Know Islam - Know Peace...And UPDATE
Wow...just received notice of a comment from something I wrote about a month ago...and since it's already in the archive stack, thought that it was worthy of comment.
To go back to the original text....
Know Islam - No Peace UPDATE
There was a thoughtful and insightful comment posted. Not that I'm changing my mind and think that the Islamic religion has any place in our classrooms, but it was a well written piece without name calling...well much anyway.
If prayer doesn't belong in school...provided that the prayer is Christian in nature...then neither do the prayers of Mohammed, Abraham, Buddha, or any other number deities and religious leaders.
It was pretty clear to me that when the Supreme Court disallowed the reading from the bible over a school intercom in 1963, that they thought they were upholding separation of Church and State in their decision....
Abington School District v. Schempp
I'm just helping out...
See y'all on the high ground!
MajorDad1984
posted by MajorDad @ 11/18/2004 04:11:00 PM
2 Comments:
Honestly...I believe that Islam could be a peaceful, benign religion...but as it's currently being twisted, I find it abhorent.
Even with the way it seems to demean and downplay the role of women...the way earlier Christians interpreted the Bible, women also played a lesser role in society. My problem with Islam is that they need to grow with the times and perhaps admit that they are lagging behind.
That's probably one of the major reasons the Western world has left other nations in the dust. Where we are willing to change the way we think and do things...others cling to the past far too closely.
From the high ground,
MajorDad1984
I would just like to comment that when I was in high school, we learned the basics of many religions (including Christianity and Islam). I feel that even that brief exposure to Islam has been a valuable thing, as Islam is practiced by many people (if I remember correctly, something like 25% of the Earth's population), and many of the conflicts in the Middle East are based in religion. I will not pretend to have a full handle on these issues, just want to point out that education regarding Islam in and of itself is not a bad thing. Additionally, you stated in a comment that the opinions of third graders are "irrelevant." However, I believe that teaching children the facts about religions at a young age (with the goal being tolerance, not conversion) is actually best. By high school, most kids already have formed their own opinions, based on the news, their parents views, etc. Tolerance and understanding must be taught from a young age, or we will miss the window of opportunity. (Want to clarify, I do not in any way mean tolerance of violence, just tolerance of other's religious beliefs, which is not the same thing).
I also wanted to say (though it has already been said in comments to your original post) that it is important to understand that not all Muslims are "enemies" as suggested in the article you linked.
Finally, I wonder what sources the author of your linked article used. None are listed, which, in my mind, really undermines the credibility of what he is saying, especially since it is an article in a right-wing website. When your statements are couched in such a partisan format, it is paramount to cite sources so that the general public has the opportunity to verify the facts. Just something to think about, before you put your faith in something you read...
Thanks for a thought-provoking topic!
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