So much for separation of Church and State

When I was in middle and high school, they would bus us into a city park and hold a "Crusade" every day for a week each Spring. If you attended, you were excused from classes and class work. The idea that anyone would find THIS over the line but no one cared for years about the Crusade is humorous to me.

 

Butch's fault IMO.

 

Well....yeah.

 

I have no problem teaching it, but it seems to fly in the face of a lot of the suits out there now. I can't imagine a teacher getting away with teaching that redemption through grace, provided via crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ being acceptable today if scrutinized. Maybe I'm wrong.

The religion in the context of history I get. The tenets I don't.

 

You come patting me, we're going to have problems

 

I have no problem in a humanities class teaching that Christians believe in Original Sin and that they can be redeemed through Christ and if you don't believe in Christ you are going to Hell. It is a fact of current times and a truth about Christianity. No harm in learning that.

What would be an issue is if it was given in such a way as to say it was the only true religion and that the kids themselves HAD to believe it or go to Hell, or worse, get a failing grade. ie a state sponsored religion.

 

I believe this is all Norris' fault.

 

I don't either. I just want the playing field level, rather than one that takes into account the history of unequal treatment of the religions.

 

Well, I am one of those nasty Buddhist insurgents you hear about every day!

 

Militant Buddhism

 

If you want to talk about unequal, there is a lot more time spent talking about Christian empires and its effects on societies in these classes than any other religion. People, not you, who raise hell about these types of world religion lessons think that introducing anything other than their preferred religion is indoctrination. They are usually the same type of people who think mentioning sex in a health class will suddenly make teenagers into lust craven sex fiends.

 

T-shirt worthy.

 

I don't know how you would teach about a religion without describing its basic tenets, Christian included. How could you not imagine a teacher being able to teach about the beliefs of Christians in reference to resurrection and some other basic ideas along the lines of the Five Pillars? You only get in trouble for saying it's true and everyone should believe it or the opposite. The only difference for Christianity that I could think of would be the teacher assuming or determining that a classroom, especially in Tennessee, would know a lot of these basic items and skip over it for time's sake.

 

Much to the contrary of the doctrine, it is not unheard of. In fact, Myanmar is battling against a militant Buddhism that is oppressing the Muslim minority in that country, led by a monk that is, imho, way off his rocker.

 

Was gonna post this. There are some nasty dudes of all stripes.

 

I had one friend tell me she was shocked a Christian man like myself didn't have a problem with this.

Now, take a field trip down to the local mosque for Friday prayer, I might be angry. Learning the five tenants.......not so much. If nothing else it's a great teaching point for me to talk about at home.

 

I don't understand the fear of knowledge. You cannot isolate your children like that and then expect them to operate in a more and more global society. Not to mention wait until they go to college and meet people that will open their eyes to a whole new world. Best to expose it to them under your terms, talk about it as a family and that way it limits the SHOCK when they do encounter it.

 

Besides, Islam isn't that sexy.

 

Not really. Makes Christianity look like Party Central.

 

Wine and crackers