From: gjm11@cus.cam.ac.uk (G.J. McCaughan)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Subject: Re: Freedon of speech.
Date: 10 Nov 92 16:46:31 GMT
Organization: U of Cambridge, England

In article <CHRISTIA%92111004372596@ASUACAD.BITNET> MKLINE@VDH.BITNET (Michael A. Kline) writes:
>On Mon, 9 Nov 1992 11:52:00 EST DRCV06::GRAHAM said:
>>I admit that their reaction is an overreaction.  It is definitely a shame
>>when a teen cannot say "God bless" in a school newsletter.  We ought to take
>>a lesson from this.  Christians have no business trying to impose their
>>morals on anyone else.  Let the schools do as they please.  If your child
>>isn't being taught correctly, remove them and seek alternatives.  Stop
>>trying, though, to force the public schools to be Christian schools.
>
>Whoa there. You mean Christians have NOTHING to offer and should keep all
>things to themself? Perhaps you are right. Kids that wear the sign of the
>fish, and when asked say "I can't tell you." with a grin. Having them
>come up to other children wearing the fish, shake hands, or what ever,
>point to each other's shirt and smile. Gather in circles out in the play
>ground and when anyone comes by, hide the Bible and say "Nothing, we're
>doing nothing."

No, he doesn't. (Obviously. He's a Christian, remember?) He means, I think,
that we should not try to impose our Christianity on other people, because
it just won't work. We have no more right to make all schools Christian
than anyone else has to make all schools atheist.

>Also, if we don't say we don't like things like "One flew over the
>Cuckoo's nest." because it shows gang rape, then by our silence, we
>condone it. What ever happened to Romeo and Juliet or A Tale of Two
>Cities? I know, no sex, no gang rapes. Why should the book be required?
>That's what the question was. Maybe it was somewhat related, and if a
>student found it objectionable, then an alternate should be allowed.

Oh dear. Why shouldn't it? Why should our children be brought up with
the idea that nasty things like gang rape don't happen? Why should they
not read things like "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"? Shakespeare's
plays contain murder, insanity, treason, adultery and such; would you
ban them too? (Obviously not, from your reference to Romeo&Juliet.)

Are you seriously suggesting that the reason why OFOTCN was used in that
school was *because* it contains sex and violence? If so, you're raving.

>Schools were started in churches so that the people could read the
>Bible, but in years the people got lazy. Now the wants of 1 or two
>people out weigh the rights of the mass.

I don't understand what you're saying. What one or two people? What
mass? What wants? Where does the origin of schooling come in?

>                                 Almost gone are the days when parents
>sacrificed everything for their children. These "parents" are the
>ones put through schooling of "no god" and "you happened by accident"
>and "you're mother should not have been force to raise you." (IE:
>abortion) Now as parents, they want to do what's "right", but they
>have a life and the kids should feel "wanted" just because we let them
>live, but I'm not about to give up my life for them. (No, my family, I'm
>not beating up on you, I'm taking mostly about the secular world out
>there. Those that want to be "Christian" because they think it's nice
>but wouldn't know Jesus Christ if He came up and shook their hand.
>"Messiah? Sorry, I didn't see that one when it hit town. I don't care
>that much for opera." The "Give me my Volvo, let the kids fend for
>themselves.")

I don't understand. Are you saying that the parents of today have been
educated in schools that have somehow forced them to believe that there
is no God and that abortion is a good thing? I find it very hard to believe
that many teachers would ever tell a child "Your mother should not have been
forced to have you"; I can't think of many circumstances under which this
would be remotely relevant.

-- 
Gareth McCaughan     Dept. of Pure Mathematics & Mathematical Statistics,
gjm11@cus.cam.ac.uk  Cambridge University, England.    [Research student]
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