Sophomore year, I had to take a world history class. I didn't get to take it with the good History teacher who actually has a masters degree in political science and a minor in education. I had to take it with one of the football coaches. It's a miracle he had a degree at all. He's one of those backcountry deep southern baptist people. One of the chapters was on world religions. We spent the entire chapter with him going, "Okay, Buddhism. It's this, this, and this, but you don't need to know anything about it anyway. You only have to learn about your own religion."
There are a million things wrong with that statement. I was so angry I could scream. I'm a Christian, myself. I love Jesus, and I'm going to heaven someday. God has done so much for me in my life. But, my argument is that everybody needs to learn about faiths other than their own.
If all people learned about world religions, they could understand more about how religion ties into the world's events. If everybody took just a little bit to develop some thoughts on other religions and beliefs. You don't have to agree with a religion or a belief to understand how it works and how it influences other people's lives. We're all human, and I think everybody should try to understand each other.
Also, studying other religions can make people secure in why they believe what they believe. As a Christian, knowing the beliefs of other religions as well as beliefs held by cults that claim to be Christian, I can protect my own faith and not be backed into a corner when asked to discuss my beliefs and why I don't believe a certain idea.
This is a thought long lost on the coach, who is so caught up in his backcountry religion instead of his walk with God, that he can't see how such comments make Christians look bad. You can be sure he spent a while going over the beliefs of Christianity. I'm okay with that, but he should have gone over all religions equally, and certainly NOT said that other religions aren't important but your own. These world religions have alot of bearing on what goes on in this world.
I completely agree that learning about other religions is vital to education, not just to be well rounded, but to better understand the world and the peoples in it. A knowledge of other cultures is beneficial to everyone and could allow for other more creative/culturally pleasing solutions to political problems.
But hey, I'm also a liberal that thinks the Bible should be taught in school because of the amount of literature that draws alliterations, symbols, etc from it.
-Dan
I think that a bible class in school would be good. There are alot of references to it in literature and even in our daily lives. As a Christian, I think God could do wonderful things if the bible was used as a "text book" persay. There are always a few kids who get bored and read text books to see what's there. People could find God like that. I believe it.
If my high school offered a world religions class, I would totally take it.
Well see, thats where one has to be careful, and why few schools take it on, because it must be taught as a piece of literature in that context, the parables, myths, symbols, etc.
-Dan
It would definatley be tough for schools not to overstep the boundaries so to speak. Everybody is so concerned with not offended anybody else, that nothing gets done.
I think that a bible class in school would be good. There are alot of references to it in literature and even in our daily lives. As a Christian, I think God could do wonderful things if the bible was used as a "text book" persay. There are always a few kids who get bored and read text books to see what's there. People could find God like that. I believe it.
If my high school offered a world religions class, I would totally take it.
Very true. No one should force religion on other people. but understanding is the first step to tolerance. and there can't be enough tolerance in the world.
"I'm a Christian, myself. I love Jesus, and I'm going to heaven someday. God has done so much for me in my life..... "
something that most Christian have to necessarily write down and profess and exclaim to the world-----i mean i've said i'm a muslim and believe in one god
but i don't go deeper than that, but most religious/ any chrisitian (most of the time)....always always have to write this sort of satement as if they have to prove to the world their Christian-ness..... i
just want to know am I making any sense and why did you write these few lines or you didn't even think about it and just wrote it (just because....)
"Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right."
Well, I believe in it. And I feel the need to proclaim it. Being a Christian makes me joyful and I feel the need to share. Perhaps, all of us Christians could do better and say what makes it so good.
It is important to know about other reglions so that one can understand others and know what they are talking about not to mention refrences in litature!