I am a strong advocate for studying the bible in public schools

[mitchum]

Really!
I would think that the last thing that the christofascists would want would be for their magic talismanic book to be be examined in the cold light of reason. Think about it.

[shraby]

1. Bye bye

:hi:

[Bill McBlueState]

9. why?

[Lex]

13. Why Bye Bye?

I don't get it.

The poster has a good point, imho.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

34. Uh, bye bye?

Where are you going?

[Mr_Spock]

45. Huh?

Is this the fascist faction of DU speaking?

[jonnyblitz]

46. the original poster is RIGHT ON!

you assume everybody believes that crap.

[Richard Steele]

2. That's the difference. They don't WANT it "studied",

and they sure don't STUDY it much therselves.

They would have a screaming hissy-fit if schools ever STUDIED it.

[getmeouttahere]

3. Since when has the cold light of reason been used in this country?

particularly as it relates to the bible/religion. Nope, we don't need to encourage these theofascists any more than is already being done by the likes of BushCo.

[Baconfoot]

30. High School hardly qualifies as the cold light of reason. NT

[mitchum]

33. LOL! I know what you mean, but even teenagers hyped up on...

corn syrup would be able to see just how much wacky horseshit is in there :)

[MichiganVote]

4. You'll be gone before the bible is ever taught in public school

[dsc]

27. It has been studied as literature in mine for at least the last few

and I suspect for more like a decade.

[MichiganVote]

40. Unsure of your meaning dsc

[dsc]

44. I am saying my public school has had this course for at least

2 years and I am guessing a good deal more given that there is an old book and a new book for this class. I think the Bible is studied as literature in more public schools than you might imagine.

[MichiganVote]

49. Whereabouts is your school?

[Geoff R. Casavant]

50. My high school had a Bible as Literature course

at least as late as 1986.

[ComerPerro]

5. Ha. Well, naturally, that's not what they want

Students aren't supposed to study the Bible, as in examine the contents and test the claims within.

They are supposed to learn it.

[Zenlitened]

29. Bingo.

Exactly. :thumbsup:

[napi21]

6. The problem is which version of the bible would they study.

I'm old now, but I remember, when I attended a Catholic school, we were always told, we weren't allowwed to attend the public school because they said the wrong version of the Our Father.

I can jsut imagine how excited the different religions would get if THEIR version wasn't selected!

I personally don't have a problem if a public school wants to offer an OPTIONAL course on the study of religion. I think it should include all of the different ones, and I think it could actually help all people to recognize that there's really not a BIG difference between all of them. It would have to be an optional class though, so any students who just weren't interested wouldn't sign up for it.

[Pirate Smile]

11. The comparative religion class I took at my Catholic High School

was wonderful. It was taught by a nun. We learned the basics of all the different faiths.

The main thing we learned was that all religions are people seeking answers to the same questions - what happens when I die, why are we here, how should we treat each other, etc.

It was done with complete respect, simply seeking understanding.

It was very different from this "My religion is the only true religion and everyone else in the world is going to hell" view.

[napi21]

15. That was a great class. You must be a lot younger than I am!

I remember being taught that the Catholic religion was the only true one, and no one else was ever going to heaven!

I didn't buy it then and still don't. I have always believed that if you lead a decent life, treated everyone else as you want to be treated, you wouldn't be punished just because you were born in a home that believed in and taught Judaism, Methodist, Episcopalian, or any other faith.

Heck, we were told we couldn't attend a wedding of a good friend if it was in a protestant church!

I know a lot of that isn't taught anymore, and I'm glad. Although I attend mass every week, and listen to the sermons, I have no idea what they're teaching the kids now. I hope it's respect for other people!

[Pirate Smile]

23. I graduated in 1987.

[napi21]

24. yea, well, I graduated in 1961! I hope the Catholic church has

changed as much as you say it did. I still remain with the Catholic faith, but I' glad to hear they aren't so isolationistic (word?) as they yused to be.

[Pirate Smile]

25. I'm worried the RW is now trying to divide, polarize and politicize the

Catholics now.

They did in the last election.

It is depressing and infuriating.

[napi21]

43. They're trying to split off as many groups as they can.

That way, they stay united and win!

I'm hoping that a maajority of all faiths have seen enough of what this crowd really is and tells them all to take a hike in 2006/08!

[fudge stripe cookays]

19. I had one of those...

taught at a Catholic junior high, just called "religion", that mostly taught us to be good people, but also gave us an overview of many faiths, including, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism.

I think it had a lot to do with me being pretty accepting of all faiths, and never assuming one was better than another.

I wish we'd covered a few more. I didn't even hear about Baha'i or the Unitarians until I got older.

FSC

[Pirate Smile]

21. Me too. It essential made you realize where you were born or who

your parents were generally determines your religion and beliefs.

Sure, you can change it when you grow up but most of this is cultural and based on the luck of the draw when you are born.

The idea that an innocent child born in Iran, Russia, India, China, or wherever is going to hell because they weren't born into a family with my faith NEVER made any sense to me and wasn't what I was ever taught.

[Mr_Spock]

47. You're helping to make the OP's point!

It would make their heads explode if they had to decide who's interpretations would be taught - it would teach THEM a lesson about the difference between interpretation, mythology and the indisputable FACT's of SCIENCE!!

I kinda like the OP's point - and you helped to expand on it (unknowingly I think)!!

[yellowdogintexas]

7. as literature, or in a humanities course ..comparing

different cultures' explanations of how the earth and its inhabitants came to be,

comparative mythology

in conjunction with a timelineof history

those would be FUN


not gonna happen but it would be fun

[question everything]

14. Agree, as part of comparative religion

Start with the Jewish Bible as the source of the three main monotheistic ones, study how it affects history of civilization - ancient Israel, Christendom, Crusades, etc.

And then add how the same teaching can be interpreted by different groups for their own agenda. How many were killed during history for the sake of religion, or when religion has been used to mask more "earthly" reasons.

And finally, talk about bigotry. Do people who seek spirituality in their lives have more in common even if they follow different teaching? Is it better to emphasize the differences among different religions, or to seek common ground?

Differences between democracy and theocracy. How should people live their lives when they feel a conflict between the rules of law and the rules of religion?

[existentialist]

8. Common Corps Course requirement--for history of West Civ

Went I first went to college the New English Bible with the apocrypha was one of buku required books for the three quarter History of Western Civilization sequence.

[tinrobot]

10. If people actually followed the Bible

Prisoners wouldn't be executed (thou shalt not kill)

We wouldn't wage war.

People would help their neighbors rather than just helping themselves.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. They would have a fit about it being

"taught wrong". *g*

[merh]

16. My brother attended a private catholic high school in preparation

for the priesthood. When he began college to become a priest, the priests told him who he could and could not associate with (peace niks of the 70s) He asked them about the bible and how they could tell him not to hang around with sinners, reminding them of Christ and the tax collector. They insisted he stop being friends with the peace niks, he left the university shortly thereafter and did not become a priest.

I agree with the OP, teach folks the bible - they might actually figure out that the xiatians and the fundies and neo-cons are out of their friggin minds.

[pnorman]

17. I've "advocated" that myself from time to time.

It was intended to be ironical, as yours clearly was. I generally worded as "Let the Book of Genesis be subject to free discussion and debate" (And wouldn't those fundy-fascists HOWL!!).

pnorman

[johnaries]

18. I agree. In the Ancient Mythology courses.

It won't be as popular as the Greek Myths, of course. They're much more entertaining, and more logical.

[mwb970]

20. I wouldn't mind them talking about "Intelligent Design" either.

Just not in science class. The idea is not to shelter kids from these ideas and leave them ignorant. But there are classes called Philosophy and Comparative Religion where stuff a lot weirder than ID gets studied and discussed. But it's not science!

[donco6]

22. I wouldn't mind teaching it.

OK, class, today we're going to study King David. Did you know David had an affair with a married woman named Bathsheba? Yes, and did you know that in order to have her for himself, he ordered his officers to take her husband into battle, then withdraw from him so that he would be killed? And did you know that later, when Bathsheba got pregnant and had a child, God caused the child to fall ill and die as punishment for David's sin?

And that's the kind of God we should worship?

I'm sure I could come up with a curriculum full of interesting tidbits like this.

[Zhade]

26. As long as it's studied as mythology, just like the Greek gods.

After all, the Greeks believed theirs were real, too - no difference in levels of evidence between the two belief systems.

(And before someone pulls it out - Josephus did NOT write about Jesus, the passage in question is believed BY CHRISTIAN SCHOLARS to be a later forgery, and the existence of Christians in no way proves the existence of Christ. So don't bother going there, it's been debunked many times here already.)

[Lindacooks]

28. You've got a really good point.

If people ever actually studied the Bible, they'd see the errors, contradictions, and misstatements that are rife in any edition of that book.

[smurfygirl]

31. if they put religion in schools then technically they have to let all

religion in schools. So children can also learn about wicca and witchcraft and Buddhism and islam...whatever religion the teacher feels like teaching.

[KT2000]

32. teaching it is not enough

those special interests would demand to create the curriculum. Then, separate factions of Bible in schools promoters would fight among themselves over who controls "how the Bible is taught."

There will be skirmishes, protests and then someone will get hurt - perpetrated by the person who is the special assistant to God, or possibly the person who has confused himself/herself with actually being God.

A special commission will be set up to study "how the Bible should be taught." Each president would appoint members of the commission as they see fit. It will always be under consideration.

[mitchum]

37. Fine with me...

when the judeo-christian nuts are fighting amongst themselves, they don't have time to screw with we heathens :)

[RevCheesehead]

35. Sorry, I believe the Bible should be studied in the church.

And I mean REALLY studied, not just gleaned for little tidbits that tell people what they want to hear. :hi:

[CityZen-X]

36. Include...

fractured Fairy Tales!!

[mitchum]

38. And arguments about Cinderella's hair color...

which seems no different than debating scripture :)

[CityZen-X]

39. Amen!

[Darranar]

41. As part of a general Religion class...

if it is done in an objective, pluralistic manner, I have no problem with it.

[Cleita]

42. In a class of comparative religion, at college level.

Kids below that need to use their time studying math and other subjects to give them a good foundation for college. Also, there is no way you could do this at the exclusion of other books like the Koran, the Tibetan book of the Dead, etc. etc.. This is time better spent on foundation learning.

What they really need is four years of logic and critical thinking to be taught.

[TankLV]

48. I personally vote for teaching what the "song of david" is all about.

Especially to grade schoolers.

It can't be nasty and dirty, right - after all - it's in the bible right?

Can get a good discussion going on what exactly they are referring to for the "massive cypress trees" or "mighty oak" or "two doves" or whatever it is they used!


Just what are the "loins" and where are they anyway?