Teach Your Children Well

[Flannel Jesus]

They're not protesting teaching 5 year olds how to play nice and be kind, are they?

Probably not. play nice and be kind is a tepid admonishment: what's there to object to?

Right, so they're just objecting to state-enforced religious nonsense. Only 63% of Americans are Christian - it shouldn't be surprising that 37% of the nation (which isn't a small number) doesn't want to have their children forcibly fed religious stuff. Separation of church and state and all that. And a big portion of chritians also justifiably are on the anti- side as well, because they're rational and realize that just because they believe something doesn't mean they should force it upon everyone else too, and they wouldn't like their children force-fed religious stuff that they don't agree with. Basic empathy and all that.

[Alexiev]

If we would just loosen up our bigoted immigration laws, we could post Sharia Laws in all the classrooms in Louisiana.

Walker and Henry would approve. In principle, at least.

List them laws and I'll tell you what I think.

I would, but I have no idea what they are. Some political theorists believe the Muslim world has been held back because of the lack of separation between Church and State. Perhaps we should avoid emulating them.

[accelafine]

If we would just loosen up our bigoted immigration laws, we could post Sharia Laws in all the classrooms in Louisiana.

Walker and Henry would approve. In principle, at least.

List them laws and I'll tell you what I think.

I would, but I have no idea what they are. Some political theorists believe the Muslim world has been held back because of the lack of separation between Church and State. Perhaps we should avoid emulating them.

Not just held back but propelled backwards in time by hundreds of years and become collectively insane.

[henry quirk]

so they're just objecting to state-enforced religious nonsense.

No. They're objecting to the passive injection of a particular set of ethical instructions. They're objecting, moreover, to the supposed source of those instructions. If our previous governor, John Bell Edwards had mandated, for example, the Ten Commandments of Socialist Morality and Ethics, I wonder if these staunch separatists woulda stepped up to object.

Only 63% of Americans are Christian

80% or more of Louisianians are Christian.

it shouldn't be surprising that 37% of the nation (which isn't a small number) doesn't want to have their children forcibly fed religious stuff.

Irrelevant. We're not talkin' about a national mandate.

a big portion of chritians also justifiably are on the anti- side as well,

I don't know that to be true. Granted, all this is new, but nuthin' in the local news indicates any big push back from Louisianians. The folks who seem to have bunched panties mostly aren't from here.

[henry quirk]

Perhaps we should avoid emulating them.

I'm trying to figure out how this...

CD281A55-E5C2-4C23-B68C-FAB0F800507C.png

...leads to any bad result.

[Flannel Jesus]

so they're just objecting to state-enforced religious nonsense.

No. They're objecting to the passive injection of a particular set of ethical instructions. They're objecting, moreover, to the supposed source of those instructions.

You said "no" but then you didn't say anything that disagreed with what I said

[Flannel Jesus]

Perhaps we should avoid emulating them.

I'm trying to figure out how this...leads to any bad result.

You don't need to see it. It's very simple. Respect religious freedom, including freedom from religion, end of story. It doesn't matter if you see it, if you accept the principle of freedom of, and from, religion. That principle is sufficient to an empathetic person.

In other words, you can simultaneously think "the ten commandments are great rules for everyone to go by" AND think "people should have freedom of and from religion, so let's not mandate religious texts in schools". That's what nuanced, understanding, empathetic Christians think.

[Alexiev]

Perhaps we should avoid emulating them.

I'm trying to figure out how this...CD281A55-E5C2-4C23-B68C-FAB0F800507C.png...leads to any bad result.

Lots of people.think placing the Ten Commandments on classroom walls violates rule #2 in your kids' version. Why should you get to decide for them?

[henry quirk]

You said "no" but then you didn't say anything that disagreed with what I said

That depends on if, like me, you see the Ten Commandments of Socialist Morality and Ethics as a kind of religious document.

-----

I need to point out...

I'm neither Catholic or Christian (I'm a Deist); I'm not Republican/Conservative or Democrat/Progressive (I'm a natural rights libertarian).

As I say in my first post: I see no harm in posting the 10. I still don't.

[accelafine]

So thick.

[henry quirk]

Respect religious freedom, including freedom from religion, end of story.

So, the mere presence of the 10 is a violation of other folks' religious freedom?

That's what nuanced, understanding, empathetic Christians think.

Then Louisianaians must be un-nuanced, non-understanding, and un-empathetic cuz, as I say, locally there isn't any obvious pushback against the mandate.

[henry quirk]

Lots of people.think placing the Ten Commandments on classroom walls violates rule #2 in your kids' version.

Who? Can you point me to their website or literature?

Why should you get to decide for them?

I'm not deciding anything (if I had my way it wouldn't be the 10 to be posted). All I'm sayin: I do not see the harm in posting the 10.

[henry quirk]

So thick.

you too, veg

[Alexiev]

Lots of people.think placing the Ten Commandments on classroom walls violates rule #2 in your kids' version.

Who? Can you point me to their website or literature?

I, for one. (I wouldn't use the word "fake", which suggests intentional deception. But those who believe in the "false idols" of the Bible don't think they're fake, either.)

[henry quirk]

I, for one.

Okay. That's one. What about the rest of the lots of people?