[ExI] Rick Warren on religion

Tue Jan 1 00:49:52 UTC 2019

(sorry this took so long for a reply)  Spike wrote:

If a parent complains, then the student has the option of not doing that
unit.  There is enough material that the student can learn around that
material and still make the tall pointy grade.  Now the administration can
freely offer online material about Christianity, Protestantism or
Catholicism, Islam, Hindu, anything they want (and they do.)

Are those materials that the school system developed, or just links to
Wikipedia or something?  It raises a big question for me:  I would oppose
letting any gov. absolutely rule education.  But I also have trouble with
letting parents opt their kids out.  To a certain point every kid should
get the same education (except for topics on which they excel and can go
further).  Sure, the kids can go home and Google Hinduism, but will they?
And in a very real sense, all of the religions are huge parts of history,
and history must be taught without anyone being excused.  Otherwise you
have even worse bias than the school is presenting because of opt-outs
being left in ignorance.

Who gets to choose the education material?  In Texas it is very, very
strictly controlled and very conservative in matters of sex and history.
Their legislatorosauruses tried to ban a vaccine for cervical cancer.  I do
not know if they succeeded, but we are talking about very primitive people
here.  Men who want to be in charge of women's health and bodies.

Another problem:  kids need teachers who are there in the same room. I hope
this will never change. Hard to question things online, I assume.  Spike
can tell us just how the online content is pitched.  Is it to the average
student?  I assume that is true.  Therefore the slower student will need
somebody to answer questions.  The very best students may not need
questions answered, but I was one and I was full of questions.

For Spike - the two hospitals in Jackson are Baptist and Catholic, and yes,
they do ask about your religion if you are a patient.  Of course you are
not forced to answer.  I just check for no visits by religious personnel.
Different situation than a business etc.

billw

On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 1:25 PM <spike at rainier66.com> wrote:

>
>
>
>
> *From:* extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> *On Behalf
> Of *William Flynn Wallace
> *Sent:* Sunday, December 9, 2018 10:55 AM
> *To:* ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [ExI] Rick Warren on religion
>
>
>
> >>… If a parent complains, then the student has the option of not doing
> that unit.  There is enough material that the student can learn around that
> material and still make the tall pointy grade.  Now the administration can
> freely offer online material about Christianity, Protestantism or
> Catholicism, Islam, Hindu, anything they want (and they do.)
>
>
>
> >… I find this very sad and very disturbing…
>
>
>
> Indeed?  I find it happy and comforting, particularly after reviewing the
> material myself.  It doesn’t promote or denigrate any particular religion
> (it isn’t obvious to me if they do) but explains a lotta lotta about why
> and how come.
>
>
>
> >… It was bad enough when nothing was taught and now it may be even worse…
>
>
>
> Disagree.  It was bad enough, but now is much better.  I recall when
> biology was being taught in the public school without mentioning evolution,
> how little sense it all makes without that cornerstone concept.  Without
> some knowledge of religion, history in general makes damn little sense.
>
>
>
> For instance, we in the USA recently celebrated a festival of
> Thanksgiving, where we talk about pilgrims, European people seeking
> religious freedom.  OK.  Why did both Catholic and Protestant authorities
> have heartburn with them?  Seems like one or the other would have been OK
> with them.  Reason: civil authorities were hoping to use religion as a
> unifying force in their cultures.  Perhaps they hoped (in the ideal case)
> that everyone in their country would subscribe to the religion of the
> crown.
>
>
>
> OK, that makes sense.  Now, separatists, where do they fit?  No allegiance
> to the Pope or the state religion.  Now the crown can’t be sure of their
> loyalty.  They can’t be sure if they can trust the separatists to charge
> the enemy.  They don’t know whether to fight them or trust them.  So… they
> don’t want them.  No one wants them.
>
>
>
> The separatists want to follow their own way.  They got on board a ship
> and sailed to undeveloped territory where they damn well knew their chances
> of survival were a tossup.  They went anyway.
>
>
>
> That’s powerful motivation.
>
>
>
>
>
> >…Letting parents select what their children are taught is a road to
> ignorance and that leads to bigotry and that leads to street fights all the
> way up to war…
>
>
>
> There is that, but it might be a road away from ignorance and away from
> bigotry, and solves street fights and war.
>
>
>
>
>
> >…As for forms, I have no idea what is current, but most of the forms I
> see, census, hospital, have places for religions…
>
>
>
> Hmmm, OK.  I haven’t seen that in decades.
>
>
>
> >…  I would guess that no businesses do this anymore…
>
>
>
> Not if they don’t want to get the pants sued offa them.
>
>
>
> >…  Who else?  No idea…bill w
>
>
>
> I have lived in California so long, I have forgotten how the rest of the
> world operates.
>
>
>
> spike
>
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>
>
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