Prometheus 6

There'll be a lot of discussion about how to relate to Christian Conservatives for a while yet. Thing is, there's been a lot of discussion about if for a while and not every progressive has, like, failed entirely to get through.

This effort is several years old and is therefore filled with a lot of "can't we all just get along" hooey, but has some good information too. It's presented by a professional mediating group called BridgeBuilders…maybe Bush can hire them.

It's Not Just About Bible Reading And Prayer Anymore...

We're all familiar with the advice not to discuss politics or religion with our friends, much less talk about politics and religion in a community of strangers. But many districts are discovering that they cannot ignore religious issues and hope to provide a fair educational environment.

The 1963 Supreme Court decision outlawing state-sponsored school prayer and Bible reading in public schools fundamentally changed how our society deals with religious issues. It ended the almost 200 years of governmental preference for Protestant Christianity and by doing so ushered in an era of increasing tension between religious conservatives and public education. In the ensuing years further court cases, the association of the education establishment with many liberal social causes and many misapplications of the doctrine of the separation of church and state have caused numerous conflicts.

More recently falling test scores, controversial reform initiatives and the campaign for school choice have extended the concerns of the religious community far beyond prayer and Bible reading to virtually every area of school curriculum and policy. The chart below shows the four basic concerns many religious parents have with public education and the practical impact they can have on various segments of school life.

1. Fear of Indoctrination	a. in liberal politics b. in alternative religions c. in an anti-religious world order
2. Fear of losing control of their child's future	a. technology b. psychological comments
3. Fear of alienating children from religious faith	a. schools as 'religion free' zones b. creation vs. evolution
4. Fear the 'dumbing down' of curriculum	a. innovation over basics b. educational fads and jargons c. resent unmotivated/undisciplined students

After touching on the fears behind this, the author touches on the ignorance in recounting five benefits claimed for his approach. The second benefit is presented thus:

In BridgeBuilder workshops I conduct on religious neutrality, I use the following question to test preconceptions: What statement(s) below express the position of the U.S. Government regarding religion in public education?

1. All religions are equally valid, choose whichever suits you best.
2. Religions are based on superstitions. Only science shows us what is true.
3. Truth can be found in synthesizing the best parts of all religions.
4. Religion is a private matter that public education must ignore.
5. Where any religion is mentioned, other religions must be given equal time.
6. None of the above.

Rarely do I get the right answer, which is number six.