Should religion be taught in public schools?

[sealybobo]

Most kids are engaging in these conversations without adult supervision. Creation myths are not science. That's why they are not included. That is where the private schools come into play. They have always been available. When someone says that kids need to know that there is a choice then we are no longer talking about their own children. We are talking about mine.

I am an atheist. My son is an atheist. We are ok with that. I have nothing to prove. There are no classes for him to discuss "atheism". It isn’t necessary and it would be a rather short discussion. He has met other atheists at his school. The kids are talking about it with or without anyone’s permission.

I just moved back to the Bible belt. I am less than ten miles away from a Baptist University which is two miles away from a Catholic University. Thirty miles away are Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox and Antioch Orthodox churches. There are at least ten Buddhist temples, fourteen synagogues, six mosques and two Hindu temples in the state. There are still enough Native Americans that practice the old ways. I am also thirty miles away from the State University. Not to mention that there are two military bases and a few Atheist organizations. You will find these exist in the “Bible Belt states”.

It isn't that these people don't have the opportunity. It's that it is a part of their identity. They don’t want to leave their community. This is their support system. It is who they are. Cool.

The absolute best that can be achieved is the first amendment.

And if you are looking for someone that bashes Mormons then that be me. One of my lines goes all the way back to its inception. I am an ex Mormon. I will maintain my stance.

What all brands and kinds of religious organizations won't face up to is that their days are numbered. The only thing which has kept the ancient god theories alive so far has been the brainwashing of children. Today's kids are smarter. They communicate with one another about everyday activities and also some more complex societal issues. It's spreading and "No Religion" is in the future. Just like witches and witch hunts people do away with "No Brainers" and religion definitely is one.

Millennials leaving church in droves, study says - CNN.com

"Released Tuesday, the survey of 35,000 American adults shows the Christian percentage of the population dropping precipitously, to 70.6%. In 2007, the last time Pew conducted a similar survey, 78.4% of American adults called themselves Christian.

In the meantime, almost every major branch of Christianity in the United States has lost a significant number of members, Pew found, mainly because millennials are leaving the fold. More than one-third of millennials now say they are unaffiliated with any faith, up 10 percentage points since 2007."

Then consider the hundreds of thousands of people who say they are Christians but don't take any of it literally.

We've all seen usmb Christians tell other usmb Christians they aren't doing it right.

I say if you don't believe the Mary story literally you aren't a christian

 

[Campbell]

Most kids are engaging in these conversations without adult supervision. Creation myths are not science. That's why they are not included. That is where the private schools come into play. They have always been available. When someone says that kids need to know that there is a choice then we are no longer talking about their own children. We are talking about mine.

I am an atheist. My son is an atheist. We are ok with that. I have nothing to prove. There are no classes for him to discuss "atheism". It isn’t necessary and it would be a rather short discussion. He has met other atheists at his school. The kids are talking about it with or without anyone’s permission.

I just moved back to the Bible belt. I am less than ten miles away from a Baptist University which is two miles away from a Catholic University. Thirty miles away are Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox and Antioch Orthodox churches. There are at least ten Buddhist temples, fourteen synagogues, six mosques and two Hindu temples in the state. There are still enough Native Americans that practice the old ways. I am also thirty miles away from the State University. Not to mention that there are two military bases and a few Atheist organizations. You will find these exist in the “Bible Belt states”.

It isn't that these people don't have the opportunity. It's that it is a part of their identity. They don’t want to leave their community. This is their support system. It is who they are. Cool.

The absolute best that can be achieved is the first amendment.

And if you are looking for someone that bashes Mormons then that be me. One of my lines goes all the way back to its inception. I am an ex Mormon. I will maintain my stance.

What all brands and kinds of religious organizations won't face up to is that their days are numbered. The only thing which has kept the ancient god theories alive so far has been the brainwashing of children. Today's kids are smarter. They communicate with one another about everyday activities and also some more complex societal issues. It's spreading and "No Religion" is in the future. Just like witches and witch hunts people do away with "No Brainers" and religion definitely is one.

Millennials leaving church in droves, study says - CNN.com

"Released Tuesday, the survey of 35,000 American adults shows the Christian percentage of the population dropping precipitously, to 70.6%. In 2007, the last time Pew conducted a similar survey, 78.4% of American adults called themselves Christian.

In the meantime, almost every major branch of Christianity in the United States has lost a significant number of members, Pew found, mainly because millennials are leaving the fold. More than one-third of millennials now say they are unaffiliated with any faith, up 10 percentage points since 2007."

Then consider the hundreds of thousands of people who say they are Christians but don't take any of it literally.

We've all seen usmb Christians tell other usmb Christians they aren't doing it right.

I say if you don't believe the Mary story literally you aren't a christian

I agree but I think it's deeper than that. According to scripture in the new testament if one doesn't believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost they will do a slow stew through all of eternity:

Notice that they just simply cannot get away from witch killing.

Revelation 21:8

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Notice the reference to "sorcerers?" That's where the persecution and execution of hundreds of thousands of innocent young women started! "Thou Shalt Not Suffer A Witch To Live!"

Exodus 22:18

…17"If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins. 18"You shall not allow a sorceress to live. 19"Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.…

 

[Disir]

Most kids are engaging in these conversations without adult supervision. Creation myths are not science. That's why they are not included. That is where the private schools come into play. They have always been available. When someone says that kids need to know that there is a choice then we are no longer talking about their own children. We are talking about mine.

I am an atheist. My son is an atheist. We are ok with that. I have nothing to prove. There are no classes for him to discuss "atheism". It isn’t necessary and it would be a rather short discussion. He has met other atheists at his school. The kids are talking about it with or without anyone’s permission.

I just moved back to the Bible belt. I am less than ten miles away from a Baptist University which is two miles away from a Catholic University. Thirty miles away are Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox and Antioch Orthodox churches. There are at least ten Buddhist temples, fourteen synagogues, six mosques and two Hindu temples in the state. There are still enough Native Americans that practice the old ways. I am also thirty miles away from the State University. Not to mention that there are two military bases and a few Atheist organizations. You will find these exist in the “Bible Belt states”.

It isn't that these people don't have the opportunity. It's that it is a part of their identity. They don’t want to leave their community. This is their support system. It is who they are. Cool.

The absolute best that can be achieved is the first amendment.

And if you are looking for someone that bashes Mormons then that be me. One of my lines goes all the way back to its inception. I am an ex Mormon. I will maintain my stance.

What all brands and kinds of religious organizations won't face up to is that their days are numbered. The only thing which has kept the ancient god theories alive so far has been the brainwashing of children. Today's kids are smarter. They communicate with one another about everyday activities and also some more complex societal issues. It's spreading and "No Religion" is in the future. Just like witches and witch hunts people do away with "No Brainers" and religion definitely is one.

Millennials leaving church in droves, study says - CNN.com

"Released Tuesday, the survey of 35,000 American adults shows the Christian percentage of the population dropping precipitously, to 70.6%. In 2007, the last time Pew conducted a similar survey, 78.4% of American adults called themselves Christian.

In the meantime, almost every major branch of Christianity in the United States has lost a significant number of members, Pew found, mainly because millennials are leaving the fold. More than one-third of millennials now say they are unaffiliated with any faith, up 10 percentage points since 2007."

They know and it's discussed within different sects of Christianity and even Judaism. Catholics have discussed it for some twenty years. Mormons discuss it. In many instances it seems they have to pretend there is an attack on the religion itself simply to keep people in it AND it's usually for political gain. A lot of people think that leaving is due to the internet. That is only partially true.

I disagree about this being "today's kids". As long as there are no cognitive disabilities, kids begin thinking in abstract terms between the ages of 12-15. Yes, there is a lot of brainwashing that occurs among different denominations and fear is at the center of it. In fact, this is why when people leave LDS they become the most vocal critics. These big questions that kids start tangling with? They will revisit them through out their lives providing it is an interest. Some people are really happy with just showing up on Sunday and going through the rituals and leaving research etc. to someone else. Some people have to research and come to conclusions on their own. That's why I said it's not that the opportunities don't exist. It's because it is part of their identity and this is their support group. A lot of people know that what is contained in their books never happened but there are little lessons.

 

[JakeStarkey]

I love watching the anti-Godists mumble and grumble, fumble and stumble and bumble.

America remains a religious country, outnumbering atheists constantly at about 30 to 1.

What is changing is that the mainstream denominations continue their losses to other non-mainstream sects and even other religious faiths, such as Islam, etc.

You folks will never get religion out of the public space.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

As a substitute teacher, I have seen several texts, several tests. I have never seen anything other than the theory of evolution, but I realize that "several" does not equate to "all."

As a father, I was very involved in my children's lives and their education and I have seen it. It's somewhat subtle but it's there. Like using the word "proof" when discussing Darwin's findings instead of "possible evidence". The students are being led. Creation is never mentioned so the students are never allowed to see both sides. I'm against teaching "religion" in schools but when a student is only given one side of a debate that's gone on for centuries and then punished with a failing grade if they disagree with the teacher and don't answer the test questions the right way, that's not education, it's indoctrination. And that's what our educational system has become, indoctrination.

When your religion denies the evidence/facts you fail.

When your stupidity sees speculation as facts, YOU fail.

No. Evolution is a fact because 1000 facts suggest it is. If you have a better theory let's here it.

Saying God did it gets you an F. That's wild speculation based on a lack of evidence.

Oh, well I guess that just leaves YOUR theory. A rock suddenly turned into a living creature that magically morphed into another, then another, then another (but the old ones still somehow stayed exactly the same), then when it got to the top of the heap and became a man, the process suddenly stopped. Yeah, makes perfect sense (if you're a fucking stoned idiot like yourself).

Is that really what you think the theories of evolution propose happened?

You think that the both sides of the "debate" should be taught and yet you have just demonstrated that you don't know the other side of the "debate".

You also don't know that among biologists, paleontologists, geologists, chemists, really among almost all scientists, and most Christians that there is no debate between creationism and evolution. Evolution is a fact like germs, atoms, relativity, and gravity are facts.

 

[Campbell]

Most kids are engaging in these conversations without adult supervision. Creation myths are not science. That's why they are not included. That is where the private schools come into play. They have always been available. When someone says that kids need to know that there is a choice then we are no longer talking about their own children. We are talking about mine.

I am an atheist. My son is an atheist. We are ok with that. I have nothing to prove. There are no classes for him to discuss "atheism". It isn’t necessary and it would be a rather short discussion. He has met other atheists at his school. The kids are talking about it with or without anyone’s permission.

I just moved back to the Bible belt. I am less than ten miles away from a Baptist University which is two miles away from a Catholic University. Thirty miles away are Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox and Antioch Orthodox churches. There are at least ten Buddhist temples, fourteen synagogues, six mosques and two Hindu temples in the state. There are still enough Native Americans that practice the old ways. I am also thirty miles away from the State University. Not to mention that there are two military bases and a few Atheist organizations. You will find these exist in the “Bible Belt states”.

It isn't that these people don't have the opportunity. It's that it is a part of their identity. They don’t want to leave their community. This is their support system. It is who they are. Cool.

The absolute best that can be achieved is the first amendment.

And if you are looking for someone that bashes Mormons then that be me. One of my lines goes all the way back to its inception. I am an ex Mormon. I will maintain my stance.

What all brands and kinds of religious organizations won't face up to is that their days are numbered. The only thing which has kept the ancient god theories alive so far has been the brainwashing of children. Today's kids are smarter. They communicate with one another about everyday activities and also some more complex societal issues. It's spreading and "No Religion" is in the future. Just like witches and witch hunts people do away with "No Brainers" and religion definitely is one.

Millennials leaving church in droves, study says - CNN.com

"Released Tuesday, the survey of 35,000 American adults shows the Christian percentage of the population dropping precipitously, to 70.6%. In 2007, the last time Pew conducted a similar survey, 78.4% of American adults called themselves Christian.

In the meantime, almost every major branch of Christianity in the United States has lost a significant number of members, Pew found, mainly because millennials are leaving the fold. More than one-third of millennials now say they are unaffiliated with any faith, up 10 percentage points since 2007."

They know and it's discussed within different sects of Christianity and even Judaism. Catholics have discussed it for some twenty years. Mormons discuss it. In many instances it seems they have to pretend there is an attack on the religion itself simply to keep people in it AND it's usually for political gain. A lot of people think that leaving is due to the internet. That is only partially true.

I disagree about this being "today's kids". As long as there are no cognitive disabilities, kids begin thinking in abstract terms between the ages of 12-15. Yes, there is a lot of brainwashing that occurs among different denominations and fear is at the center of it. In fact, this is why when people leave LDS they become the most vocal critics. These big questions that kids start tangling with? They will revisit them through out their lives providing it is an interest. Some people are really happy with just showing up on Sunday and going through the rituals and leaving research etc. to someone else. Some people have to research and come to conclusions on their own. That's why I said it's not that the opportunities don't exist. It's because it is part of their identity and this is their support group. A lot of people know that what is contained in their books never happened but there are little lessons.

Horse Shit! I'm talking about college kids. Whether thumpers want to admit it or not ALL RELIGION is on it's way out! Educated people nearly always come to the same conclusions:

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own--a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human fraility. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism"
~Dr. Albert Einstein~ (excerpt from his obituary)

"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding"
~Thomas Jefferson~ (excerpt from a letter he wrote to John Adams in 1823)

 

[JakeStarkey]

"ALL RELIGION is on it's way out" is the dumbest thing said so far in this thread.

 

[waltky]

Granny says it depends on...

... which religion ya got in mind.

 

[OldLady]

Most kids are engaging in these conversations without adult supervision. Creation myths are not science. That's why they are not included. That is where the private schools come into play. They have always been available. When someone says that kids need to know that there is a choice then we are no longer talking about their own children. We are talking about mine.

I am an atheist. My son is an atheist. We are ok with that. I have nothing to prove. There are no classes for him to discuss "atheism". It isn’t necessary and it would be a rather short discussion. He has met other atheists at his school. The kids are talking about it with or without anyone’s permission.

I just moved back to the Bible belt. I am less than ten miles away from a Baptist University which is two miles away from a Catholic University. Thirty miles away are Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox and Antioch Orthodox churches. There are at least ten Buddhist temples, fourteen synagogues, six mosques and two Hindu temples in the state. There are still enough Native Americans that practice the old ways. I am also thirty miles away from the State University. Not to mention that there are two military bases and a few Atheist organizations. You will find these exist in the “Bible Belt states”.

It isn't that these people don't have the opportunity. It's that it is a part of their identity. They don’t want to leave their community. This is their support system. It is who they are. Cool.

The absolute best that can be achieved is the first amendment.

And if you are looking for someone that bashes Mormons then that be me. One of my lines goes all the way back to its inception. I am an ex Mormon. I will maintain my stance.

What all brands and kinds of religious organizations won't face up to is that their days are numbered. The only thing which has kept the ancient god theories alive so far has been the brainwashing of children. Today's kids are smarter. They communicate with one another about everyday activities and also some more complex societal issues. It's spreading and "No Religion" is in the future. Just like witches and witch hunts people do away with "No Brainers" and religion definitely is one.

Millennials leaving church in droves, study says - CNN.com

"Released Tuesday, the survey of 35,000 American adults shows the Christian percentage of the population dropping precipitously, to 70.6%. In 2007, the last time Pew conducted a similar survey, 78.4% of American adults called themselves Christian.

In the meantime, almost every major branch of Christianity in the United States has lost a significant number of members, Pew found, mainly because millennials are leaving the fold. More than one-third of millennials now say they are unaffiliated with any faith, up 10 percentage points since 2007."

They know and it's discussed within different sects of Christianity and even Judaism. Catholics have discussed it for some twenty years. Mormons discuss it. In many instances it seems they have to pretend there is an attack on the religion itself simply to keep people in it AND it's usually for political gain. A lot of people think that leaving is due to the internet. That is only partially true.

I disagree about this being "today's kids". As long as there are no cognitive disabilities, kids begin thinking in abstract terms between the ages of 12-15. Yes, there is a lot of brainwashing that occurs among different denominations and fear is at the center of it. In fact, this is why when people leave LDS they become the most vocal critics. These big questions that kids start tangling with? They will revisit them through out their lives providing it is an interest. Some people are really happy with just showing up on Sunday and going through the rituals and leaving research etc. to someone else. Some people have to research and come to conclusions on their own. That's why I said it's not that the opportunities don't exist. It's because it is part of their identity and this is their support group. A lot of people know that what is contained in their books never happened but there are little lessons.

Horse Shit! I'm talking about college kids. Whether thumpers want to admit it or not ALL RELIGION is on it's way out! Educated people nearly always come to the same conclusions:

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own--a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human fraility. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism"
~Dr. Albert Einstein~ (excerpt from his obituary)

"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding"
~Thomas Jefferson~ (excerpt from a letter he wrote to John Adams in 1823)

Always knew Jefferson was my kinda guy.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Been nearly 200 years and TJ's still hoping.

 

[Campbell]

Been nearly 200 years and TJ's still hoping.

C'mon now..... old time religion was based upon the fear of god. Nobody actually fears some invisible man in the sky anymore. People who have to have an invisible friend keep it to themselves except when they're around others on Sunday morning. You know....at the car and clothes show.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Yet less than 5% of the population, like always, don't believe.

Americans as a whole are spiritual and religious.

That won't change.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Even with our larger than average group of atheists, etc., they still only number less than 20% on the poll.

 

[Campbell]

Even with our larger than average group of atheists, etc., they still only number less than 20% on the poll.

We're rapidly getting there. Remember what I posted about how young people are smarter and talk to one another more?

 

[Bruce_T_Laney]

I don't remember that we had religion classes in the public schools I attended.

We did have a mythology section in the fifth or sixth grade that wowed me.

Should we have religions classes, modified, or not in public school?

No...

 

[aris2chat]

I'm OK with religion being taught in school as long as atheists get to teach children there is no God

They already do.

OK children.....today we are going to learn the bible is a fairy tale and God is just made up by adults.

More like this.

Well children...a magical creature created us out of clay and watches over us every day. So you better be good for goodness sake




.

Watches over us, but allow genocide, slavery, natural disasters, plagues, wars, hate, abuse......
A great job watching us destroy ourselves and the planet

 

[JakeStarkey]

Nope, you are not. Religion not important means anti-institutionalism, not anti-God.

You sound as daft as a southern Baptist.

 

[aris2chat]

I see no problem with atheism being included in the material.

What is there to teach? No god, no heaven, no hell, just how we live this one life and hopefully leave it better for the next generation(s)

 

[JakeStarkey]

We will even include John Lennon for you, aris2chat.

 

[aris2chat]

When your stupidity sees speculation as facts, YOU fail.

No. Evolution is a fact because 1000 facts suggest it is. If you have a better theory let's here it.

Saying God did it gets you an F. That's wild speculation based on a lack of evidence.

Oh, well I guess that just leaves YOUR theory. A rock suddenly turned into a living creature that magically morphed into another, then another, then another (but the old ones still somehow stayed exactly the same), then when it got to the top of the heap and became a man, the process suddenly stopped. Yeah, makes perfect sense (if you're a fucking stoned idiot like yourself).

If that's what you think/believe that's why everyone thinks your an idiot.

It's not what I think, it's what YOU think.
PS, it's "you're", not "your", idiot.

Is Evolution a Theory or a Fact?
It is both. But that answer requires looking more deeply at the meanings of the words "theory" and "fact."

In everyday usage, "theory" often refers to a hunch or a speculation. When people say, "I have a theory about why that happened," they are often drawing a conclusion based on fragmentary or inconclusive evidence.

The formal scientific definition of theory is quite different from the everyday meaning of the word. It refers to a comprehensive explanation of some aspect of nature that is supported by a vast body of evidence.

Many scientific theories are so well-established that no new evidence is likely to alter them substantially. For example, no new evidence will demonstrate that the Earth does not orbit around the sun (heliocentric theory), or that living things are not made of cells (cell theory), that matter is not composed of atoms, or that the surface of the Earth is not divided into solid plates that have moved over geological timescales (the theory of plate tectonics). Like these other foundational scientific theories, the theory of evolution is supported by so many observations and confirming experiments that scientists are confident that the basic components of the theory will not be overturned by new evidence. However, like all scientific theories, the theory of evolution is subject to continuing refinement as new areas of science emerge or as new technologies enable observations and experiments that were not possible previously.

The evolutionary biologists who discovered Tiktaalik predicted that they would find fossils intermediate between fish and limbed terrestrial animals in sediments that were about 375 million years old. Their discovery confirmed the prediction made on the basis of evolutionary theory. In turn, confirmation of a prediction increases confidence in that theory.

In science, a "fact" typically refers to an observation, measurement, or other form of evidence that can be expected to occur the same way under similar circumstances. However, scientists also use the term "fact" to refer to a scientific explanation that has been tested and confirmed so many times that there is no longer a compelling reason to keep testing it or looking for additional examples. In that respect, the past and continuing occurrence of evolution is a scientific fact. Because the evidence supporting it is so strong, scientists no longer question whether biological evolution has occurred and is continuing to occur. Instead, they investigate the mechanisms of evolution, how rapidly evolution can take place, and related questions.

evolution can be proven, god cannot