Is Religion allowed in School?

My parents are athiests, both being victims of religious abuse as children. I was pretty much uninterested in religion growing up and after looking around I was hard-core agnostic by the time I was a teenager. My schooling was peppered with school prayer, bible study groups and even a compulsory bible class or too. I hated it, I hated every minute of it. I was forced to blend in to keep from being alienated even more than I already was being the eternal new kid since we moved so much.

I think the public school system should be free of religion period. No official support for any religion. No religious view should dominate any goverment sponsored activity. I am a full believer in the idea of freedom of religion which also includes freedom from religion.

Then again I stopped saying the pledge of alligence pretty early on. A teacher asked me why I didn't say it once. I told her that since I was under the age of 18, I could not enter into any form of contract so saying the pledge of alligence was stupid brainwashing and a waste of time. The look on her face was priceless. I did, however, mean every word when I pledged my alligence to the United States and promised to defend the Constition when I joined the military. I held up my end to the best of my ability.

I was, as far back as the fourth grade. As I have stated in a different thread, I was even brought before the class on occasion to share 'my wisdom', and then ridiculed by the teacher. It was not limited to a single teacher in a single year of schooling either.

Evolution was taught as fact, not theory, not the best postulate we have to date, but fact. Anyone questioning this was taken to task before the class. This, in the 'Bible Belt'.

Wouldn't all but one be false?

That is precisely my point.

of course not, that's what polytheism is for!

Evolution, the change in an organism over time, is an observed fact. Natural Selection is the theory which attempts to explain evolution.

~Ulrika~

Sorry, let me clarify. We were taught as fact that we evolved from primates and that we all belonged to the same family tree (which science now sees more as bush of unconnected branches). My 7th grade science teacher went so far as to point to the 'links' as proof positive. I called her on the 'missing link'. I argued this point on more than one occasion (imagine me doing something like that?), so I remember this for sure. I am not positive about this one, but I think remember that we came from single cell amebas. As I did not get past the primates, I did not pay that much attention. But, it was all taught as fact.

Christianity is a Cult.

You have one man as the head of it.

Everyone pays him their "tithes"

He supposedly spends it for the lords work. But 99% of the Lords work is that vacation to Italy and France.

Psychological warfare methods are used on the congregation.

A cult is a Cult is a Cult

Not after all the political power they pull.

Churches

Should be made

To pay back taxes

Going back 225 years.

We are primates.

We have the refined, grasping hands, shortened snout and largish brain - it's clear enough.

Do you think we are not a primate?

Did you actually read Kevn's post?

One "man"? What is that "man's" name? If that were the truth, you would be correct.

Where do tithes go to? To one "man"? Where is it that all the Christian churches mail these tithes to, to reach this "man"?

"He" does? Again, where does my church send these tithes to, to reach this "He"?

Your serious? I missed out some where then I think, or am I the 1%?

Where is the disinformation / deception in Christianity? Don't try to say that so and so (unless you mean Jesus the Christ) did such and such (again, unless you mean Jesus the Christ) so all of Christianity can be dismissed as wrong. Show us exactly where this is the Bible please.

Yep, what does that have to do with Christianity.

Sorry, maybe primate is too broad a term, but the continuation of that statement that all primates are part of the same family tree is more to the point.

Saying that humans at one point had:

1. sharp cusps on their teeth (of "primitive" mammals)
   
2. claw-like nails (like that of modern squirrels)
   
3. Eyes on the sides of their heads (like that of some modern birds)
   

It is amazing that these primates abruptly become extinct, since humans are to have come directly from them.

The branches are now categorized as radiations, not branches that we were taught as fact in school.

I think you are confusing Christianity with Catholicism. Catholics tithe to the pope.

Some Christians don't attend any church, because the real Church isn't a place or building, it's the people. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

The disciples didn't collect a tithe either.

The tithe comes from the sacrifice of the Old Testament. Some people didn't have a lamb to kill on the altar so they would buy them from vendors. Some would bring other goods they produced, like grain and bread. The food was usualy eaten by the religious teachers and Preists. The food that couldn't be used was sold. Some people were paid in cash and would pay a tithe in cash, knowing there was plenty of food. So, the tithe is a continuation of the blood sacrifice.

By paying the blood sacrifice some feel it is a slap in Jesus' face, suggesting His ultimate sacrifice was insufficient. That's why some Christians reject the tithe, and refer to any giving to a religious group a "gift" rather than a tithe.

I think you are confusing Christianity with Catholicism. Catholics tithe to the pope.

Some Christians don't attend any church, because the real Church isn't a place or building, it's the people. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

The disciples didn't collect a tithe either.

The tithe comes from the sacrifice of the Old Testament. Some people didn't have a lamb to kill on the altar so they would buy them from vendors. Some would bring other goods they produced, like grain and bread. The food was usualy eaten by the religious teachers and Preists. The food that couldn't be used was sold. Some people were paid in cash and would pay a tithe in cash, knowing there was plenty of food. So, the tithe is a continuation of the blood sacrifice.

By paying the blood sacrifice some feel it is a slap in Jesus' face, suggesting His ultimate sacrifice was insufficient. That's why some Christians reject the tithe, and refer to any giving to a religious group a "gift" rather than a tithe.

Religion is a matter of Faith. It's something that speaks to your heart and your head. That can't be taught. It can't be compared in a table or chart, it can't be explained in a book.

And there can't be just one way. Even Jesus said, in my Father's Mansion, there are many rooms.

To me, the basics of a religion has to be doing good. For me, a religion has to pass the locked in a closet tests. If a child is locked in a closet their whole life and then dies, if a religion says this person goes to "hell or whatever punishment" because they didn't perform the required rituals, it can't be fair and therefore not right to me.

South Park had an episode in which the priest told the boys their handicapped friend Timmy couldn't go to heaven because he couldn't confess his sins. Does this make sense?

Obviously you never met my ex.

Actually Jesus said He is the only way. That is a basic tenent of Christianity.

As for being good, that wasn't the good news (gospel). The good news is everyone can be saved regardless of past transgressions by accepting the gift of Christ's sacrifice. Paul said "for by grace (free gift) are you saved, through faith, it's a gift of God, not of works, lest an man should boast" letting us know our good deeds equal squat, without Christ's sacrifice we're lost. Of course, good works comes of the same faith of which Paul spoke. But those good works don't save, Christ does. The works are a sign of what is already done within.

Any Christian religion that says a disabled child can't be saved because he can't show his faith through good deeds is not following Christ or the disciples, imho. South Park is a comedy though, I'm sure it was a joke.

I think the Bible was edited a lot. I'm telling you what I believe. I was attempting to debate anything with you. Who is Paul to say what happens. And if that's the case then hey we all have a free pass and what's in your heart and what you do don't count. Woohoo!

As for the South Park reference, it was merely to point out the possibilities, not to say it was truth. But the Catholic Church does require confessions, so if someone is unable to confes or isn't baptised, or hasn't performed the proper ritual, they don't get the right ticket and therefore can't go to heaven.

If the Bible was edited a lot, should we toss it out, since we can't believe anything in it due to editing?

Also, if we aren't going to hear Paul, we should delete at least half the New Testament, since he wrote most of the New Testament.


If we do that, I don't see how one can be a Christian, because it's impossible to know Christ's message.

Concerning a "free pass", that's not going to happen, God knows our hearts, there will be no hiding what's in one's heart.

I'm just stating what the Bible says concerning salvation, how no one can "earn" salvation. If we throw out the Bible I suppose we can believe anything we want about what the Gospel means. But we will never be able to agree on the message. It will be based on personal opinions, without a standard.

Excellent!

/me smiles

See this is the part of Faith. The Lord speaks to me in my heart. There are so many contradictions in the Bible that if I went by that, I would be unable to function. Peter says women shouldn't speak in church, yet when Jesus was resurrected, he chose a woman to tell everyone.

The Bible advocates slavery in the old testament, my heart tells me this is wrong, but if I go by you, I would condone it.

You sir might need a standard, because it makes you feel better. I know what my heart tells me is right and no book can change that.

This is more indicitave of the poor quality of science education than it is of the quality of evolutionary theory.

But then, you only get what you pay for.

Didn't a infamous Fundy tell the town of Dover they were going to hell for voting out all the Republican councilmen and Voting in Democrats???

A personal faith is not bad, it's just not Christianity. Many people have personal faiths that they feel works. Even some people who attend Christian religious services are misled as to the actual message of Christ. I wouldn't deny that or argue it's wrong for you. Even if you want to call it Christianity, that's fine too. But it's not the teachings of Christ according to the scriptures translated from Greek.

I guess this is going off topic though, as it has nothing to do with teaching religions in school. If Christianity is to be taught in schools, along with several other religions, it will be taught from te Bible, as that is the only text we have that is accepted by Christians in general as the standard for Christian faith.

I wouldn't know. I don't answer for everyone who calls themself a Christian though.