(March 5, 2013 at 2:49 pm)jstrodel Wrote:(March 5, 2013 at 2:44 pm)festive1 Wrote: Well, let us say we have religious education in public schools (just for the sake of argument). What beliefs should be taught? Catholicism? Islam? Judaism? Protestantism (if so, which branch?)?
Personally, I think public education should stick to facts (which have a basis in reality), not beliefs.
I am not really sure. Maybe the state should give some sort of subsidy to private schools to set things up their own way. I find it incredibly hypocritical to hear liberals who supposedly love freedom talk about imposing their education on everyone else through taxation and forcing people to accept their philosophy. A free thinker, huh.
Do you really think that modern science is the place to turn for "facts"? The models that science creates, it is debatable whether they actually exist. Religious belief certainly exists as a cultural force. You can see it working in charities around the world that do billions of dollars worth of work, maybe trillions of dollars.
I'd assume that you agree about teaching kids certain subjects, like math, biology, English, civics, geography, history, foreign languages? It's not just my educational philosophy, it's yours (minus the religious bits).
I think it's worse to force beliefs upon children they may or may not share. And threats of hell is force. America has a separation of church and state, the state teaching religious beliefs in public schools breaches this separation. I don't want my kids to be taught about religion by their teachers (exceptions being comparative religion courses, without weight or preference given to one belief system over another, designed for older kids in high school). If you want your kids to go to a religious school, great! But if you want to add in the religion, you've got to pay for it. There are even after-school bible study programs, if you can't afford the full price of tuition, and many religious (and other private) schools offer scholarships. Doesn't mean my kids should be forced to learn about your preferred religion.
If the world were mine to run, I'd get rid of religious tax exemptions, so good luck getting me to side with you on subsidizing parochial schools. Tithing is what? 10% of your income? There are enough religious people donating to keep those wheels greased.
Modern science isn't the only place to turn for facts. Math is chock full of facts. History is also full of facts, but not so much science (unless you're talking about scientific history). Literature is also an excellent subject to delve into problems concerning the human condition.
