Religion in school (choice, America, church, atheist, religions)

[Runt]

Everyone gets a bad rap. Unfortunatly, the fundamentalists "belonging" to each religion, usually get to define what each religion "is" to the ignorant mainstream... sucks, but true.

Mormons: polygamist communes (most Mormons say these people are NOT LDS)

Wiccans: fluffy bunnies wearing black claiming to "sacrifice cats" and be "Satanist" (they are neither Wiccan NOR Satanist)

Muslims: Taliban... (most Muslims say these people were NOT Muslim)

Satanists: fluffy bunnies claiming to be Satanist

The list goes on and on...

[F_R_O_G]

This may shock you; it shocked me when I first heard it.

This country was founded on Christianity. The constitution gives God the ultimate power. About 100 years ago students learned their ABCs by remembering verses with each letter. When they talked about the first amendment they were referring to any Christian religion. I know people are going to think I’m a hard nose bible thumper but Christianity was the official religion of the united states it's simply the truth.
So according to what the founding fathers wanted "religion" should be taught in school.

[Runt]

Which is why I am glad we have a loose interpretation of the Constitution.

[ErikaLee]

A good many of our founding fathers were Unitarian, were they not? Some Episcopalian too.

It's right there in the first few lines of the Declaration of Independence:

"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

I don't know about you, but that doesn't scream Christianity to me.

Now, since Christianity is the major religion of the countries that filled the US, and therefore of the US itself, I agree that most of our decisions are based on Christian beliefs. Because the majority of this country is fueled by Christian beliefs. But I will not agree that this country was FOUNDED on Chrisitianity. This country was founded on EQUALITY and the RIGHT to be whatever you want and not be persecuted. Hasn't really happened yet, and in some ways because of Christianity... but we'll get there.

EL

[F_R_O_G]

Um, it looks like it's saying the Laws of Nature governs us and those Laws are created by God. Unitarian or otherwise the constitution was written with God capitalized so it's a single name of an entity. So according to the constitution there is a single god who’s name is God and he has the final say it what’s right and what wrong.

[deahca2]

[b]
Re: religion in schools

I can't speak to the USA's legislation of it's country, not being an American but up here ( Canada) we have an excellent public education with a variety of religious schools for those that want their children to have religious instructions as part of their curiculum.
We do of course have various problems to deal with but so far, thank heavens , nothing major.
One of the problems was with the older Sikh children. When they are baptised part of that religion, they carry a ceremonial knife. This of course cannot be allowed within schools. It was taken to court and the court upheld the opinion that schools should not allow such a thing.
I suppose ( I don't know) that this particular religion has made it's own schools with their religious instructions and allows their students to have their ceremonial knives.
Kind of reminds me of Wicca in that regard. By the way, that is a recognized religion up here. Children of that faith ( old enough religiously that is) wear a small crescent shaped knife also. ( certain Wiccan religions, that is, I don't know all of them).
We just made the division that state and religion DON'T mix. We allow their own schools with their own religious instruction and that seems to satisfy everyone.
Schools prayer were also "banned". lol. Well, done aloud that is. If they wish to pray silently and not bother anyone else ( in public school) that is permitted. I mean how can you even tell they're praying to begin with? lol
well, just those thoughts to add for your information.
deah

[Death]

United States Constitution

The First Amendment
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...”

Article VI, Section 3
“...no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

John Adams (the second President of the United States)

Adams signed the Treaty of Tripoli (June 7, 1797). Article 11 states:
“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.”

Thomas Jefferson (the third President of the United States)

Jefferson’s interpretation of the first amendment in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association (January 1, 1802):
“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between church and State.”

So now that that's out of the way, schools should be run by a secular authority, not establishing one religion over another, or at all.

Um, it looks like it's saying the Laws of Nature governs us and those Laws are created by God. Unitarian or otherwise the constitution was written with God capitalized so it's a single name of an entity. So according to the constitution there is a single god who’s name is God and he has the final say it what’s right and what wrong.

God is unavailable for comment due to the minute problem of not being democratically elected, nor existing.

[Runt]

Unitarian or otherwise the constitution was written with God capitalized so it's a single name of an entity. So according to the constitution there is a single god who’s name is God and he has the final say it what’s right and what wrong.

Christianity is not the only religion that capitalizes the word God (and there are many different Christian traditions with different views on the nature of God and God's will on various issues). Islam and Judaism both use the word "God". Some pagans believe in God as an entity that is male AND female (and wholly different than the Christian God).

The word means nothing. If they had said "the ___ Christian Tradition's God"... well, that would be a different story.

[Green Gaia]

I think a comparative religion class should not only be offered to high school students, it should be part of the required curriculum. They require classes such as gym, health, home-ec, other classes that are not of the 3 R's... why not comparative religion if it would bring about more understanding in the world? And hey the kids just might learn some extra history along the way. :lol:

[Runt]

I'm in comparative religion (it is an independent study) and I believe it to be one of my most valuable classes...