Before I begin on this, understand that I do believe in the separation of church and state. However, there is something to consider that I don't think anyone has discussed yet.
That is: by refusing to allow any kind of religious teaching to occur in public school, we're denying religious teaching to the poor and middle-classes. The upper class (and the upper-middle to an extent) can afford to send their children to private school. A religious upper-class family can insure that their children receive a solid theological upbringing 6 days a week as opposed to just 1.
The painful irony is that it's mostly the lower classes that are highly religious and would desire to teach their children theology in school. The upper classes usually aren't as religious and thus don't *need* the private schools to teach theology.
No, worship services one day a week isn't good enough for some religious people; and, with the amount of homework currently assigned by public schools, after-hours services can't meet the need any better. Either we need to offer religious classes at public school (which isn't discriminatory - you can offer a class in Christianity without offering a class in Judaism just as you can offer a class in women's literature without offering a class in men's literature) (These classes could be completely voluntary and take the place of an elective), or we need to offer private school vouchers.
And to the argument that "private school vouchers would destroy the public school system" - duh. Public schools suck. Let's destroy them.
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Wednesday, August 09, 2006
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Yes, public schools do stink. Destroying them would do a world of good.
Teaching religion in public schools is ***already being done.*** When you teach evolution, or "don't chew gum in French class," or "don't rape anybody while at school," that is teaching morality and thus religious, metaphysical issues. It's inescapable.
The question is: WHICH system will we teach?
I propose, at least right now, that we teach Christian moral principles in school. And we must, as you said, offer classes ABOUT religion w/o necessarily stressing any one too much. As it is, we have a Darwinistic, humanistic morality and system being taught, and I fail to see why that system should get preference.
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