Should Christianity be Taught in Schools

[sorrow]

Well, I go to a secular school. I have a catholic school a short distance from my house, about the same length as the public school I go to.

And my question is, should children be indoctrinated with Jesus from the beginning? Or should the education system remain secular and open to critical/free thought?

 

[jiggyfly]

Well, I go to a secular school. I have a catholic school a short distance from my house, about the same length as the public school I go to.

And my question is, should children be indoctrinated with Jesus from the beginning? Or should the education system remain secular and open to critical/free thought?

First, let me say that the public educational system would actually have to change substantially to be considered "open to critical/free thought". I can not think of another institutution within the U.S. that is more bias concerning religion than the public school system. They don't have a problem with Buddah, Allah, Krishna or L. Ron Hubbard, but it is very evident that they don't like Jesus or anything that alludes to Jesus.

Now, with that said, I think inorder to properly answer the question, we must first establish the purpose or goal of the public school system. I thought the purpose of such a system is to prepare and train children to become functioning and contributing members of society. A quick study in recent history will show that society in the U.S. in general has been declining when it comes to community, morality and justice. Now look at what has changed within the public school system in the last several decades and it is easy to see the one, most contibuting factor to this decline is the removal of anything that possibly can allude to Jesus.

No matter what, when a system with a purpose and responsibility such as the public school system, rails against propigating the Truth in any degree, society will always suffer the consequences.

 

[Coconut]

They don't have a problem with Buddah, Allah, Krishna or L. Ron Hubbard, but it is very evident that they don't like Jesus or anything that alludes to Jesus.

Schools in North America may well be classed as secular, but its highly debatable whether they are truly open to "critical/free thought" as jiggyfly well said.

I was taught the "theory of evolution" in school as tho it were not a theory at all, but known fact, (and how silly you were if you didnt accept these theories as being plausible) and the Bible I read from (in the same class) was chuckled at by the teaching Professor as tho it were an amusing fairytale....I`d as soon my child be taught nothing of any religion, even Christ...than be taught "truth" by anyone who doesnt know what the truth is. An unconverted man/woman cannot teach a child about Jesus Christ anyways, because if he has not believed, he will only teach the story of His history, and not His reality....and whats the good of that?

 

[Giggles4God]

I always liked the quote or whatever it is that says 'Don't be so open minded that your brains fall out!' I would rather be close minded than to loose my brains because my mind is too open to keep them inside.

Also, My high school that I went to allowed a teacher to have a Bible study in her clssroom after school. And I spoke up in Biology class about Creation.

There will always be someone who will laugh at you or whatever about your faith in Jesus. Jesus is a hush hush name. :-S

My husband and I are going to be homeschooling our children IF it is still legal when we are ready for schooling them. (We have no children yet) So, instead of them getting the public school junk, they will get Biblically sound stuff. Might tell them about evolution just because if they need to talk about it with someone they know it is a theory and not Truth.

I have a lady at our chruch who is a teacher at a pubic school. She has a Bible on her desk. And I love that!

 

[LostLamb]

I was taught the "theory of evolution" in school as tho it were not a theory at all, but known fact, (and how silly you were if you didnt accept these theories as being plausible) and the Bible I read from (in the same class) was chuckled at by the teaching Professor as tho it were an amusing fairytale....I`d as soon my child be taught nothing of any religion, even Christ...than be taught "truth" by anyone who doesnt know what the truth is.

Hence the reason I am seriously considering home schooling or finding a Christian school for my child.

Evolution has been no more proven than the non-existance or existance of God to some. Just do not see the point or logic in teaching our children theories that are not yet proven fact and may never be proven so.
There is no question if Jesus walked and did as He did, better for a child to learn and decide for his/herself belief in Christ than to have teachings of evolution shoved down their throats.

Just my thoughts....my appologies for any ruffled feathers.

May God Bless You

Danielle

 

[Pedronewt]

our future depends on it!

"In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. " Preface to Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary


When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, "just men who will rule in the fear of God." The preservation of government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be sqandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws. - Noah Webster, History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1832), pp. 336-337

 

[PirateLady]

Schools in North America may well be classed as secular, but its highly debatable whether they are truly open to "critical/free thought" as jiggyfly well said.

I was taught the "theory of evolution" in school as tho it were not a theory at all, but known fact, (and how silly you were if you didnt accept these theories as being plausible) and the Bible I read from (in the same class) was chuckled at by the teaching Professor as tho it were an amusing fairytale....I`d as soon my child be taught nothing of any religion, even Christ...than be taught "truth" by anyone who doesnt know what the truth is. An unconverted man/woman cannot teach a child about Jesus Christ anyways, because if he has not believed, he will only teach the story of His history, and not His reality....and whats the good of that?

I would prefer that my children receive their Biblical instruction at home and church, where they can learn of the Truth for what He is, and not just one of another long line of religious ideas or theories.

If Christianity is taught in schools, other faiths would have to be allowed as well, which I feel would cause many children a great deal of confusion and likely worsen the "I'm okay, you're okay" mentality society already embraces. The teachings of Jesus would be relegated to the level of those of Buddha, Muhammed, etc. and the result would be some crazy blending of the "best ideas of all religions".

Josh McDowell has a great book called "The Last Generation of Christians" that discusses the mentality of kids/teens today in regards to God. Christian kids. And it's alarming. Unfortunately, I see some level of it in my own kids, particularly my stepdaughters. H and I are not the only influence in their lives, and their mother subscribes to an AA 'worshipping God in whatever form you see Him' brand of spirituality, though she considers herself to be a Christian and I am not here to judge.

Kids already feel that something is true because they believe it, not that they believe it because it is true, and that something can be true for one person but not another. I think teaching religion of any sort in school would make that worse...

 

[Trishann]

Pulblic eduacational system is sometimes very off in their thinking.

When my daughter was in high school, she wasn't able to wear her shirt that had some scriptures written on it. But yet these teenager was able to wear shirts that had curse words on them and signs of evil pictures.

I paid close attention to what my children watched on TV or read in their lives, my daughter was sent to the hallway in school, as if she was bad, because she didn't want to watch an scarcy movie they played in school.

I can go on and on about this kind of stuff. It seems like sometimes the school system fight against doing good but yet not stop evil from coming in. In fact the school system welcome these things in as if there is no harm in it.

In school they talk about witches, momosexual, magic, and all these other things but yet they don't want you to talk about Jesus or teach about HIM. This is so twisted.

If we don't bring Jesus in our school what is going to happen to our children.

Your sister in Christ, Trish

 

[sorrow]

I always liked the quote or whatever it is that says 'Don't be so open minded that your brains fall out!' I would rather be close minded than to loose my brains because my mind is too open to keep them inside.

This is deeply disturbing. I don't know how much of an analogy you intend of this, but seriously, how does the brain fall out?

 

[sorrow]

Now, with that said, I think inorder to properly answer the question, we must first establish the purpose or goal of the public school system. I thought the purpose of such a system is to prepare and train children to become functioning and contributing members of society. A quick study in recent history will show that society in the U.S. in general has been declining when it comes to community, morality and justice. Now look at what has changed within the public school system in the last several decades and it is easy to see the one, most contibuting factor to this decline is the removal of anything that possibly can allude to Jesus

Jesus was only a small piece of western education back then. I doubt it really affected the huge decline in the efficiency of the school system. I doubt one even knows what justice means when they leave highschool anyways, regardless of whether Jesus was in the education or not. And community has changed a lot since back then, which really isn't caused by the education system (which is something you'd have to imply in order for notion to hold). Rather, the change in the community affects the education system.

 

[sorrow]

In school they talk about witches, momosexual, magic, and all these other things but yet they don't want you to talk about Jesus or teach about HIM. This is so twisted.

What's twisted is not whether they teach it or not. It is twisted for people to actually believe in magic. Its all a bunch of nonsense. Witches are nonsense, heretics are nonsense.

I don't know what school you go or went to but I gurantee if you go to the government website and view the curriculum, magic, and witches are not a part of it. Magic is not a practiced ideology in schools.

 

[Br. Bear]

Ah, yes... but is is not worthy to note that such things are acceptable and can even be used by teachers to assist in their teaching and explaining to students..... BUT, Jesus Christ and the Gospel can not?

Bless you ....><>


Br. Bear

 

[Trishann]

Exactly Mr Bear, I could have not explain it as well as you did, thank you.

Your sister in Christ, Trish

 

[sorrow]

Ah, yes... but is is not worthy to note that such things are acceptable and can even be used by teachers to assist in their teaching and explaining to students..... BUT, Jesus Christ and the Gospel can not?

Bless you ....><>


Br. Bear

Excellent point bro. To quote Orwell, " Everybody is equal, but some are more equal than others".

There is nothing wrong with teaching Jesus christ in schools, as long as there is no bias, students have the ability to keep an open mind, and can formulate their own opinions, not be coerced into accepting a religion that ultimately we don't need. Faith is all we need; faith in God, Jesus Christ... it's all good. As long as people can do good does it really matter what faith brings them about doing so? I mean, that's what we ultimately want, right? To do good, to be compassionate, happy.

So is it justified if some students are not going to be happy being a christian? If God or Jesus wants us to be christian then is he right in saying so if it means only some of us are going to be happy?

No I am not saying God is wrong.

 

[jiggyfly]

Excellent point bro. To quote Orwell, " Everybody is equal, but some are more equal than others".

There is nothing wrong with teaching Jesus christ in schools, as long as there is no bias, students have the ability to keep an open mind, and can formulate their own opinions, not be coerced into accepting a religion that ultimately we don't need. Faith is all we need; faith in God, Jesus Christ... it's all good. As long as people can do good does it really matter what faith brings them about doing so? I mean, that's what we ultimately want, right? To do good, to be compassionate, happy.

So is it justified if some students are not going to be happy being a christian? If God or Jesus wants us to be christian then is he right in saying so if it means only some of us are going to be happy?
No I am not saying God is wrong.

Could you please clarify what you are saying then?

 

[sorrow]

What I am saying is that as I believe in Jesus Christ, he is a human being whom is just as fallacious as I am, because his arguments use words just as I use words. Words imply that the authority of those words cannot be perfect because words are a human expression, ultimately imperfect, not possibly perfect. So as best as I can, I evaluate the wisdom of Jesus Christ and God from the bible, benefit from it, examine it, figure out what I feel is right and wrong (because what I feel to be right or wrong is more important, because I am the one living in an ever-changing society), and correct some of the wisdom in the bible.

One has to realize that society would fall into hell if morals were not relative. Morals always have to be evaluated, changed, whatever they may be can only be suitable for virtue for a finite period of time. This is called liberal Christianity.

 

[jiggyfly]

What I am saying is that as I believe in Jesus Christ, he is a human being whom is just as fallacious as I am, because his arguments use words just as I use words. Words imply that the authority of those words cannot be perfect because words are a human expression, ultimately imperfect, not possibly perfect. So as best as I can, I evaluate the wisdom of Jesus Christ and God from the bible, benefit from it, examine it, figure out what I feel is right and wrong (because what I feel to be right or wrong is more important, because I am the one living in an ever-changing society), and correct some of the wisdom in the bible.

One has to realize that society would fall into hell if morals were not relative. Morals always have to be evaluated, changed, whatever they may be can only be suitable for virtue for a finite period of time. This is called liberal Christianity.

Sorrow, you said earlier in one of your threads that you were here seeking to learn about christianity, but I don't believe you. You have not accepted any of the truth presented to you but rather argued it down. I think you are intrigued with your own intellect. I see a lot of pride and arrogance and I find it is becoming an annoyance to this forum.

Now consider this a warning, if your posts do not begin to show some trace of sincere humbleness they will be deleted. You said that you came here to learn, so stop trying to be the teacher.

 

[sorrow]

Sorrow, you said earlier in one of your threads that you were here seeking to learn about christianity, but I don't believe you. You have not accepted any of the truth presented to you but rather argued it down. I think you are intrigued with your own intellect. I see a lot of pride and arrogance and I find it is becoming an annoyance to this forum.

Now consider this a warning, if your posts do not begin to show some trace of sincere humbleness they will be deleted. You said that you came here to learn, so stop trying to be the teacher.

Alright then. Is there anything that can help me to understand christianity besides the bible. The bible does not make one understand the bible's purpose, that would be circular. I am here to learn about christianity. By questioning it I am doing more than just accepting everything like a zombie. Sorry if I come off as arrogant, it's not my intent, if you interpret it as such then please ignore it.

 

[JoyOfTheLord]

Some Suggestions

Dear Sorrow ~

Josh McDowell wrote a great book called Questions Skeptics Ask About Christianity. It is very compelling, based on facts not just faith and when I read it, I was surprised at all of the questions I found that I never thought to ask!

Also, I don't know about your reading habits, but another wonderful author is C. S. Lewis, who wrote The Narnia Chronicles. His writing goes way beyond that and I'm wondering if reading some of his works, like The Screwtape Letters, might be a way to help you understand Him.

Praying for your heart to be touched and see His Light - so glad you are posting. He is so much more patient than we humans are

 

[rlowe]

Well, I go to a secular school. I have a catholic school a short distance from my house, about the same length as the public school I go to.

And my question is, should children be indoctrinated with Jesus from the beginning? Or should the education system remain secular and open to critical/free thought?

1 main problem here is most teachers at secular schools teach theories as fact (like evolution) & don't teach the other option for the kids to decide.

Thus it is not really "OPEN TO ... FREE THOUGHT".