jenthompson (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jenthompson) wrote2015-10-23 02:52 pm
jenthompson) wrote2015-10-23 02:52 pm
church and state
I just found out that my high school offers a new "bible literacy" class as an English elective this year. My mind is blown. I had no idea that such a thing existed in public schools, but apparently Texas passed a law allowing it in 2009.
I'm so torn about how I feel about this. I took a world religion class in college and I LOVED it, but it was a WORLD religion class and we studied all religions. And I am grateful for my childhood education from church about biblical stories because it's good for art history and just general well-rounded life knowledge. In fact, part of my fall away from the Baptist church came after I read the bible from cover to cover and discovered for myself exactly how insane it really is, so I'm glad I spent the time studying it. So I actually do think that educating young people about the bible is a good thing. But...
This class apparently just covers the old testament of the bible, and that's in an effort to be less Christian-specific. But it is taught by one of our uber-Baptist teachers, and when I asked my student about about the class, she said that everybody in there is a Christian, so it's basically just a big bible study class like you would have at church. This whole concept makes me SO uncomfortable! I do think that education about religion is important, but only if it includes ALL religions. If it is Christian-specific, it should be taught in a church, or a private school, not a public one. Separation of church and state is one of the things that I'm the most passionate about, so this one is really throwing me for a loop. I'm amazed that nobody has challenged this in court yet.
Wow. Welcome to the bible belt, I guess!
I'm so torn about how I feel about this. I took a world religion class in college and I LOVED it, but it was a WORLD religion class and we studied all religions. And I am grateful for my childhood education from church about biblical stories because it's good for art history and just general well-rounded life knowledge. In fact, part of my fall away from the Baptist church came after I read the bible from cover to cover and discovered for myself exactly how insane it really is, so I'm glad I spent the time studying it. So I actually do think that educating young people about the bible is a good thing. But...
This class apparently just covers the old testament of the bible, and that's in an effort to be less Christian-specific. But it is taught by one of our uber-Baptist teachers, and when I asked my student about about the class, she said that everybody in there is a Christian, so it's basically just a big bible study class like you would have at church. This whole concept makes me SO uncomfortable! I do think that education about religion is important, but only if it includes ALL religions. If it is Christian-specific, it should be taught in a church, or a private school, not a public one. Separation of church and state is one of the things that I'm the most passionate about, so this one is really throwing me for a loop. I'm amazed that nobody has challenged this in court yet.
Wow. Welcome to the bible belt, I guess!
no subject
I think it's important to have a good basic school service, wherever you are, free from religion. When I was growing up, the closest school, within safe walking distance, was a Catholic one. The next one over would require cycling on a busy road or driving there before it opened because we had one car and my dad needed that to get to work. It was mostly OK because they knew they had a mixed population and didn't push it too much. It got somewhat uncomfortable around major events though. The few kids who didn't take their first communion were kind of dumped in a room to fend for themselves while the others got classes and a 'dress rehearsal' in a decidedly more festive feel. I actually sung in the choir for a bit because it got me out of extra maths class. Kids want to belong and it's unfair to set conditions so that they have to believe X to belong at school. Beliefs are personal.
I realise we have a special situation here (NL) because wayyyy back, the only way they could get a majority to pass child labour laws was to 'trade' it for a law allowing public funding for religious-based schools as long as they met academic standards. I've always side-eyed the hell out of that and especially now that some people are saying that Christian schools are fine, but we shouldn't fund Muslim schools...