and the witchcraft is fiction, but does anybody think Christ would sit down and read it?  

 

If it would offend the Holy Spirit, it ought to offend me, too...for He dwells within me.  I might have the liberty to read HP, but is it helping my walk with Christ?  Is it going to help my child's walk with Christ?  I let my oldest son read the entire series.  He loved it!  And then, as any 7 yr old would do, he ran around and pretended to be Harry Potter...casting spells with whatever stick he could find.  Is that wrong?  Is it wrong to have an imagination?  Well no.  But as a young Christian, does it honor God for him to be pretending to be a spell-casting wizard?  I don't think it does.  I think that was a mistake on my part.  

 

For families of faith, it is a constant battle.  We believe firmly in creation, but we have countless sources telling our children otherwise.  Maybe you think creation is foolish.  We believe "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God."  As convinced as you are of your beliefs and convictions, we are equally convinced.  And for many of us, those beliefs and convictions come after much research, reading, thinking, exploring, etc.  

 

So while I do think the OPs concerns about Beast Academy are thoroughly unfounded...I don't think her underlying concerns are ridiculous at all.  We ought to be wary as to what influences our children's hearts and minds.  

 

 

Edited to fix a double negative that I KNEW was wrong, but couldn't figure out how to word it correctly.  Dang...I should go to bed earlier.  

  

[desertflower]

I agree with you Sweetpea. But for my family, I don't think it's a mistake for them to run around and pretend to be like Harry. For me, it's called being a kid, being creative, growing up, etc. As long as he uses magic for good. :)

 

There have been a few times during our sleepless nights when we would say levioso to a crying baby. lol

 

But for some reason it never worked. heehee

 

So, don't beat yourself up too much. :) We are allowed to have a few laughs.

[MiMi 4under3]

I have Beast Academy 3 through 4A and have used it with my kids. I think it's an excellent math program.

 

My friend, however, would completely agree with the OP! If there's a remote possibility of a hidden meaning in anything at all, she will avoid it. Even certain classical music, for example.

 

Whatever. To each his own.

[mathnerd]

I feel like I need to round up Falcor and Toothless and Puff and give them all a big hug.

 

My child carries a Toothless stuffed animal everywhere he goes and claims to have trained Toothless to speak English in addition to Dragonse (he calls his Toothless a "gifted dragon" because he sits with him when he does his Beast Academy lessons and understands it all) :) And we play Puff the Magic Dragon on our piano together. I need to give a hug to Toothless and Puff too!

[albeto.]

As convinced as you are of your beliefs and convictions, we are equally convinced.  And for many of us, those beliefs and convictions come after much research, reading, thinking, exploring, etc.  

 

So while I do think the OPs concerns about Beast Academy are thoroughly unfounded...I don't think her underlying concerns are ridiculous at all.  We ought to be wary as to what influences our children's hearts and minds.

Being aware of the variables that influence children isn't ridiculous. As a community of home educators, we serve each other better by pointing out fact from opinion when it's being overlooked as,it pertains to education, even if some opinions are highly regarded for whatever personal reasons. The silliness in this thread is tremendously subdued, in my opinion.

[Haiku]

This thread reminded me that "we are subtle, and use sneaky means to indoctrinate children and lure adults into accepting modernist values."

 

http://boingboing.net/2012/08/07/what-do-christian-fundamentali.html

[Steven]

I think it speaks volumes that the original post has not been edited to provide crucial content information re. wiki banned user. If my child cited this as a source, I would be questioning my homeschool cred. If the OP needs help on how to edit I hope she asks.

 

But why should it be up to a user of this forum to edit her remarks here to explain the origin of questionable material on another website, when the owners of that website:

 

1) were aware that a user was posting material that violated their policies,

2) apparently banned him for that, but

3)  didn't bother to edit out his inappropriate additions?

 

Since AoPS has a policy of banning users who edit their Wiki in violation if its policies, when a user is banned, perhaps AoPS ought to review all the past edits that person had made. If AoPS is embarrassed by the silly paragraph claiming some links between Pythagoras and Satan, AoPS has only itself to blame. I really fail to see how the paragraph in question relates to the stated purposes of the AoSP Wiki, especially since it seems to be based more on fantasy than any historical evidence. So I am surprised (especially after the controversy here) that no AoSP Wiki editor has ever seen fit to delete it. 

[elegantlion]

speaking of Toothless, How to Train your Dragon 2 is supposed to be on Netflix this month. I'm excited. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

I think it's important to call out the ridiculous.

:iagree: I haven't laughed this much in awhile.

 

There are so many things that I could say( :huh:  :confused1: ) but they might be offensive.

 

so, to OP and all, I find it really sad that my DD is to old for BA.  When we tried 3A/B she was in 4th grade.  4th level is  out and she's a 6th grader :crying: .

 

 It was the only math she's ever liked and I am so disappointed that we couldn't wait for them.  If you have a child who hates and struggles with math this is a great program to do slowly.  If you have a child who excels and loves math this is a great program to do to keep them interested.  

[Shawna in Texas]

I think Jesus would've loved Harry Potter. I think the last book would've made him cry.

[Wildwood]

Can BA be used as a stand-alone math program?

[Stellalarella]

In the old days someone would have posted a beast in a kilt by now.

 

 

[Roadrunner]

If you are concerned about Aops teaching satanism, yes, it's a valid concern for you. If you are worried about UFO abductions, yes, it is also a valid concern for you, but you must understand that for the majority of people it is a ridiculous concern. This thread is about Aops, a well-known publisher of mathematics textbooks. Those aren't books published by an underground secret organization with a mission to turn kids toward Satan cult worship. It doesn't take much to know who Aops authors are. Why start this nonsense and potentially turn some families from an excellent math resource.

 

Nobody is trying to rob anybody of any beliefs. Those who believe in creation can continue to do so. We are free do teach our kids whatever we want. What I don't understand is why dishonesty on part of publishers. A book labelled science should teach valid scientific theories. Otherwise, just label it science/religion and please say that creationism is not a scientific argument, but a religious one. Why sell religious ideas as science? I would never teach my kid Chinese and claim it to be Korean.

[OneStepAtATime]

Can BA be used as a stand-alone math program?

Some do.  And for some kids it works well that way.  Others need more repetition, exposure and practice.  And it can be very challenging.  For some children it works better as a supplement.

[maize]

Can BA be used as a stand-alone math program?

Yes, many of us use it as a stand alone program. If your child needs a lot of review you may need to use another resource for that (or just write your own review problems).

[elegantlion]

If "beasts" were not important to christianity why did Noah save two of every kind, why not just the edible ones? (not being snarky). Why do Catholics have a saint for animals and the environment? 

 

Anthropomorphism allows us to view our universe and our humanity through a lens that is safe. Aesop used animals to tell fables that still teach us morals today. 

 

Animals - not just domesticated ones - bring us comfort. Pets teach children how to care for something that can do nothing but love them. We bring them into our homes and our hearts, we make them a part of our family. My dog acts so much like a toddler - it's eerie. She has separation anxiety and hates when I am gone all day. She communicates with me, just without words. 

 

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat an animal. The Beasts are a part of our world, the world in which some believe God created. 

 

Cartoon beasts allow us as humans to see that there is more than one right kind of person. We come in all shapes and sizes and colors. We are diverse, we are humans. 

[mommymilkies]

While this whole thing has gotten quite silly...

 

And while I think its pretty clear there is no link between Beast Academy and satanism or any other occult...whatever you might want to link it to...

 

I think the OPs underlying concern is valid.  Perhaps not a concern for those who are not of faith.  But for those of us that ARE of faith...we DO have to be watchful and wary of surreptitious attempts to sway the minds of our children.  Your beliefs may be different, but our beliefs and convictions are true for us.  

 

I mean, its not like this has never happened before.  Oh wait...Hollywood.  

 

In our family, we have struggled, for example, with the Harry Potter debate.  It is an absolutely amazing work of fiction.  Children should read it!  But how does God feel about Harry Potter?  The Bible speaks outright against witchcraft and sorcery.  We all know HP is fiction, and the witchcraft is fiction, but does anybody think Christ would sit down and read it?  

 

If it would offend the Holy Spirit, it ought to offend me, too...for He dwells within me.  I might have the liberty to read HP, but is it helping my walk with Christ?  Is it going to help my child's walk with Christ?  I let my oldest son read the entire series.  He loved it!  And then, as any 7 yr old would do, he ran around and pretended to be Harry Potter...casting spells with whatever stick he could find.  Is that wrong?  Is it wrong to have an imagination?  Well no.  But as a young Christian, does it honor God for him to be pretending to be a spell-casting wizard?  I don't think it does.  I think that was a mistake on my part.  

 

For families of faith, it is a constant battle.  We believe firmly in creation, but we have countless sources telling our children otherwise.  Maybe you think creation is foolish.  We believe "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God."  As convinced as you are of your beliefs and convictions, we are equally convinced.  And for many of us, those beliefs and convictions come after much research, reading, thinking, exploring, etc.  

 

So while I do think the OPs concerns about Beast Academy are thoroughly unfounded...I don't think her underlying concerns are ridiculous at all.  We ought to be wary as to what influences our children's hearts and minds.  

Something tells me Jesus wouldn't sit down to read most books ever written.  And we can't say exactly what he would have read as he lived 2000 years ago and he has yet to update his Goodreads account.  If you've read HP, you'll see many parallels in Christianity and there's a good reason many Christians appreciate the books. Best not to speak for all people "of faith". 

 

I think Jesus would've loved Harry Potter. I think the last book would've made him cry.

:D

[Pen]

I wade into this discussion a little reluctantly, and do so mainly because find the mocking tone that resonates through many of the responses objectionable. While I find the original concerns expressed about Beast Academy to be totally without merit, the posters does not deserve to be mocked. I found the initial responses to her to be well focused and appropriate and was disappointed by the tone in many of the later responses.

 

Moreover,  since the original poster specifically cited the AoSP Wiki article as confirming her concern, I think that that article needs to be more seriously addressed.

 

Although I am not a member of the AoPS Wiki and do not know very much about how it is runi, I fail to see what relevance the following paragraph has to the wiki's avowed purpose of "supporting educational content useful to avid math student":

 

The pentagram has many usages in the occult and in religion. For example, Satanists use an upside-down pentagram, inscribed within two circles, to symbolize the horns of a goat. The pentagram focuses and concentrates magical energy for many rituals, helping it to bind to the recipient. In one such context, the pentagram is called the Sigil of Baphomet, and it has changed little since Pythagoras used it. Some claim that the infamous story of  did not in fact refer to , but to the golden ratio that the sides of Pythagoras' pentagram formed as he paid his homage to Satan. Because he was such a promethean and liberating figure, Pythagoras drew inspiration from him to continue his mathematical research.

 

 

First of all, just what is the "infamous story" of the the square root of 2? I haven't been able to find anything about it. Is it suppose to be the story of the follower of Pythagoras who committed suicide because the square root of 2 is irrational? A curious story, but of no relevance to a math education today. 

 

Second, what evidence is there that Pythagoras ever paid homage to Satan, a religious concept that I doubt was knows to a Greek in 500 BC.

 

Third,  the "Sigil of Baphomet" is a theological idea from the middle ages (it relates to the heresy charges made against the Knights Templar) and is a corruption of Mohammed's name. So the Sigil of Baphomet certainly has nothing to do with Pythagoras or math.

 

The article continues by asserting that Pythagoras found Satan "a promethean and liberating figure"and drew inspiration from Satan for his mathematical research. Really??? What evidence is there of this? Yes, Pythagoras founded a strange cult of mathematicians, but I seriously doubt that we know anything about Pythagoras' views on Satan. 

 

It appears that this paragraph has been on the AoPS Wiki since 2011 (and was posted by a now-banned person). Nonetheless, the article was edited as recently as March of 2014 without removing this paragraph. Has none of the authorized editors since 2011 found it odd?

 

By the way, it also appears that the article at one time contained a link to the topic "Demonic Possession." At least someone had the good sense to get rid of that. 

 

Given the sloppiness of the AoSP community in allowing this silliness to remain on their website for so many years, one can hardly fault the original poster for wondering if it reflects the outlook of AoSP in some way. 

 

If any authorized editors of the AsPS Wiki are following this discussion, it would behoove him or her to delete such silliness from the wiki. 

 

 

 

It has about as much relevance, or more to the point non-relevance, as anything that someone might take from this thread and then ascribe that somehow to materials written by SWB. 

 

Yet another good reason to delete this thread or change the title.

 

Otoh, a good reason to understand that people can discuss something give opinions, even off beat or off the mark opinions, and that it need not reflect on the website host or the materials and curriculum made by the website host.

[kiana]

I guess my point is that if talking animals are problematic for YOU, that's fine. Use CLE or Horizons or some other explicitly Christian program.

 

But to act as if that's what BA is *trying* to do is utterly ridiculous. They're *trying* to help kids learn to do hard math problems in a cute and fun way.

[sweetpea3829]

Honestly?

 

I think the concern that this discussion will in any way harm AoPS and/or Beast Academy's reputation is as equally uninformed as the OPs concern that Beast Academy is attempting to subliminally influence 3rd graders for satan.  

 

Really.  

 

[Pen]

I guess my point is that if talking animals are problematic for YOU, that's fine. Use CLE or Horizons or some other explicitly Christian program.

 

But to act as if that's what BA is *trying* to do is utterly ridiculous. They're *trying* to help kids learn to do hard math problems in a cute and fun way.

 

 

Perfect. I think this totally sums it up.

[sweetpea3829]

Something tells me Jesus wouldn't sit down to read most books ever written.  And we can't say exactly what he would have read as he lived 2000 years ago and he has yet to update his Goodreads account.  If you've read HP, you'll see many parallels in Christianity and there's a good reason many Christians appreciate the books. Best not to speak for all people "of faith". 

 

:D

 

Actually, I did clearly see christian parallels...and that is one of the reasons *I* used to justify allowing my son to read it.  In fact, we co-read the series and I specifically pointed out those parallels to him.

 

Doesn't detract from the fact that the whole premise of the series is on a topic that is taboo in the Bible.

 

As for Christ reading the series...I mean...we *could* get into an entire theological discussion on the character of Christ/God but...I don't think it would necessarily be warranted here in this topic.  Chalk it up to "to each his/her own."  

 

Perhaps instead of writing that Christ wouldn't read HP, I should have asked, "Would Christ be offended by the content/topic of HP?"  

[Roadrunner]

Honestly?

 

I think the concern that this discussion will in any way harm AoPS and/or Beast Academy's reputation is as equally uninformed as the OPs concern that Beast Academy is attempting to subliminally influence 3rd graders for satan.

 

Really.

I am more concerned that some mathy kids might not get to enjoy the books because this thread will spook some parents. This publisher has ignited such passion for my older DS. I hope many other kids will also fall in love with math using these books. I would hate to see a panic over unfounded concerns preventing kids from learning from a truly one of a kind program.

[sweetpea3829]

I am more concerned that some mathy kids might not get to enjoy the books because this thread will spook some parents. This publisher has ignited such passion for my older DS. I hope many other kids will also fall in love with math using these books. I would hate to see a panic over unfounded concerns preventing kids from learning from a truly one of a kind program.

 

I stand by my comment.  The probability of such a thing happening is incredibly remote.  One only need read the comments of this thread to see that overwhelmingly, folks do not believe such a link exists.

 

Folks of all backgrounds, too.  

 

Anybody who *might* see just the title, not read the thread, and then from there, assume the worst of BA...is probably not going to buy the program anyways.  

[LucyStoner]

But why should it be up to a user of this forum to edit her remarks here to explain the origin of questionable material on another website, when the owners of that website:

 

1) were aware that a user was posting material that violated their policies,

2) apparently banned him for that, but

3) didn't bother to edit out his inappropriate additions?

 

Since AoPS has a policy of banning users who edit their Wiki in violation if its policies, when a user is banned, perhaps AoPS ought to review all the past edits that person had made. If AoPS is embarrassed by the silly paragraph claiming some links between Pythagoras and Satan, AoPS has only itself to blame. I really fail to see how the paragraph in question relates to the stated purposes of the AoSP Wiki, especially since it seems to be based more on fantasy than any historical evidence. So I am surprised (especially after the controversy here) that no AoSP Wiki editor has ever seen fit to delete it.

Let's get one thing straight. A thread on a board does not a controversy make. Especially a thread started by a poster who has claimed she has been unable to find other Christians online to agree with her. Looking for a problem does not a problem make.

 

I assume and hope that for their sakes, the employees of AOPS have better ways to spend their weekend than trolling homeschooling boards. Also seeing as I am still hopeful that maybe, just maybe, BA 2A-2D will be released in time for my as yet unconceived 3rd child to use it, I would really rather they spend their time on getting more books to press.

 

Anyone who would like the stupid post about Pythagoras and Pentagrams deleted can get that done. It looks like you need to register as a user. Not that hard. If one doesn't want to do it themselves then they can email an admin or post this on Facebook. It probably just needs to be called to someone's attention.

 

That the user was banned, does not mean that the editors had anytime to review all of his edits. I once inherited trying to manage an org wiki which was so horrible, I have sympathy for anyone who undertakes trying to standardize and correct gobs and gobs of user generated content. Wikis can truly be, pardon the bad joke, a curse.

[Tanikit]

This thread is pretty interesting for a number of reasons, however I think we all have far too much time on our hands and should really go and homeschool our kids with whatever curriculum we have chosen, wash the dishes, go to bed or whatever we should rather be doing - and I am preaching to myself here. Of course escapism and reading things that are "interesting" is ok every once in a while.

[sweetpea3829]

This thread is pretty interesting for a number of reasons, however I think we all have far too much time on our hands and should really go and homeschool our kids with whatever curriculum we have chosen, wash the dishes, go to bed or whatever we should rather be doing - and I am preaching to myself here. Of course escapism and reading things that are "interesting" is ok every once in a while.

 

 

LOL, I'm *supposed* to be wrapping up lapbook elements for our Oceanography/Marine Biology science semester.  We start in two weeks.  

[sweetpea3829]

This thread is pretty interesting for a number of reasons, however I think we all have far too much time on our hands and should really go and homeschool our kids with whatever curriculum we have chosen, wash the dishes, go to bed or whatever we should rather be doing - and I am preaching to myself here. Of course escapism and reading things that are "interesting" is ok every once in a while.

 

 

LOL, I'm *supposed* to be wrapping up lapbook elements for our Oceanography/Marine Biology science semester.  We start in two weeks.  

[redsquirrel]

In the old days someone would have posted a beast in a kilt by now.

 

I think I have shown tremendous restraint in not posting a clip of Dana Carvey as The Church Lady or Jon Lovitz  in his devil costume.  Tremendous. Restraint. I am just exhausted by the effort. :svengo:

[LucyStoner]

This thread is pretty interesting for a number of reasons, however I think we all have far too much time on our hands and should really go and homeschool our kids with whatever curriculum we have chosen, wash the dishes, go to bed or whatever we should rather be doing - and I am preaching to myself here. Of course escapism and reading things that are "interesting" is ok every once in a while.

My kids are edumacated, my home in order and I went out with a friend today, cooked dinner with my dad and helped him buy all the food for his church's shelter breakfast.

 

A little online levity though? Good for the soul.

 

That's my story and I am sticking to it.

[Stellalarella]

I had briefly looked at BA when it initially came out.  My first impression was that the beasts were drawn to be unattractive.  I didn't wonder about any potential motives for that--I just think it is a part of our current culture.  The celebration of...ugly.  It's why a new building would be outfitted in chartreuse and magenta with gray accents.  Dissonance in colors.  Ugly lines.  

 

I look at it and think..ugly.

 

My comic loving kids would look at it and think...how can we talk mom into this?  :)  And quite frankly, despite the fact that I don't like the way it looks, it would enjoy giving it a go with the dc.  Because curriculum dinero grows on my homeschool spree tree in the back yard.

 

I do appreciate when folks give considered, thoughtful answers to a question that they consider ridiculous.  It seems like homeschoolers IRL don't really like to talk with others about curriculum.  At least a person can ask the supposedly unaskable on a forum like this. 

 

 Maybe someone should develop a helmeted emoticon that people can put in the titles.  Hey, I know this question is going to weird you out, but my helmet is on, so if you throw tomatoes, I'm ready.  Maybe we need some initials like AQTSTA (A question too stupid to ask) BINTAIA (But I need to ask it anyway) 

 

I guess the OP could have written a dull, unclear thread title, but apparently OP needed answers, so she just went for it.  I think it's fine.  BA will not suffer.  

 

 

 

 

[mathnerd]

I guess my point is that if talking animals are problematic for YOU, that's fine. Use CLE or Horizons or some other explicitly Christian program.

 

But to act as if that's what BA is *trying* to do is utterly ridiculous. They're *trying* to help kids learn to do hard math problems in a cute and fun way.

Now, I am wondering if people have similar problems with talking animals in Disney movies - American classics like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny et al. I really feel like I live under a rock when I read that talking animals are not OK for some people's kids. 

[Minerva]

When I read the original post I thought for certain it was a joke. I am not saying this to be offensive. It's just that BA seems totally innocuous to me and have a hard time understanding how little cartoon animals and math can lead to Satanism. However, I can completely understand the OP's desire not to use a curriculum that might make her uncomfortable. Maybe there is a different forum or a subforum on the WTM site that could have been a safer place to ask this question? If she is at all uncomfortable with this, she should just skip it. 

 

Having said that....I have a six year old who has no number sense (yet) and while lurking around the (wonderful) Learning Challenges Board I saw a lot of people mentioning CLE as a great math program for kids who struggle with numbers. I popped over to their website to check out their math program, and even though it is Christian program and clearly states this in the name, I was so surprised how much God they inserted into their math curriculum. It really felt like indoctrination. I normally am good at editing programs as we go, but I had visceral reaction to what felt cult-like to me. I am bothered by what feels like blatant brainwashing. For a nanosecond I considered asking if other people felt this way and were still able to use what otherwise looks like a solid program, but then I just decided we would find another route. 

[Ravi B]

I have edited the AoPS Wiki page on the pentagon.  I removed the irrelevant paragraph on the occult uses of the pentagram.  It seems to have been created by a user (since banned) who was trying to vandalize the wiki.  Here is the current version of the Pentagon page:

http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php?title=Pentagon.

 

By the way, if you see anything else on the AoPS Wiki that needs improvement, go ahead and make a change.  It takes only a minute to register on the AoPS site, and any registered user can edit the AoPS Wiki.  That's how wikis work.     

[Haiku]

I have edited the AoPS Wiki page on the pentagon. I removed the irrelevant paragraph on the occult uses of the pentagram.

Done. I hope the OP's mind is now at ease because her one piece of flimsy evidence has been unmasked as vandalism.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Not to be dense, but about the talking animals thing...There are talking animals in the Bible. Whether you believe it as a miraculous occurrence or as a metaphor, there was a donkey and a serpent that spoke.

 

Well and animals do basically talk.  We don't understand what they are saying, but they say stuff. 

 

And anyone who has had a pet knows they can communicate with their pet in various ways.  No I don't discuss books I've read with my cats, but they know how to get my attention. 

[El...]

I have edited the AoPS Wiki page on the pentagon.  I removed the irrelevant paragraph on the occult uses of the pentagram.  It seems to have been created by a user (since banned) who was trying to vandalize the wiki.  Here is the current version of the Pentagon page:

http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php?title=Pentagon.

 

By the way, if you see anything else on the AoPS Wiki that needs improvement, go ahead and make a change.  It takes only a minute to register on the AoPS site, and any registered user can edit the AoPS Wiki.  That's how wikis work.     

 

I'm a little star-struck that you are here, and I'm sorry you had to spend time fixing such nonsense... but I want to say, I love your book on PreAlgebra.

 

I was an extremely dense math student in high school, and my poor dad spent hours trying to make things work for me.  I am now using your book, as an adult preparing to teach my own kids, and either my mind has grown into math or your explanations are better for me.  I finally feel like I'm catching on.  I'm using a new math sense as I teach 2nd grade. 

 

I doubt I was your target audience for that book, but I'm enjoying it.  Thank you!

[jeninok]

Well and animals do basically talk. We don't understand what they are saying, but they say stuff.

 

And anyone who has had a pet knows they can communicate with their pet in various ways. No I don't discuss books I've read with my cats, but they know how to get my attention.

I'm am sometimes amazed when I stop and think about how much my dogs actually understand and respond to.

My cat, on the other hand, he talks and talks and talks, I generally have no idea what he wants beyond checking food water and litter.

My other cat wants rotisserie chicken, and is willing to try to break my neck t get it.

[maize]

I'm am sometimes amazed when I stop and think about how much my dogs actually understand and respond to.

My cat, on the other hand, he talks and talks and talks, I generally have no idea what he wants beyond checking food water and litter.

My other cat wants rotisserie chicken, and is willing to try to break my neck t get it.

My cats are usually very quiet and unobtrusive, they consider it below their dignity to speak to us unless there is something very, very important needing to be communicated. Yesterday was one of those times, because I cooked salmon; my cat actually deigned to open her mouth to meow and even put her paws up on my leg to let me know she expected her fair share of the meal.

[elegantlion]

:lol:

 

Our cat is evil (not Satan, but definitely evil). She's Siamese. Every time she wants something, she lets us know by shredding up the kids' drawings (the ones they forgot to put away), or sweeping my fossil collection onto the floor. If she's really moody, she'll try eating my hats or messing with the blinds. I wish I was joking. The behavior stops the moment she gets what she wants.

My cat is related to yours, maybe they belong to the same cult. :)