From: adamsr@netcom.com (Rick Adams)
Subject: Re: Limiting religious speech
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 20:52:42 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)

Thus spake grimlok@hubcap.clemson.edu (Mike Percy): 

>aultj@rpi.edu (Jim Ault) writes:

>>2. Two books (related to children's Bible stories) were ordered
>>removed from the bookshelf of the classroom.  Books on Greek mythology
>>and other religions were allowed to remain on the shelf.
>

>I'll agree here that there is misguided zeal.  The Biblical stories
>should have stayed shelved next to the Greek mythologies, and
>suplemented with a Bible, a Koran, a Torah, Buddhist writings, etc.  How
>else are children supposed to learn aboutthe religions that have driven
>so much of the history of the world and will continue to do so?  These
>religious materials _can_ very nicely be read and learned from without
>embracing the dogmas therein.  An essay question like "Compare and
>contrast the underlying strictures in the teachings of Jesus, Moses,
>Buddha, and Mohammud" can work wonders towards building better relations
>between people of various religions.
>
	I can agree in principle, but not in practice. Two problems exist
with your concept:

	1. It presumes that all the books concerned take the same basic
	   approach to the religion under discussion - that is they
	   either treat it as a scholastic subject or as dogma.
	   Unfortunately, this would not be the case.  Just as it would
	   be virtually impossible to locate books (at the appropriate
	   reading level and with the appropriate theological accuracy)
	   which treated such topics as Paganism, Greek Religion, or
	   Native American religious beliefs as dogma, so would it be
	   impossible to locate suitable works which treated Christianity
	   purely from a non-dogmatic scholastic perspective. At a
	   College level, such books would exist, but not at the reading
	   level necessary for such a project.

	2. I presumes that the instructor of the class would present the 
	   material in an unbiased manner. The likelihood that this would
	   occur is vanishingly small. Certainly an instructor who would
	   sit at his desk reading the Bible during class hours is very
	   unlikely to present, for example, Pagan beliefs as having the
	   same validity (and with the same respect) as Christian ones.
	   Nor would parents of children enrolled in such a class permit
	   them to be presented in such a manner.

	It would be nice if children COULD learn about other religions with
the same respect and dignity afforded Christianity, but it isn't realistic.
Such a class would only end up "bashing" those religions most at odds with
Christian dogma (i.e., Paganism or Tantra), denigrating those less at odds
(i.e., Buddhism, Taoism), and glorifying those closest to it (i.e., Judaism,
Islam). Of course, the greatest praise would be reserved for the Christian
principles, and by necessity Atheism would be given short shift!

	Thanks, but I'll stick with the concept that secular subjects belong
in the schools, that books refering to religion in any but a literary manner
don't belong in the classroom, and that religious education belongs in the
chruches and homes.

	Not only does this protect MY children, it protects those of the
Christian as well.


-- 
    rick.adams on GEnie   /|\        You are right from your side,        
     adamsr@netcom.com  /  |  \        And I am right from mine.          
    adamsr@irie.ais.org \ /|\ /  We're both just one too many mornings,   
   adamsr@norwich.bitnet  \|/  And a thousand miles behind. (c Bob Dylan) 
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