Comments on: 2nd July 2008 http://atheistweb.org/qotd/304 Daily quotations to interest, inspire or amuse atheists and agnostics Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:41:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Hypatia http://atheistweb.org/qotd/304#comment-1747 Hypatia Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:01:33 +0000 http://atheistweb.org/qotd/304#comment-1747 <blockquote>timing is important.</blockquote> Chris, I couldn't agree more - what kind of person would want to introduce primary kids to things they couldn't possibly understand? Scary things involving eternal damnation for example! And how come there's an RE lesson every week, for every year of school? You can learn all you need to know about most religions in one lesson (so one term should be enough:-). Just how much does an average child need to know about Sikhism for example (< 1% of the world's population are Sikhs) Are they ever going to meet one? The over expenditure of teaching time on RE is such a waste.

timing is important.

Chris, I couldn’t agree more - what kind of person would want to introduce primary kids to things they couldn’t possibly understand? Scary things involving eternal damnation for example!

And how come there’s an RE lesson every week, for every year of school? You can learn all you need to know about most religions in one lesson (so one term should be enough:-). Just how much does an average child need to know about Sikhism for example (< 1% of the world’s population are Sikhs) Are they ever going to meet one?

The over expenditure of teaching time on RE is such a waste.

]]> By: Chris http://atheistweb.org/qotd/304#comment-1746 Chris Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:59:32 +0000 http://atheistweb.org/qotd/304#comment-1746 I agree with the quote but I would add that timing is important. I would not want to see this sort of thing being taught in elementary or even in high school. There are other more pressing subjects. Let a survey of world religion be a required lower division general education course in college. I think all students ought to have an appreciation of the high and low points of the subject but that it should be reserved for a time when they are less impressionable. That is after all why the mythically inclined are so all fired up about prayer and religious education in schools - if they get 'em young, by and large, they've got 'em for life. This is far and away the most important battle ground for we secularists. Let us take a cue from Churchill and make it our war cry against the encroachment of mythical unreason in our halls of learning: "We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's (natures) good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old." -Winston Churchill OK, I had to edit one bit. I agree with the quote but I would add that timing is important. I would not want to see this sort of thing being taught in elementary or even in high school. There are other more pressing subjects. Let a survey of world religion be a required lower division general education course in college. I think all students ought to have an appreciation of the high and low points of the subject but that it should be reserved for a time when they are less impressionable.

That is after all why the mythically inclined are so all fired up about prayer and religious education in schools - if they get ‘em young, by and large, they’ve got ‘em for life. This is far and away the most important battle ground for we secularists. Let us take a cue from Churchill and make it our war cry against the encroachment of mythical unreason in our halls of learning:

“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s (natures) good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”
-Winston Churchill

OK, I had to edit one bit.

]]> By: John Sutton http://atheistweb.org/qotd/304#comment-1745 John Sutton Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:22:17 +0000 http://atheistweb.org/qotd/304#comment-1745 The culture and habits common to other countries should be taught as they are an inevitable part of our global environment. However, the silly notions of minorities such as creationists are a waste of our children's valuable time. Children need to understand some aspects of the people they could come into contact with in later life. The problem we face is that if we are too tolerant of fanciful religious claptrap it will leave an opening for religious indoctrination, superstition, repression and the humiliating act of prayer. This is what we need to stop. The culture and habits common to other countries should be taught as they are an inevitable part of our global environment. However, the silly notions of minorities such as creationists are a waste of our children’s valuable time. Children need to understand some aspects of the people they could come into contact with in later life.

The problem we face is that if we are too tolerant of fanciful religious claptrap it will leave an opening for religious indoctrination, superstition, repression and the humiliating act of prayer. This is what we need to stop.

]]> By: Terence Meaden http://atheistweb.org/qotd/304#comment-1744 Terence Meaden Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:49:25 +0000 http://atheistweb.org/qotd/304#comment-1744 Comparative religion classes are very well in principle but they can be completely biased depending on the beliefs of the schoolteachers. I would say that the only teachers capable of providing properly unbiased classes in religion are atheists. If that is not possible in a particular school, then it is better that government school policy should exact that the school has no religious classes at all. Comparative religion classes are very well in principle but they can be completely biased depending on the beliefs of the schoolteachers.
I would say that the only teachers capable of providing properly unbiased classes in religion are atheists.
If that is not possible in a particular school, then it is better that government school policy should exact that the school has no religious classes at all.

]]>