Graduating from one of the finest bible colleges in Nashville, American Baptist College, this discussion hits home for me. To make a long journey short, I do not believe that religion should be taught in school in the sense that the educational leader/s attempt to convert students to a specific denomination. However; I would not be against teaching religion as a curriculum for the purpose of understanding history, government, sociology, economics and politics as this played a significant role in the way America was founded. The Bible, The Koran, Confucian and all the other great books of past religion has a story to tell and has influenced the way we think, act and feel about each other, different countries and politics. Might I add that Christianity is by far one of the biggest gangs of religious–politics that has, in my opinion, bullied people, societies and governments for years. This all mighty truth (The Bible) was used to justify slavery, perpetuate male dominance, silence and discourage women and used to continue gay/lesbian bashing by preaching rhetorical homophobic sermons. More prevalently it has been used as a tool to manipulate people to support the lavish lifestyle of the pastor while members of the congregations and their families are struggling day to day just to make ends meet. Studying the Bible, Gandhi, Thurman and King opened my eyes and allowed me to appreciate the religion of other cultures. No, good people,I am not against the Bible. I am against those interpreters of the bible who use it for idolatry, to control, oppress and force their beliefs and religious views upon others. In the introduction of his book entitled How the Bible Came to Be, John Barton’s statement confirms Christian ideologies and thoughts concerning the Bible. He says, the idea of ‘Holy Scripture’ seems to contain within it this implication of completeness, fixity, and stability. The books of the Bible are experienced as a given, and their authority lies in the fact that it is God who gave them: they are not in any way negotiable, and they cannot be questioned. Listen, the bible can be preached and taught in such a way to encourage, uplift, edify and spiritually fulfill those persons from all walks of life. No one can stop you from taking a moment of silence to pray or reflect on issues of life. People of authority can however; choose the content of textbooks that will be used in school districts forcing students not to question or consider weakness or flaws in not only Darwinism but history, science, economics and any other curriculum. Some parents who spoke before the board said that their children had been intimidated and ridiculed by biology teachers when they questioned evolution and that there is nothing wrong with debating a theory that is not proven fact.(Calefati, 2009) Not allowing students to argue or debate theory is a disgrace and a mockery of every aspect of learning, education and leadership.
References
Barton, J. How the Bible Came to Be. 1998
Calefati, J. (January 22, 2009) Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up. US News On Education
Website retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133302
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