RE: Why should religion have any influence on our lives?
October 3, 2014 at 9:04 am
(This post was last modified: October 3, 2014 at 9:11 am by Michael B.)
So Fidel (apt name, by the way), how do you teach religion on an equal, or even a truthful basis, if you don't let them teach claims that are fundamental to their faith?
You are clearly advocating suppression of religious education. Why not be honest about it and defend it rather than tying yourself in knots by trying to say at the same time that you're not advocating suppression of religious education and then saying that you don't believe religions should be able to teach that they have the truth?
It should be obvious to all (and to you really, I think) that you are advocating suppression of religious education.
So taking your example, the freedom of education I support is the freedom for Christians to teach their children (at home, at Church, in study groups, or at a school that parents choose to send their children to) that "Jesus rose from the dead". And I fully accept the freedom of Muslims (again at home, in Mosques, in study groups or in schools that people choose to send their children to) to teach their Children that "Mohammed was the last Prophet of God". That's the freedom we have in the UK (we have choice in schooling, representing the communities that the schools serve), and that's a precious freedom that exists in our pluralistic society. It's not perfect by any means, but I think we have one of the most mature pluralistic and multi-cultural societies, here in the UK. And it is based on freedom in the face of differences in belief.
You are clearly advocating suppression of religious education. Why not be honest about it and defend it rather than tying yourself in knots by trying to say at the same time that you're not advocating suppression of religious education and then saying that you don't believe religions should be able to teach that they have the truth?
It should be obvious to all (and to you really, I think) that you are advocating suppression of religious education.
So taking your example, the freedom of education I support is the freedom for Christians to teach their children (at home, at Church, in study groups, or at a school that parents choose to send their children to) that "Jesus rose from the dead". And I fully accept the freedom of Muslims (again at home, in Mosques, in study groups or in schools that people choose to send their children to) to teach their Children that "Mohammed was the last Prophet of God". That's the freedom we have in the UK (we have choice in schooling, representing the communities that the schools serve), and that's a precious freedom that exists in our pluralistic society. It's not perfect by any means, but I think we have one of the most mature pluralistic and multi-cultural societies, here in the UK. And it is based on freedom in the face of differences in belief.
