The rise of faith schools

Let me start by answering your final question and then working back towards the earlier part. Under our Constitution over on this side of the pond, it is illegal for the State to support Faith Based schools. Currently there is a push to get around the Constitutional issues using "Vouchers" as the method. A Voucher would be a subsidy given directly to a family that they could use to send their child to whatever school they choose. The Great Fiction is that since the State does not transfer the money directly to the Faith Based schools, the State is not in conflict with our Constitution. Of course, that will come down to the actual content of the curriculum.Personally, I believe that Sacred Studies should be part of EVERY school curriculum, but that it should be taught broadly and honestly. We had a thread on that Message 1.On the otherhand, when the intent of the curriculum is to promote ignorance, to hide and shield the student from the evidence available, the result is that the child is raised in ignorance.To quote from the Clergy Project, an indepentant group of Christian Clergy that are opposed to teaching the perverted version of science and religion known as ID or Biblical Creationism:

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

as though you spoke for all, or even most Christians. Some Christians want to leave the public school system. But Christian Schools are not some new invention. The one that I went to was founded in 1849. There was another spate of Christian schools created when some Christians objected to all them little darkies going to their public schools. Other religions are taught in many Christian schools as well. I know that we spent many years studying Judaism, Islam, Taoism, the writings of teachers like the Buddha, Mencius, Confucius and the different philosopies and philosophers. We had to build the case for Atheism, and also for Agnosticism. Our beliefs were challenged, and tempered.Not exposing someone to other points of view leaves a weak faith, one that is easily mislead and subverted.So far you have never even been able to supoort the existence of some "religion of secularism" and it is certainly not a subject in an public school. Nor is there any courses that I know of that undermine Christian moral standards. If you know of any perhaps you can start a thread and we can discuss them. If you change that slightly, I would certainly agree with you. Religion is a force that impinges on every subject. For example, without the contributions of the Muslim and Hindu scholars we would not be able to hold this conversation.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Yes, that is a very apt description. But it's also not teaching, but rather propagandizing.You cannot teach Islam from the Christian perspective anymore than you can teach Non-Euclidian Geometry from the Euclidian perspective.To teach a subject you must teach it within context. To teach Islam from the Christian Perspective is to lose sight of what teaching really means.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Yes, that is the big disagreement. What you describe is not teaching but indoctrination.I think this is a very important point. I do not believe that indoctrination is education. If Christianity is really worthwhile, it will stand up to direct honest comparisions with any other religion. To determine that you must also teach the other religions from their perspective. Teaching Islam from a Christian perspective is as wrong as teaching Christianity from the Islamic perspective.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Yes, we know that you disagree.That is why each of us presents the best case possible for our position. That way those reading the thread can see who has supported their position, who has not, and make their own decisions.That is the function of this board.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Sure a Faith Based school can get it right when teaching about Evolution or any other subject. I know that I went to a Faith Based Christian school, and they did a great job of teaching not only about Evolution, but of things like the age of the universe and age of the earth. They did a great job of teaching how to learn and helping us put together the toolkit needed for Critical Thinking.The issue is not whether a Faith Based school can do a good job teaching, whether it's a Faith Based school is not the issue. The real issue IMHO is whether the purpose of the school is teaching, or avoidance.All too often, Faith Based schools, particularly Christian Faith Based schools were established not to teach, but to avoid exposing kids to learning. Whether is was the herd of Christian Faith Based schools that sprang up in the 50's and 60's to avoid integration, or the move today to create Ghettos of Holy Ignorance where Evolution, Old Earth and respect for the rights of all peoples are to be avoided at all costs, the goals of too many Faith Based schools, particularly Christian Schools, is not expanding education but wilfull ignorance.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Why not?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

well, Faith, not one thing you said is correct and we are proving that as we speak in the Grand Canyon thread.However, moose wants us to move back towards teaching so if you wish to continue, please join us in the GC thread.Oh, that's right. You can't post in the science side can you?Well, I'm trying to get that changed. It's time you actually had to defend some of your assertions.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Yes it can. That much I can address from personal experience.Again, how well this is done will devolve to the dedication of the individual instructors, the course material itself and the dedication of faculty, parents and students. But I've been through such a school and know that it works.As in every other area the key is to challenge the students prior beliefs. This means to challenge the basic religion that the child brings to the class room. Show the other religion in all its glory, as though it were the initial starting point.For more of my experience on this matter see Message 1.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion