The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #144236   Message #3345180
Posted By: Steve Shaw
30-Apr-12 - 09:22 AM
Thread Name: BS: Follow Jesus, not religion Andrew Sullivan
Subject: RE: BS: Follow Jesus, not religion Andrew Sullivan
Well, I would, in my Utopia, prevent any school from teaching children that God (or gods) is true and that we should worship him and ask him for things. No child would ever be taken to any church service, chant prayers or made to sit under a crucifix. My sole reason for that is that I think it's wrong that children are taught that myth is true. Schools should be about education, and that isn't education. I don't mind children being taught myths as long as it is clear that what they are being told is myth, and I think children should certainly be made to compare world religions and study their impact, past and present, on humanity. If you think that's prejudice, then I'm more than happy to be called prejudiced. As for choice, if you permit schools to select pupils on the basis of pushy parents, ability to move house, wealth, religion, feigned religion or anything else, you are giving those parents the choice they demand, but simultaneously you are impoverishing the schools which these motivated people are eschewing. I don't think it's right that a child should be given an advantage simply because his parents can do those things, just like I don't think it's right that the unfortunate kids of poorer or feckless parents should be put at even greater disadvantage by this blind application of market forces.