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Thursday, December 29, 2005

Mathematics the Bob Jones Way

Posted by on December 29 at 16:09 PM

Precalculus for Christian Schools, from Bob Jones University Press, looks like a gas. Some excerpts:

A line can be described either by its slope (a ratio) or by its inclination (an angle). These terms describe the deviation from the horizontal, but the word inclination also has a non-mathematical meaning. Without Christ, man is inclined to sin. The Word of God should shape our attitudes (inclinations).
A person is eccentric if his behavior deviates from normal. Jesus Christ expects His disciples to be eccentric, since living a Christlike life is not normal in this world (Titus 2:14). Likewise, in mathematics, conic sections are eccentric if they deviate from a circle. Eccentricity is a measure of this deviation. The eccentricity of an ellipse (e) is the ratio of focal distance (c) to the length of the sentimajor axis (a): e = c/a. Since c and a are distances and c < a, the eccentricity of any ellipse is 0 < e < 1.

Talk about a one-track mind; Which, I suppose, is the Bob Jones way.


CommentsRSS icon

Man, that is some fucked up shit. I pity the kids who have to read that book, or learn from it. Wonder what driver's Ed is like? How can you see the road with that Bible covering the windshield?

I actually looked this up to make sure you weren't BSing. Stunning. This is as hilariously absurd as it is frightening. I don't think I could read that shit and not crack up laughing out loud in class. Or crying.

I wonder what it has to say about imaginary numbers.

If motherfuckers want to tremble before God regarding allegories in math, they should take a look at esoteric Pythagorean mathematics. It makes this "inclination" and "eccentricity" bullshit look like toddlers eating glue.

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