Thread: Venting about Muslims in America

What an America? What a World? Be Wise Americans

vortex wrote,

roundabout, what is wrong with secular teaching in public schools? Schools need to teach reading, writing, math, history, etc., but not imprinted with religious philosophy.

From Webster's.

secular- 1. of or pertaining to wordly things or to things not reguarded as sacred.

secularism- 1. secular spirit or tendency, esp. a system of political or social philosophy that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship.

secularize- 1. to make secular; seperate from religious connection or influences; make wordly.

Vortex, when studying history, American history, or European history how do you seperate the histories from religion or religious influences? Why would you want to seperate these influences from the history? After removing religious influences and thoughts from American and European history, what is left? Is not man great? Wow, look at ME!

For a good look at secular societies and secular teachings, perhaps we could look at the communist societies of the last century.

Should morales and ethics be allowed in the schools? If so, from what pool should we draw them from?

It seems to me that there is more danger in teaching from the secular pulpit than there is in teaching from the realistic pulpit, reality is that our society was brought together and influenced every step of the way by religious principles and religious men and women.

Secular teaching can, and will, in my opinion, achieve the desired goals.

Teach science without morality and Frankenstein will become a reality.

Teach math without ethics and you will have crooked accountants.

When you teach secularism, are you not teaching atheism by default, or perhaps on purpose? How do you seperate man from his faith? Why would you seperate man from his faith?

I think that it is easy to espouse secular teachings and then walk away. The troubles will come when you return to veiw the results. So when should we return and take a close look at the results?

Where is this secular society that has achieved so much?

JMO

vortex wrote,

I don't want my grandkids taught that Allah is great,

Keeping things simple, it seems to me whenever you remove something from a place, you are left with an empty space, a void. Is it not natural that eventually that void is filled with something else?

How long does a clean room remain clean? JMO

roundabout, sure religion is a part of history, and probably started some of the greatest conflicts on the planet, including the much publicized Crusades. Prior to that there were Muslims against Jews, Christians against purported pagans (although many were worshiping multiple gods for the good outcome of their crops.)
While I agree Christianity has been totally bashed around the world, Christianity is made up of people whose version may not agree with mine. Do I want to be forced into one interpretation of Bible, like the version of the Bible of the Latter Day Saints, the Catholics, or a sect that believes being in the grace of God is not being bitten by a rattlesnake?
What you are suggesting is that we introduce government into the teaching of religion in public schools. A school district will have to decide which version of Christianity is allowed to be taught. This is an influence that should be kept out of the classroom and left to the family, church, synagogue or mosque to decide.
I prefer teaching the kids the skills of being able to read their holy book, and understand history without influence how right or wrong Christians, Muslims or Jews were (and throw in there Taoists, Bhuddists, etc.) Kids have to learn to be able to think for themselves and religious influence by a teacher, perhaps with different beliefs or interpretations than the parents is asking for trouble.

vortex wrote,

What you are suggesting is that we introduce government into the teaching of religion in public schools

Well I did not mean to imply that. It just seems that we have thrown the baby away with the bath water. When God cannot even be mentioned, when a prayer cannot be said during graduation ceramonies, when the influences that Christianity has had upon our nation during it's formative years or even afterwards cannot be referenced, when God becomes despised in our schools, or treated like the plague, when a teacher cannot point out the influences that religion has had on various topics affecting society, then we will be right where we are.

Something will fill the void. JMO