My position supports the teaching of religious principles as a foundation for both formal and informal education. I do not subscribe to the teaching of one religious believe over another in public schools, that would be ethnocentric. However, I do believe in teaching the cultural universal virtues of religion, that being values, ethics, morals, and principles. These virtues can be used to improve both formal and informal education.
I support this thesis by the opinion that religion in and of itself is a curriculum, much like philosophy. It is a social science curriculum and its objective is to teach the theory of how one should conduct themselves in the world or what Socrates called "how we ought to live."
Merge science and religion, fact and faith, and see if you agree with what Einstein concluded. Watch the short video clip.
http://wings.buffalo.edu/hced-center/NewFiles/Glaeser.pdf
I like your post, and I fully agree. I think it is important to respect religous views, and demonstrate tolerance, while still maintaining a seperation of education and religion. You're right that no one religion should be emphasized over another; that's how intolerance is born. Instead of arguing over petty religious details, we need to acknowlege positive similarities amongst various religions, and celebrate those teachings.
ReplyDeleteI loved you youtube video at the end, it was very insightful. I agree with you on teaching the cultural universal aspects of religion like ethics, values, and morals.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of RuPaul, "If you can't love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?" How true that is. Love is universal, just as relgion is. It comes in many shapes and sizes and forms but is still the same. Children shold be taught to understand other faiths, beliefs, and cultures. A child is not born prejudice, they learn to be.
ReplyDeleteGood blog
i like your post because you touched on how religion can be taught as a curriculum and related it to philosophy.
ReplyDeleteI also like Tom's comment about how "love is universal, just as religion is"
I agree.
I totally agree GReG!! I couldn't have said it better myself. I believe if anything all religions should be taught in school. That way they become culturally acceptable to young children. In doing this, maybe we can break a cycle of discrimination. It isn't us that cause this BS of discrimination. It's these no sense adults who keep this pattern going.
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