Dad crusades against God in school

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Atheism isn't a religion (it's the absence of a creed common to most religions), but in any case, I wasn't aware that there was any promotion of atheism in public schools. Got any examples of what sort of atheism ought to be kept out of public schools, jblake47?

[evmori]

Yeah I know Lisa, but look at what Mr. Croft has complained about!

 

He also complains about a flier his 8-year-old daughter received about Good News Bible Club meetings after school.

 

The man has based hie beliefs on the fiction novel 1984! Total joke!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

According to Croft's chronology of events, the principal said that the flyer should not have been distributed. Croft's complain also says that the bible club was promoted by the principal during morning announcements over the PA system and by a sign in front of the school.

[Gonzo1]

jblake47,

It's only a matter of TIME before atheism becomes a religion.

 

In the original post:

"California atheist Michael Newdow, who challenged the Pledge of Allegiance in schools because of the "under God" reference, said he thinks the Texas law is unconstitutional." ....................I guess Michael Newdow runs the supreme court now.

 

 

Beside as long as algebra tests take place in schools, there will be prayer in schools.

 

[evmori]

And what other clubs were promoted during morning announcements & by signs in front of the school? We don't know because this pitiful little man chose to single out those he didn't like.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Well Ed, now you seem to agree that it would be a problem if the Good News Bible club was given special promotion over the school's PA system. Of course, you don't really care, you just want a chance to bash atheists, like the sad little man you are.

[evmori]

No Merlyn, I have no interest in bashing atheists. You want a level playing field. So do I. Only your level playing field would exclude anything dealing with God while mine would include atheists.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Wrong Ed. Public schools need to be neutral on religion.

[OldGreyEagle]

If I could horn in on the playful banter between Ed and Merlyn...

 

Merlyn, you stated that you weren't aware of any school that promoted Atheism. It does seem that your goal is the removal of all govermental unit support for religious content. If I am wrong, please correct me. The issue I have is if all religious content is removed, then there is the implied endorsement of Atheism, the abscence of religion.

 

This may be one of those non winnable situations. I would like to see religious content in schools, but realize a class of Americans could have Christians, Jewish, Islamic, Wiccan, Hindu, Budist, etc. members and I see the problems associated with including everyone in a religious service.

 

So, I dont have an answer, but can you see how having no religious content in a school can be associated with advocating Atheism?

 

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

If a schoolteacher teaches that 2+2=4 without mentioning gods, is that teaching atheism?

 

If a schoolteacher teaches about evolution without mentioning gods, is that teaching atheism?

 

If a school doesn't have a moment of silence at the start of the day, is that teaching atheism?

 

If a schoolteacher has the class pray every day, and a judge rules it stopped, is that promoting atheism? If so, does this mean that every class that does NOT have a mandated prayer is promoting atheism?

 

Maybe you could clarify what you see as promoting atheism, OGE. I think it normally takes some discussion of gods to promote atheism, if only to promote the idea that they don't exist. Not mentioning gods in teaching the periodic table isn't teaching atheism.

[Trevorum]

If a school teaches that 2+2=4 without mentioning gender, is that sexism?

 

If a school teaches that 2+2=4 without mentioning allele frequencies, is that racism?

 

If a school teaches that 2+2=5 for very large values of 2, is that math?

 

 

 

 

[Gunny2862]

If you have both values of 2 being very large you may wind up with 2+2=6, is that also still math? Although I think this would at least be a color blind equation.

[Gonzo1]

OGE,

I think schools do support atheism, to some degree.

There is no more Easter Vacation, it's Spring Break, and we know what debauchery that brings.

 

There's no more Christmas Vacation, it's now Winter Break.

 

We can't have a Christmas Pageant or play, but Winter Program.

 

It seems a little strange, doesn't it?

We win the Cold War and triumph over the Soviets, We kick God out of school, they put God in school.

 

 

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

That's a good example of the nonsense I was talking about. How is calling something "winter break" promoting atheism?! That's ridiculous. If it isn't called "Saturnalia", is that also promoting atheism?

[Trevorum]

Gonzo, I think you miss Merlyn's point. Where previously many public schools embedded much religious content (generally Christian with token nods to Jews) into the curricula, today tax-payer supported schools are (mostly) secular. That is not at all the same as atheistic. Secular means not including religious content (of any spin); to be labeled atheistic, schools would have to actively teach that there ARE no gods - which schools clearly do not do. As a result, teachers can now focus on the reading and math while leaving the religious instruction (or lack thereof) to the parents. IMHO, a major benefit is that kids of minority faiths (yes, they do exist) are not forced to endure the dogma of the majority (at least at school).