From: "tom betz" <tom.betz@execnet.com>
Newsgroups: misc.education
Subject: frightening ignorance
Date: 24 Jul 92 02:30:18 EST
Reply-To: "tom betz" <tom.betz@execnet.com>
Distribution: misc
Organization: Executive Networks Information

GE>   GE>I am not concerned with how many moral atheists and sleazy preachers th
GE>   GE>are in this world.  I am focusing on the need to instill morals in the
GE>   GE>public educational process.

GE>   Since you are interested in doing this, perhaps (rather than just
GE>   repeating the demand and the words "morals in the schools" and
GE>   variations thereof) you can offer some suggestions as to how this might
GE>   be achieved, and whose morals would be taught.  Would the schools teach
GE>   Aristotle's morals?  Jesus'?  Mohammed's?  If they use the "community
GE>   standards" approach to determine the curriculum, I dare say that in most
GE>   of this country, they would have to teach Thrasymachus' morals... but I
GE>   digress.

GE>Perhaps this should have been your very first response to my first quote?

Perhaps, instead of citing a vague someone else's words as a response to my
direct quote of Martin Luther, you could have expressed a meaningful
thought.

GE>I have spent a week defending my personal character

You have spent a week avoiding the issues, defending emptiness.

GE>and now we can get
GE>back to the discussion of religion/moral teaching in schools.

I thought you said that you wanted to keep religion out of this.  And now
you bring it immediately back in... you see how unaware you are of your own
narrow prejudices?

GE>First of all, would you agree that ALL humans share comon principles in
GE>their pursuit of morality?

No.

GE>For example, don't all moral humans (and let's
GE>just assume "all humans" refers to those in the USA) support the respect
GE>of other humans to live? (e.g. we should not kill one another or it is
GE>immoral to walk away from a human in need for help in order to remain
GE>alive, etc.)

No.  Thrasymachus would say, "What's in it for me if I help this guy?  If
he's too weak to look after himself, he should die."

Judging from the Republican approach to welfare reform and health care,
I'd say that Thrasymachan morality is alive and well in the Republican
Party.

GE>I am only offering a few areas that I think all moral humans
GE>share (whether they are believers in Jesus, Aristotle's view of morality,
GE>or Mohammed's.)

Unfortunately, you have omitted the prevailing morality in America today.

"I got mine, Jack, screw you."

GE>I only state these as a guideline so that you understand
GE>my premise that all humans share common principles in their pursuit of
GE>morality.

Well, since your premise is fatally flawed, I'll not bother discussing that
which elaborates upon it.

GE>   I do not accept the principle of State-Sponsored Morality;  that way
GE>   lies Orwellian madness.

GE>I do not know what "Orwellian madness" means.  Perhaps you could elaborate
GE>on this principle.

When the Government (throught Government-funded schools) establishes your
morals, anything that questions the Government is, by definition, immoral.

That's what I mean by Orwellian madness.

Doubleplusungood.

---
  OLX 2.2  Well, it >has< been a few years since 1984...
--
Executive Network Information System  (914) 667-4567
International ILink Host