There can be a lot of pressure in disagreeing, without even thinking about disagreeing with a teacher. I was shocked when I was first asked this question. It was by a 5th grade girl who was being taught that the biblical view of creation was wrong and that the earth was factually billions of years old. She did not just want to disagree, but she knew her teacher was wrong on this issue. She wanted to handle that issue with respect to the teacher and her authority. How often do we want to handle issues like this young and brave girl? There is a humility in her that we may all do good to imitate.

Our purpose isn’t to be disrespectful, prideful, or arrogant. When we disagree it is to show that we see evolution and other untruths as an evil lie against our Creator and a hindrance to those around us. Our goal is to make ‘truth’ known not to win an argument. Depending on the situation, your ability, your parents, and your church, the way you handle this question will vary tremendously. This is an area to prayerfully consider and rely on the help of others. If you approach this with the wrong motive, no answer will be the right one. Will you approach this in a way that is making Jesus known, or will you simply be trying to make a spectacle of yourself? No matter how you approach this, you need to approach this with the understanding that the teacher and the school have been put over you, and in reverence to God, they deserve your respect.

If you are asked, what killed the dinosaurs 60 million years ago? You could reply truthfully with, “This question is based on a lie.” You could also reply with, ‘you want me to say comet, however the Bible disproves this notion.’ It could be as simple as a quiet acknowledgement such as that. You could even research about the flood and what happened to the dinosaurs and include that in the answer. Depending on your parents and support, not doing the assignment, encouraging students to skip the class that day the lies are discussed, and/or your parents contacting the school may be an approach. How you handle this will require prayer and should not be considered outside of it. Lastly, consider if any other teachers may be willing to help you in this issue.