tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post281445754517538582..comments2023-11-03T06:35:48.003-05:00Comments on Shark and Shepherd: Right, wrong and religionRick Esenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07280070509167910367noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-57673510876802991672009-01-30T12:04:00.000-06:002009-01-30T12:04:00.000-06:00Anon, First as tangents seem to count, Catholic Sc...Anon, First as tangents seem to count, Catholic Schools teach specific doctrines or 'systems of worship'. In addition, the first public education was in a Puritan community where they did teach a specific system. It was not adapted as a more general primer not stressing specific Puritan values and rites until after the Revolution.<BR/><BR/>If you were saying in the first place that 'public education' used to be able to teach lessons from the bible while not endorsing a specific religion, and now that has been lost because all mention of any general term for 'God' is considered 'religious', then I agree with you. <BR/><BR/>I did not make that interpretation from your initial comments. <BR/><BR/>Actually I agree wholeheartedly with that. The mistake being made today is that any reference to God or a lesson taught in the bible is not at all what is meant by the 'separation of church and state' and certainly not 'church and public education'. That the Government give no preference to a specific system of worship is the basis of separation of church and state. Not mentioning the bible, the Koran, or the Talmud, among others, was never the purpose of that separation in any publicly funded venue until very recently. I believe that mistake has and will continue to impact the current lower morla standards of today. I also believe it does not portend the end of this nation, that swings of secularism and religion will continue to move back and forth through the spectrum, and that the continued migration to private and home schools is a sign that the pendulum has already started moving back in the other direction. I have 5 friends that are public school teachers. Every single one of their children go to private(and most private schools are 'religious') schools.<BR/>TuerqasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-78294502252760657412009-01-27T16:01:00.000-06:002009-01-27T16:01:00.000-06:00"Moreover, the New Testament promotes religion as ..."Moreover, the New Testament promotes religion as taking care of widows and childless children. Do you want goverment to stop from doing these things?"<BR/><BR/>Excuse me, it should read fatherless children.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-41363045146310654372009-01-27T15:58:00.000-06:002009-01-27T15:58:00.000-06:00Tuerqas - I think you are missing there are many r...Tuerqas - <BR/><BR/>I think you are missing there are many religions with different systems of worship. For example, some systems promote baby baptism while some think you must be old enough to believe in order to be baptized. <BR/><BR/>There are many differences between religions and our government did not give preference to one other the other to prevent a state religion. However, our government did indeed promote the moral principals that all religions agreed. For example, thou shall not kill, steel, the Good Samaritan and the Golden Rule to name a few. <BR/><BR/>The education system encouraged reading and learning the Bible to know its stories and principals so you could understand our system of government and its laws, to be good citizens. <BR/><BR/>The goverment separated itself from religious systems. Moreover, the New Testament promotes religion as taking care of widows and childless children. Do you want goverment to stop from doing these things?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-44929668824510180532009-01-27T13:46:00.000-06:002009-01-27T13:46:00.000-06:00Anon you canny wordsmith, you must surpass me, bec...Anon you canny wordsmith, you must surpass me, because I do not know where you are going with this. I merely pointed out that I disagree with your second paragraph where you say "Religion is a system of worship that was never taught in school.."<BR/><BR/>I read a small bit about the "New England Primer" and it does not contradict that observation. In fact, the Primer specifically taught religious morals: <BR/><BR/>"The 90-page work contained religious maxims, woodcuts, alphabetical assistants, acronyms, catechisms, and moral lessons. Many of its selections were drawn from the King James Bible and others were original. It embodied the dominant Puritan attitude and worldview of the day. Among the topics discussed are respect to parental figures, sin, and salvation." <BR/><BR/>To me it sounds like religion was indeed taught for hundreds of years in 'public education'. <BR/><BR/>Even if your use of 'school' in your second paragraph meant 'public education' the Primer contradicts you. <BR/>What am I missing?<BR/>TuerqasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-48651949723145792722009-01-27T11:51:00.000-06:002009-01-27T11:51:00.000-06:00TuerqasPlease review the textbook "New England Pri...Tuerqas<BR/><BR/>Please review the textbook "New England Primer" used for over 200 years and tell me the purpose of public education.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-37203941055448866362009-01-27T07:38:00.000-06:002009-01-27T07:38:00.000-06:00Heh, I do not think the first American public scho...Heh, I do not think the first American public school teacher, The Reverend Ralph Wheelock, would agree with you Anon. Even today I would suggest using the term 'public schools'.<BR/>TuerqasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692053.post-91939710271303555462009-01-27T07:09:00.000-06:002009-01-27T07:09:00.000-06:00It's amazing how public education was set up so pe...It's amazing how public education was set up so people could read the Bible to be good citizens involved in their government. Now, we cannot discern between moral principals and religion.<BR/><BR/>Religion is a system of worship that was never taught in school whereas mutually agreed upon morals had been and should be taught. Afterall, our legal system is founded on them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com