Judging by the fact that you said you were still in school (and by the fact that you obviously have not yet learned to capitalize or spell words–when you type like that it is often difficult to read), I assume you do not have any children nor are planning any soon.
That being said, you may feel a little differently when you get older and have kids (or start to plan to have them) and are faced with the realization that while your junior high-level kid may be able to understand that the guest speaker happens to have different beliefs, your first-grader will just wonder if he’s going to catch on fire because that guy said hell-fire and damnation would rain down from the heavens onto anyone who did not believe in some guy named Jesus he had only read stories about.
You are in the situation where you are old enough to blow off anyone who tries to tell you something different than what you believe. However, some people on this board have children that they are concerned about in these situations. I, personally, do not have children yet but I should by this time next year. I should be able to raise my child in any faith that I see fit without having to worry about him being told he is wrong for believing what he does in a place that is supposed to be fighting ignorance.
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Those who think they should be posted seem to have two motives: the history motive, and the moral rule motive. I have problems with both.
On history: if you’re just posting them as a historical document, you’re being mighty selective; there are untold billions of historical documents, and no clear reason to pick the ten commandments as representative. If anything, the Code of Hammurabi should be posted, as the earliest codified example of a system of laws.
On morals: while some of the commandments are good rules to live by (no killing, no stealing), others are tied so closely to religion (keep the sabbath holy, no false idols) that I can’t imagine justifying hanging them in a school. Also, what would the lesson of the ‘thou shalt not covet’ commandment? You’re not allowed to think about doing anything wrong? Until society has reached the ‘thought police’ level, there’s no defense for it.
That being the case, there are only four of the ten commandments that really apply as moral rules to children (well, five if your school has a big adultery problem): don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t lie, and obey your parents.
Anyway. You want to hang up a moral code, hang up the golden rule; at least it doesn’t prohibit you taking its name in vain. “Oh my Gold!”
We’re getting there…
As a member of the faith myself, I wonder why is it more Christians haven’t caught on that forcing people into worship–even in subtle ways, like the “ten commandments” postings–makes them start to hate and resent the very thing you are trying to hold up. and then I wonder–is that really the motive, or are conservative Christians just trying to keep their “club” intact?
As the story of the Wiccan student proves, asking people to give up their holy symbols is asking for a riot. But what of the motives of the teacher,saying," Take that witchy thing off?" Is this the kind of rules she would like secular society to palce on her? And where in the Bible does it ever say that we have the right to make people make things more comfortable for us?
One thing to consider amongst all the heated debate on an issue like this is to remember where we are. If we were in another country where being Islamic or Jewish, for example, were the norm, you would find the most dominant and prevailing religion being “pushed” in all areas of that particular societies culture with even less tolerance than is avilable in this country. And so it is here. The Right Wing Fundamentalists are in fact attempting to “push” their personal beliefs upon the rest of the American culture as a whole. This alone, without any of the many other reasons against such actions is sufficient grounds to send them packing. Perhaps school systems across the country should consider a class titled “Ethnic Diversity” or “Muticultural Philosophy” to assist students of our Western culture in appricating the culture of other nations.
As much as the lack of freedoms in those countries make me, as a human being, saddened, there is a difference between a Theocracy and a Constitutional Republic. It makes sense that Iraq has laws decided by the rules outlined in the Koran, and Israel is controled by Jews, because tthat’s exactly how those countries are (currently) set up.
We, however, are a Constitutional Republic, and the religious right should have no more or less ability to dictate policy as any other religious groups - especially wen they wish to infringe on the rights of those who feel unlike them.
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Well, that goes dangerously close to “leave if you don’t like it,” and that’s noot totally fair. That said, I DO wish these people who feel so persecuted by our “Godless Government” would get their heads out of their asses and realize thatt this country has more religious freedom than any other country out there.
It would never fly. The religious right would scream that they take prayer out of the schools, but want to teach us to tolerate people who are going to hell? Even taking their agenda away, you are left with the potential for such a class to put other religions in the schools which, outside of classes on theology, mythology or history don’t belong there.
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