Originally posted by: Gigantopithecus
I agree. The more kids learn about the roles religion in its various forms has played through the course of history, the more likely they'll be critical of it.
It was required for me... I don't know about other colleges though.
Actually, I think YOUR problem is my religion. I wouldn't ever expect you to realize that, though, since you're just flaunting your own bigotry. Let me clue you in - that's not exactly something to be proud of. I have no problem being objective, despite being religious. It seems, however, that you have a problem being objective despite your apparent lack of religion. Typical of this forum, by all appearances.
So, by your account, I am to assume that anything that happened in the 1800s is likely untrue? After all, we have no primary sources or videos of the Civil War. And are you so sure that the Christian saga does not have continuing effects today? The same goes for Hinduism, and I daresay there are a few Jews that would point out how their religion is still a very much ongoing process. Are you so opposed to the teaching of ideas? What is wrong with presenting what these various faiths believe and letting the kids figure out the rest? Does it have to be presented as factual? Obviously not, or the class would contradict itself in a thousand ways. Of course, I'm asking you to be open-minded and actually consider it, which you're obviously not willing to do since your entire post is just one great big bashing of religion in general.
Can people get pregnant if you give them a survey of religion? Or is it the AIDS you're worried about? I hear people who study Druidism often come down with AIDS when they try to practice what they've learned. As for your question, I'm a research engineer. I rely on knowledge, intuition, research, and common sense to form my opinions. My 'ideology', as it were, mentions nothing about either of these particular issues.
Are photographs sufficient evidence that something did, indeed, happen? Are they necessary as proof as you repeatedly suggest? Then obviously the Big Bang is completely fake. So are dinosaurs. Maybe creationism is correct after all! Since we don't have pictures, we'll just never know, will we? :roll:
I'd like you to submit one single quote from any one of my 3900 posts where I push my religion on anyone, suggest that it's superior to another, use it to justify my position on any issue, offer to inform someone on its premises, or even compare it to another religion. You won't find it. Thus, you just called me 'a piece of trash for promoting [my] religion', which is a patently false statement. I'll be awaiting your apology.
I daresay you say daresay too often to come across as anything other than a man at the pulpit. Actually I would say my "grounding" in mathematics is just, if not more firm than yours. You happen to be speaking with a kid who was at one point a math prodigy who was done with 2 years of calculus before starting his junior year of highschool. I've chosen to do things other than become a biomechanics major or involve myself with mathematics at all, but I figure it was worth mentioning as you flaunt your superior knowledge. You narrow minded approach to intellect is reflective of your greater view of the world and religion's delugesional (play on words intended) effect on you.
Hell, we could find a few examples in this thread alone. You believe in being surrounded by faith and are advocating that all people should be required from a young age to acknowledge major religion. Heaven forbid we also forget about your stance on gay marriage.
Wow, you took calculus in high school? Great. So did I. Then, I took eight more math classes, most of which deal with things you've never heard of, so I guess I probably do have a better math background than yourself. I won't even touch science. I'm not a biomechanics major, either. I'm working on a PhD in chemical engineering, having already secured a BS and MS, which should indicate to you that I know a far piece more about carbon dating than yourself. I'm still waiting on you to point out a single example of me being narrow-minded in my intellect, or how religion has affected my views of science or politics. I'm also still waiting for you to point out where i stated there was scientific evidence of heaven or angels. I'm also waiting for you to point out one time where I've been 'preachy', as you love to suggest. But, of course, you can't. You're just here to preach your own bigotry and proclaim yourself the greatest thing since sliced bread while demeaning everyone else. Well, feel free to do so. It's no skin off my back.
Please, if it's so easy, do so. Find the examples. Show me where I surround myself with faith, why I work in a lab with two Hindus, a Muslim, a Jew, and an atheist (read: no other Christians), why I chose to go to an extremely secular school. I suggested that people be informed, nothing more, nothing less. However, knowledge is obviously offensive to you, so you act by trying to offend those who offer it to you, thereby perpetuating your ignorance.
While I see an argument for avoiding making it required at the highschool level (at least as a full class) this is still strange as stated. You certainly CAN begin by saying the Christians believe the following and then state what those beliefs are. I see absolutely no reason whatsoever you can't state things regarding religous beliefs as "Christians believe this" or "they believed." Teachers could violate this, but that would be teacher misconduct rather than a inherent flaw in the cirriculum. Now obviously a mandatory class should cover a large survey of various religions and not just focus on one. The only way you could possibly justify a manditory class for teaching about a specific religion would be if you had alot of manditory classes covering different religions, but obvious you would run out of time to teach all you needed to at that point. Its worth keeping in mind that understanding various religions is key for understanding people's motivations when studying history. (I.E. you really can't understand The Thirty Years War fully if you don't know anything about Protestantism or Catholicism.)
Wonderful, who was denying you have taken more college level math and science courses? Like I said, these are not the only ways to measure intellect, yet you introduced them as such. I find it funny how you accuse me of haughtiness when you are the one flashing around credentials in an attempt to heighten your argument.
Look at your last sentence, could it get any more preachy? You...offering ME knowledge?
MY arguing skills are weak? OK, put up or shut up time. As I said previously and you conveniently ignored: I'd like you to submit one single quote from any one of my 3900 posts where I push my religion on anyone, suggest that it's superior to another, use it to justify my position on any issue, offer to inform someone on its premises, or even compare it to another religion.
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