Should the Bible be taught in US public schools.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
Teaching about The Bible in public schools can be seen as "promoting religion as preferable to a secular lifestyle."

Teaching about The Bible in public schools to the exclusion of or with more emphasis than other religious texts can be seen as "promoting one religion as preferable to another."

Both instances violate the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.

The place for children to learn about The Bible is at home, or at a private religious school.

Originally posted by Capt_Fantastic
You can't remember it because it's like a nevous twitch or the rolling eyes of a kid with autism. You must do it without even realizing it. And getting caught up in numbers is just silly. You do it. You've always done it.

Saying I'm wrong is just silly, even for you. There's not one person that's going to enter this forum and not see you preaching at someone.

Yeah, as long as the sex education involves having sex after marriage and only to that person, and everything else be damned. But, we've heard that from a lot of christians in the past and we always seem to find them up to their elbows in crack whores at some sleazy motel.

Sure I've preached, that is not the same as calling down other religions. I hope you realize that I have never insulted or attacked Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism.

You are making false assumptions about me again. Get over your bias please, it doesn't work on me because it is not applicable.

Originally posted by Alliance
Were you taught the Bible in your public school?

Should the Bible be allowed to be taught in public schools?
If so, how should the Bible be taught in public schools?

For me, I could care less, they teach everything else in school.

Originally posted by Nellinator
Can be seen = bull. Cultural influence should determine the extent of study. Since that is changing to an atheist/agnostic slant that is the way religious education should start moving. If Buddhism becomes influential then it should start taking more precedence.

The Bible is so culturally influential that "only half of American adults can name one of the four Gospels and most Americans can’t name the first book of the Bible," according to a study by Professor Stephen Prothero of Boston University.

Religious education belongs in the home, or in a private religious school.

Do you even know what influence is? That is completely irrelevant.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
I've been taught about religions objectively in a Catholic High School. We learned about Buddhism, Hinduism, and other Faiths without any offensive bias going into it.... 😬

It is possible Capt Fantastic...what are you so afraid of ?

Affraid? I'm not affraid. As I said, I give kids more credit. My point is that there is a time and place for it, and it's not in school.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
Evolution is pretty much proven

Almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades, despite agreeing with you.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
Parents will always teach thier children what THEY want them to learn...a teacher can teach far more objectively. Not every single Theologean is religious..beleive or not...and they can teach fairly well and objectively.

Yes, parents will always be less objective than a parent. No one is arguing that.

I am aware that not all theologians are religious. I know many of my fellow Catholic school classmates that went on to study religions and came to that conclusion. No one is arguing that either.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
The Ignorance is also coming from a LACK of actually reading the source of thier religion. IF they actually READ the Bible, they would question it. Any logical person would....it's full of contradictions and stuff that only makes sense in Myth. Many people are not aware of the contradictions or the farfetchedness from reality BECAUSE they don't actually read the Bible.

But you have to ask yourself 'why there is a lack?' It's called willful ignorance. Do you think many of our fellow forum members who go on and on about christianity haven't been exposed to the other side of the argument?

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
Also, I am not proposing that Christianity alone be taught. I am proposing that ALL religions be taught.

And we've come full circle. I'm not saying that is in question at all. I'm saying the potential for the teacher to be partial to one religion over another is fairly great in our country.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
No it's not. Logical Evaluation of the Bible will actually enhance Christianity and help it grow with the rest of us. Ignorance is Christianity's own worse enemy, and the enemy of us all. Kill the Ignorance, and we can progress somewhere....

Thinking critically about the bible would be no detriment to the bible, but to the teaching of the chrisian faith it would be devastating.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
I had a Literature teacher in Middle School tell us that Evolution was a lie, and that God created everything. Everything our Science teacher taught us was degraded by our Literature Teacher. These two ladies did not get along...

That's a lovely story. But, just like opinions and assholes, we've all got stories to illustrate our opinion in this thread.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
My younger brother recenty stated how hilarious it is, that in Science he learns about Evolution, while in Religion class he learns about Adam and Eve (this was when he was still in Catholic School)....he then asks the teacher, "well how come you teach us one thing, and then something that contradicts the other"...the SAME teacher was teaching both subjects ...hahhaa....then the teacher said, "I don't know...this is just what I am supposed to teach you guys"....

And that teacher sounds like a robot without an ounce of emotional integrity or social skills. That teacher shouldn't be a teacher if he or she hadn't 1)thought about that themselves and 2)thought about it ahead of time and given it enough thought to answer the question when one of their students brought it up.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
Teenagers will figure things out on thier own...if you expose them to EVERYTHING and encourage them to investigate and question EVERYTHING.

The beginning of this quote isn't really agreeing with the second half of the quote. But, AGAIN, I think encouraging them to investigate and expand their minds is great. But that's not how all teachers work.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
To isolate a teenager from religious/cultural knowledge and information is just as bad as forcing it down thier throats.

You can't isolate people from religion. On top of that, I'm not saying that religion shouldn't be mentioned. I'm saying it shouldn't be taught. I wouldn't even argue that it should be taught. I'm simply saying you can't guarantee the teacher doesn't have an agenda.

Originally posted by Goddess Kali
Bro, im not talking about children...im talking about High School Students...they aren't all as stupid as you think (even tho many are)

I've already addressed my thoughts on the intelligence of most children and the credit I give them.

Originally posted by Nellinator
Do you even know what influence is? That is completely irrelevant.

If The Bible is as culturally influential to American culture as proponents of teaching about it in public schools profess it to be, then most American should be able to name its first book; too bad they cannot.

Historical importance is not determined b popular knowledge. Not many Americans can name the President that let the Union collapse, or the Congress that allowed women the right to vote or the Supreme Court case that established judicial review, but all of these are essential to American's lives.

Originally posted by Alliance
Historical importance is not determined b popular knowledge. Not many Americans can name the President that let the Union collapse, or the Congress that allowed women the right to vote or the Supreme Court case that established judicial review, but all of these are essential to American's lives.

The Bible however, is not essential to American life. Hence, why most Americans cannot name its first book, nor can 50% of Americans name more than a single Gospel.

Originally posted by Nellinator
I think you lack proof of any of your claims.

Originally posted by Nellinator
Sure I've preached

"Sure I've preached" would indicate that you yourself are proof of "any" of my claims.

Originally posted by Nellinator
I hope you realize that I have never insulted or attacked Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism.

I never said you insulted people. I said you've attempted to get them to realize you're right and they're wrong.

Originally posted by Nellinator
You are making false assumptions about me again. Get over your bias please, it doesn't work on me because it is not applicable.

I'm not making any assumptions about you. I'm making statments about your post history and how you display your opinions in this forum.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
The Bible however, is not essential to American life. Hence, why most Americans cannot name its first book, nor can 50% of Americans name more than a single Gospel.

I never said it was essential to American life. I said it was essential to understanding American and world culture and history.

Essentially, teaching about The Bible in public schools is a veiled attempt by Religious Activists to teach their beliefs in public schools, and to use public schools as instruments of evangelism.

In a multi-faith, religiously diverse society such as ours, neutrality is the appropriate stance for the government to take toward religion. Under this principle, public schools can allow for individual student religious expression without endorsing or promoting any specific belief.

Originally posted by Alliance
I never said it was essential to American life. I said it was essential to understanding American and world culture and history.

An understanding of Christianity is essential to understanding culture and history. Specific knowledge of The Bible is not.

I'd argue that it is.

How can you completely understand Christianity without the Bible? Its like buildina building with no base, even if it only is the first story.

Originally posted by Alliance
I'd argue that it is.

How can you completely understand Christianity without the Bible? Its like buildina building with no base, even if it only is the first story.

One can have knowledge of the principles of Christianity without having specific knowledge of The Bible. Hence, why 82% of Americans can identify as Christian despite half of them only being able to name one of the four Gospels.

Knowledge of principles is useless if you don't know where they come from.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
One can have knowledge of the principles of Christianity without having specific knowledge of The Bible. Hence, why 82% of Americans can identify as Christian despite half of them only being able to name one of the four Gospels.

Most people don't.

Originally posted by Alliance
How can you completely understand Christianity without the Bible? Its like buildina building with no base, even if it only is the first story.

Just remember that the Bible is the result of christianity, not the other way around. Christianity has been around far longer than the Bible. In a way, that fact strengthens your point of view on this topic.

Originally posted by Nellinator
Knowledge of principles is useless if you don't know where they come from.

Again, they didn't come from the Bible. You know this. So, while you're arguing so strongly for religion (christianity) to be taught in public schools, I assume the critical thinking excercises and informative lectures will include those gospels and texts which disagree with your stance on Jesus and his divinity. Unless you can't be objective, you'd want those discarded gospels included. Especially since they are no more or less valid than any other gospel, nor can their history be proven...except for the fact that powdered bishops and self-important leaders of the time decided their inclusion wouldn't support an organized religion that could suck money and power away from the people.

Originally posted by Capt_Fantastic
Again, they didn't come from the Bible. You know this. So, while you're arguing so strongly for religion (christianity) to be taught in public schools, I assume the critical thinking excercises and informative lectures will include those gospels and texts which disagree with your stance on Jesus and his divinity. Unless you can't be objective, you'd want those discarded gospels included. Especially since they are no more or less valid than any other gospel, nor can their history be proven...except for the fact that powdered bishops and self-important leaders of the time decided their inclusion wouldn't support an organized religion that could suck money and power away from the people.