Comment by Aric on August 28, 2009 at 12:07am

If the textbook went into detail on every religion ever created then it would probably be the biggest textbook ever!

Comment by Reggie on August 28, 2009 at 12:39am

Good point, Aric. Kids would spend most of their school years learning the nuances of each religion. We'd have to set aside an hour or so on Sunday mornings to teach them something valuable like science or math.

Comment by Rox on August 28, 2009 at 1:17am

I'd love to see it, but I'm queer for religion & always have been ;)

We do our kids a disservice by whitewashing how religion has affected every culture through the ages, and in particular our OWN. America is the first nation whose government comes not from GOD but from the "consent of the governed."

A growing number of "the governed" are sick of having our rights trampled on while the culture is ever more saturated with Christian indoctrination and historical revisionism.

I'd agree to Christianity getting more attention than other religions if we're going to teach the kids a little more about how religious nuts have been trying to regain control of American government since the signing of the Constitution in its godlessness.

Comment by Cara Coleen on August 28, 2009 at 2:13am

I just think this is putting kids in the middle of the adult's argument. I'm sorry, but I don't trust that kids will make the right decision in this sort of atmosphere; they'll choose their parents' religion in almost every case.

This is my suggestion: let's just let them have the public schools and the government. We can all escape to some remote island and take our evil science and over-education with us. Or, perhaps we continue this fight against religion until we discover a planet that can sustain life and just go live there. We'll take all our distracting inventions and abominable cures with us and let them fend for their selves. It won't be long before the self-fulfilling Apocalypse happens and all the religions on the planet destroy each other. If we wait a couple hundred years, and let the radioactivity of their nukes disperse, the earth might be able to regenerate itself. Then we can go back and live happily ever after!

Comment by Misty: Baytheist Living! on August 28, 2009 at 4:27am

CC-
1) How can you say it's putting the kids in the middle of their parent's arguments and then claim the children will always choose their parents beliefs? That isn't putting the kids in the middle of the arguments, that's just taking the arguments to them one generation early.
2) It takes way more than a few hundred years for nuclear radiation to break down. try a few thousand.

Wes-
This isn't a new idea. Have you heard the gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? You too can be touched by His noodley appendage..........

Comment by Reggie on August 28, 2009 at 10:12am

This is my suggestion: let's just let them have the public schools and the government. We can all escape to some remote island and take our evil science and over-education with us.

No way, Ayn.

Comment by Wesley on August 28, 2009 at 8:48pm

My deal is.. I'm sick and tired of the pushing of religious agenda's on the rest of us. They know we are going to oppose any religious education in our schools. So they can push it and then point to us as 'evil bastards' as we oppose it. What I'm suggesting is to pull the rug out from under them by going MUCH FURTHER then they wish. Teach ALL the major religions and give them fair and balanced treatment...something which isn't usually done from the pulpit.

This is kind of a 'bold stroke in a direction they do not expect' if the secular starts pushing for teaching religion in our schools. The religious right are going to say......WTF? Then they are going to dig their heels in...in opposition to this.

They don't want their children being taught that other people have just as much reason to believe in their particular religion as they do in theirs. They don't want their children hearing about miracles in other belief systems... or spiritual experiences in other belief systems... or other prophecies...other ideas about life after death....or other saviors etc

My thinking is that it would 'shut a lot of people up'... Then every time they start pushing their shit ... we can bring this out and wave it around.

I honestly think it would be very helpful to have a fair and balanced treatment of All the major and a good portion of the minor religions in our schools. Kids need to be exposed to other belief systems from a non-biased and balanced perspective.

Comment by Reggie on August 28, 2009 at 11:10pm

Wes is all about the jujitsu!

Comment by Serotonin Wraith on August 29, 2009 at 11:39am

We have this in the UK. RE (religious education) classes focusing on the 6 or so most popular world religions. It's taught in a detached manner, and it's a great idea.

Comment by Jeff Parsons on August 29, 2009 at 1:51pm

Wonderful idea. I took "comparative religion" many years ago. It was an objective analysis of basic mythology and timelines for the predominate religions and philosophies. This was in college and since it was elective there wasn't any bitching about it - if I remember correctly. There would be "righteous outrage" if it was taught in public school since those with invisible friends realize that indoctrination is easier in children and especially when they are allowed to hear one side. Exposing young minds to reason generally has the effect of encouraging free thinking. Why would any group that requires, errr demands, blind belief in magic allow such things?

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