Theology in the public schools

Yes, I do. To homogenize society, create good government citizens (unquestioning of authority, willing to die in foreign wars), to create obedient workers for industry, and to reduce the influence of the Catholic schools. That last one went away in the last century as Protestantism was relegated (and rightly so) from of the classroom.

Do you believe that there is some other reason that I missed?

 

Yes, COLLEGE age kids could have some elective classes called Pure Fiction...or How Religion Started So Many Wars... or .How people Murdered/Tortured In The Name of Their God...

How about a class on the early southwest of the US when Spanish Catholics slaughtered Jews who wouldn't convert??


Have YOU studied that?

 

How about a class on what the Jewish Bolsheviks did to Orthodox Christians during the Russian Revolution? The educational system has had a hundred years to tell the story of the Revolution, but not a single U.S. child will ever hear the truth about that time and place.

 

FoxHastings said: ↑
Yes, COLLEGE age kids could have some elective classes called Pure Fiction...or How Religion Started So Many Wars... or .How people Murdered/Tortured In The Name of Their God...

How about a class on the early southwest of the US when Spanish Catholics slaughtered Jews who wouldn't convert??


Have YOU studied that?

I agree!





That is why NO religion should be taught in schools unless ALL aspects, ALL, of religion is taught....

But NOT in grade school or high school, it should be an elective in college only. It's a huge subject and there is no time for it in lower education...nor should there be.


PARENTS are responsible for their kid's religious education, not PUBLIC schools

 

I agree. No religion in public schools.

 

I'm struggling to see your exact argument here. Are you putting responsibility for the Soviet Union directly on God? I'm not convinced that I agree that that's what a good mother would do.

Either way, this doesn't seem to address the issue that I was bringing up. Stalin did plenty of terrible things, and I suggest that if he had not been taught (albeit maybe implicitly) that morality was dependent upon God, he would not have found it justifiable to do them, once he had lost his faith in God. If there is anything you don't understand about my argument, please point it out so that I may explain it, don't just answer any old thing and hope that it is relevant.

 

You're quite confused.

I do like that - as long as there is a reasonable collection and the education isn't oriented to determining which religion is truer or better.

I'm pretty much atheistic, but I put my kids in private schools run by Catholics, but not associated with a specific church, no catechism, and religion was treated more like morality.

I'm sure they got dosed by the school to some extent. But, they also know grammar, can write and know what science is.

 

It think our school was in violation of the Constitution and any public school that would require such would be immediately taken to court. Why do you want the government to instruct your child in the matters of your religious faith? Why would you want them involved at all?

 

What are these "Christian principles" you believe you hold, that are unique to and indicative of Christianity, that you believe that I as someone who does not believe in supernatural beings do not hold and that require a belief in these supernatural beings?

What are these moral values you do not believe we share?

 

Isn't your church and you yourself better equipped to do that?

 

Well, it just depends on society someone is from. In some societies everyone belongs to the same group of people who share the same religion. American nation was also built on faith otherwise it wouldn’t have been so successful.
But, problem here is that if you want to have your kid to learn about religion outside of home you must enroll him into Catholic school or similar institution outside of government established academic programs where even school ratings are not available.
Another problem we see here is tremendous pushback against Christian tax payers in particular and some surreal accusations.
You see what a man above wrote: he is financing public school programs with his tax money and on top of that must pay private school tuition. But he has no right to stop paying property taxes or have right on one class for his kids about Christianity in local public school. Is this fair? How about parents who can only dream to send their kids to private religious schools? They pay taxes too. But no, it is all about rights of Atheists or some other groups here.

 

Any public university has this option. No reason to limit this opportunity to ‘under 18’.

 

To find out you would need to get ‘enrolled’ but you were prevented from doing so. This exactly what I am talking about. You were not given this opportunity to at least satisfy your thirst for religious knowledge.

 

You are making baseless claims now. Please answer what I asked.

What are these "Christian principles" you believe you hold, that are unique to and indicative of Christianity, that you believe that I as someone who does not believe in supernatural beings do not hold and that require a belief in these supernatural beings?

What are these moral values you do not believe we share?

 

There is no manner in which Western History can be learned or understood without information about Christianity and the Bible. Likewise with every major culture and its pantheon.

 

Well lets stick with our society assuming you are an American citizen. America was built on commerce and freedom loving peoples including the basic premise of freedom of religion and government interference in religious matters and vice versa.

There is no problem, you are free to raise YOUR children as to whatever religious faith or other beliefs you hold and as an adult to believe as you see and the government has no role in that. That is basic to our society.

I support vouchers. But tell what is the role of the church? You leave them out completely. Isn't THAT where religious education should taken place and not in academia? Why do you want the government to take that role?[/quote]

 

So you believe government is better able to instruct you and your kids in matter of religious faith? That quite amazing.

 

The history of religion and faith is taught in one form or another in most our public secondary schools.

That anti-Godists don't like it is immaterial, and that evangelistic et al. groups don't like that proselytizing is forbidden in these class is immaterial.

 

I went to school in the South and religious faith was not taught. That was done in the churches and homes.

 

The history of religion and faith is taught in one form or another in most our public secondary schools.

That anti-Godists don't like it is immaterial, and that evangelistic et al. groups don't like that proselytizing is forbidden in these class is immaterial.

School districts in FL, East Texas, and Oklahoma do teach religion in the schools. I do think you misunderstand my usage of the word 'faith.'

 

Bluesguy,

Here is your answer above. America was built on faith and hard work. Value system imbedded at the core of our society is deeply Christian, but some are trying to shift it in another direction (sadly with some success) My question here is why are you fighting this fact that is common knowledge?
To learn more about Christianity, or other religions like Islam and their value system, you need to learn and research. Anyhow, you would not be asking these questions if got ‘enrolled’ into program we are discussing about here.

 

No I know what is faith and we were not taught religious faith. In our history classes there was some study of the influence of organized religion in history but is was purely academic.

 

Again what morals and principles are you claiming a Christian believes and adheres to that I as an atheist do not? What are these values that are unique to and indicative of Christians that I as an atheist would not hold? I was raised in a Christian church and studied Eastern Philosophy so don't take it upon yourself to tell me I need to study them for lack of a response to what I asked. It is you who seems unable to answer a simple comparative question. And where did you get the idea that hard work is unique characteristic of Christians?

 

And the fact is that anti-Godists have neither the logic, language, or symbols to disprove that God exists.

They can have faith that is so, but they cannot prove it.

 

I get you now, and we are saying the same thing. You may not like "faith" for a synonym of religion but tough on that. Yes, faith and religion are taught in those school districts. You have no idea whether they do or not.