Alternatives to Public Schooling Should Not be made Illegal.

Well, I have to say after reading this argument, I am incredulous. I didn't think anyone could make some of these points with a straight face, but I'll do my best to address them with dignity and not with mockery. I'll accept the premise God gave us responsibility. I'm a Christian, after all. But, Adam and Eve is mythology. It's a creation myth, to be taken figuratively and not literally. Science proves that it is not an accurate origin of our species. Further, it represents only a mythological starting point, and hardly an ideal as it is after the fall of man. However the second point here, citation 2, is rather suspicious. Chiefly because it appears to be some random audio file that some random person uploaded. I could upload any claim I want and it wouldn't be evidence. Actual school policies are that religious exemptions do exist, and can be tolerated, within reason. Like, you can't miss every Tuesday and Wednesday because Bogloonianism dictates these are days for eating ice cream, or some other claim. I'll explain why standardized education is good soon. The third point, however, is amusing. As a history student of many years, I can tell you the persecution of the early church is more myth than material. The Romans were highly pluralistic, and the idea they brutally repressed Christians for more than a few individuals in a narrow period is a myth created later to put a face on the ideal of martyrdom. Most persecution was carried out by the Jewish authorities. I especially fail to understand how one can claim that Christians were persecuted in the Middle Ages, as society was controlled by the Church. And as to persecuted Christians today, in North Korea sure. Not so much here. The satan + government claim is really ignorant. This Soviet claim is even worse. Searching it reveals absolutely no evidence, and my own knowledge of the USSR works against that. Now, my argument for government control. Right now, education varies. Some private schools produce vastly prepared youths who will go on to Yale and Wall Street or the White House, while many inner city schools have a different fate. Mediocrity at best, and the streets at worst. That's because our education is not equal. If we believe everyone deserves the same chance (a tenant of the American dream), then we have to make sure everyone has an even start. Right away, an urban Black youth has a worse chance of everything. A suburban white youth has a better chance of success. By standardizing government control over education, we can allot fair amounts of money, balance the student populations, devise special programs, and work out a means to correct this balance in society. But beyond that, there are beneficial reasons. Across private schools, what is taught is not standardized. While a student in the state of Texas will be educated in a state school by state standards, private schools can and do teach incorrect things. Sometimes the material is inaccurate history, or more often science. I, myself, went to a Christian middle school for a few years. There I was taught evolution was a lie, and human anatomy was hidden from me. I never learned about the reproductive systems, or my own body. I was taught dinosaurs were wandering around with people. As I went off to college, and talked with very intelligent experts, they showed me incontrovertible evidence that what I had been taught was wrong. Utterly and inexcusably wrong. Now why should we tolerate our children being taught what is false? And further, why should the government recognize such improper 'education' as holding any validity? The only course of action I see is to create a national set of standards, and hold all schools to them. If the school does not hold to them, it will gain no federal funding, no endorsements, no licenses, no permits, and any diploma it issues will have no recognition. That is only fair. Just as a quick look, what happens when religious institutions are in charge of education? Galileo is put under house arrest for believing the Earth orbited the sun. Other contemporaries were executed for the same beliefs. And if we allow religious exemptions to actual science, then why not allow it to every group? I'm sure white supremacists could found a school and teach that the shape of a nose somehow determines intelligence. Standards are the tool that allows us to ensure something is uniform, fair, and accurate. These are all good things. If you want to teach your child a religious belief, then take them to Church. If you want to teach them white people are the master race... Well, then you probably shouldn't have children.