I am currently enrrolled in ap government and U.S. History. Some of the things I've read about has lead me to question whether or not our public forums are really secular, particularly in schools. In 1789 the founding fathers wrote the constitution and, in it, the establishment clause. There is a common misconception about the establishment clause, it does not say that there is to be a "separation of church and state", but that the federal government cannot show preferential treatment toward any particular faith or lack there of. (The term "seperation of church and state" was actually first used by Thomas Jefferson in 1800 when Mass. tried to create a state church. The context that the phrase was used in was meant to reinforce the idea of secularistic, not anti-religous sentiment.) Everbody knows that the founders wanted a secular government and in the 50's and 60's this was the battle cry of many progresssive activists pushing for darwinian theories to be taught in public schools. They fought for a noble and just cause, but they went tp far. The word secular has been twisted beyond recognition. In the name of secularism, religion has been removed from public forums across the nation. If we are to be the first truly a secular society, then we must first be open minded to all ideas and theories, be they faith based or not. Anti-religion activists are persecuting faith based science and philosophy in the same exact way that Christians persecuted "Godless" theories and philosophy some fifty or forty years ago. What I propose is that we establish a society of complete tolerance in the public sphere of life. This will better our nation as a whole, as well as fullfilling the desires of our founding fathers.
Similar entries
User login
Like This Site?
If you would like to see ProgressiveU continue to grow, why not donate?
Have You Seen This Yet?
Recent blog posts
Navigation
Who's online
There are currently 1 user and 280 guests online.
Online users
- thockett
Progressive U Features
Poll
Do you agree with the decision to try suspects linked to 9/11 in New York?
Yes
25%
No
38%
Undecided
19%
No opinion
19%
Total votes: 16
Vote
I'm interested in a couple points that you choose to illustrate:
Thomas Jefferson did say that there should be a "separation of Church and State," and by that he did mean that the political sphere may be influenced by the Church but it may not be LED by it. In fact, Thomas Jefferson said many things; for one thing, he did say that "all men are created equal," but as the aforementioned statement you mentioned above, his definition of a "Man" was a white, christian man, and not a black or any other racial, denominational Man. Of course, at his time, there was a widely different perspective on Government and Religion. THere was no such thing as women's rights, for pete's sake!
Religion, if I am not mistaken, has not been removed from the public forum. The basis of the social morals, and consequently, our public bylaws are guided by the religious principles of Christianity. I believe that teachers are allowed to discuss and debate religious issues in AP History, but they are not allowed to teach the doctrines as if they were proving it. THat, and if you are trying to make bold the fact that there is a rise in creationism/Intelligent Design VS Evolution, you're right. Secularism HAS kicked the religion out of the evolutionary sciences because it does not belong there, firstly, there's very little objective evidence to prove that there was a chicken before there was an egg. Secondly, if you're going to ask that there be more religion in our classes/public-forums, than you'll have to accept that the word "religion" applies to people who have one. Then you exclude the part of society that are atheists or those who have no denomination but who worship; like humanists.
I think that religion is an enlightening tool for improving the people's morals, but it's not to be confused with the law. If we want to discuss creationism, then we should accept that Christianity is not the only religion of the U.S, and teach every denomination as well as Evolutionary Biology.
You do believe in a secular society right? So do I. It needs to be understood that secularism supports the teaching of all theories, I don't care if they deal with religion or not. There is scientific evidence supporting I.D. and any argument supported by a "lack of evidence" is void, evelotion is 99% filled with unexplainable holes, as is the origins of the universe. The fact is that any theory, faith based or not, will never gain any more validity unless you can create a time machine. All veiws need to be offered, or none at all. That is what secularism stands for, too many seem to be covering atheism with the sheeps clothing of secularism.
Well, intelligent design has support from those who purport its theories, however, the greater scientific community, the peers of those who advance the ID theory have rejected the hypothesis that the mollecular level of organisms' cells' structures and functions occurred from the very beginning by a "hand" of God.
Anyway. You're right, that nothing has been PROVED in terms of the greater sphere of Evolutionary theory, and so just coming back to your question; Yes, I do believe in a secular society, and if I'm understanding you correctly, there IS a problem with this anti-religious/anti-spiritual/anti-myth atmosphere in which students are taught at schools. And, there is negative feedback in society because of that; less people going to church, for instance.
But, how would we go about offering all views; is this offer going to be in schools? clubs? part of the G.E curriculum in college?