Teaching of religion worldwide

I took one in high school, actually, as it was required. We looked at Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and I think another (can't remember) in that class. We also looked at various tribal beliefs around the world.My state also always votes blue.Jon

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In considering the Origin of Species, it is quite conceivable that a naturalist... might come to the conclusion that each species had not been independently created, but had descended, like varieties, from other species. - Charles Darwin On the Origin of Species
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _En el mundo hay multitud de idiomas, y cada uno tiene su propio significado. - I Corintios 14:10
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _A devout people with its back to the wall can be pushed deeper and deeper into hardening religious nativism, in the end even preferring national suicide to religious compromise. - Colin Wells Sailing from Byzantium

True, though that thread appears to be 2 1/2 years old and is 10 pages long. Just trying to find a place to talk about something I CAN talk about LOL. Sorry I'll try to stick to the topic a bit better.

Welcome to EvC.I think you shouldn't be so reticent to speak out on topics that you aren't so sure of. We have lots of examples of posters who do that here. Just look at the NosyNed character.You replied to your own message. Did you do that deliberately or do you misunderstand how it works?And since you are new maybe I can indoctrinate you early:Myself and one other here have a small obsession; the Subtitles of posts. Could you make sure that you have a look at it each time you post and see if having a Re: is appropriate or if you can, instead, pick one that makes it easier to find your post.(how is my spelling and punctuation Ms. Lou ? )

No problem. You will find that almost every subject imaginable has been touched on at one time or another.I personally think that everyone benefits from a broad religious education and the current trend in the US towards creating additional "Avoidance Schools" is destructive. However it is also an acknowledgment that the "Biblical Christian's" position is bankrupt. They turn to isolation because they know that if a child is exposed to other positions the child quickly sees that the "Biblical Christian" position is unsupportable.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

LOL yes I've noticed that. Maybe I respect the credentials of people here more than a few others and accept that they might just have some expertise. That was a mistake. I meant to reply to Jar. It doesn't make any difference to me because of the way I view this forum but I imagine it puts things in a mess for others, so I'll make sure I look where I'm clicking. I take it the "re:" is OK for this post? They is very good Mr. Nosy Not that it makes any difference as long as the message comes through loud and clear. Edited by LindaLou, : No reason given.

I understand that Fundamentalist Christians in the US are also pushing for home education, because of the failure to get ID into school curricula. Home education here is generally not religion-based like this. I'm amazed, though, that both the US and the UK have such a laissez--faire attitude toward private education. Here there is quite a strict national curriculum in public schools; but for private and home-schoolers, basically anything goes. Like . . . huh? Personally I would consider it a human rights violation if children were not taught the very basics in a variety of subjects, but there seem to be no laws requiring this to be the case.

Do a Google search on A Beka Books, then visit their site. Look at their catalog (you need to select guest access) and check out the summaries of their science books for 9-12^th. grades.This organization is a primary source for the material used in many Home Schools as well as many "Avoidance Schools".

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Yep, you picked a good subtitle for this.Scary. These people have a lot to answer for. Not just the creationism. American literature from a Christian perspective -- what? Bet there's no Sylvia Plath in it. Or Tennessee Williams. Bet Arthur Miller (The Crucible) gets a miss, as well as The Scarlet Letter.Scariest of all may be the mindless patriotism.OK, referring to the topic here, do home educators in other countries use this kind of bilge?? My friend who home educates here would be horrified to see this.

It appears that A Beka Books is used even in the UK.I think the biggest difference is that the US still does not have a National Curriculum or any real education standards or testing.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Try the following for size;

quote:

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"(Darwinism is) a faith which is blind and vain by comparison with the faith of the Christian...A Christian teacher of biology will not or should not regard the theory of evolution as axiomatic, but will oppose it, while teaching it alongside creation."

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Boy, those crazy Americans huh?
Well no, actually. This is a quote from a teacher in a creationist run school in Gateshead, UK. This school receives state funding and yet, religion creeps into every lesson. More info here;
Top school's creationists preach value of biblical story over evolution | UK news | The Guardian
Tony Blair's opinion on this?

quote:

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In the end, a more diverse school system will produce better results for our children."

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I can only echo Francis Wheen's response to this, in his superb book "How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World - A Short History of Modern Delusions";

quote:

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What if some schools informed their pupils that the moon were made of Swiss cheese, or that the stars were God's daisy-chain? Would that be welcomed as another healthy consequence of Blair's "more diverse school system"?

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Quite. Wheen also gets extra points in my book for quote PG Wodehouse (Stars are God's daisy-chain? Unlikely!)
What Gordon "son of the manse" Brown thinks about all this I don't know, but the government promises "guidance for schools, on the way creationism and intelligent design relate to science teaching". I hope it doesn't prove to be a cop-out.Edited by Granny Magda, : Added last 2 lines.

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Mutate and Survive

Points in my book as well, Granny. Personally, I think that Tony Blair and Madelaine Basset are pretty much on the same level of intelligence. Diversity!