The Bible SHOULD be taught in schools:

[Deja Q]

For it is far more forgiving of debtors than our "christian society" now has become.

It will also teach us of the Antichrist (and guess who that is, you only get one guess too...).

[degreesofgray]

1. Yes, our children should learn

that if you marry a woman and find she is not a virgin she should be executed (Deuteronomy 22:13-21);

that marriage consists of a union between one man and one or more women (Genesis 29:17-28; II Samuel 3:2-5);

and that it is a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives (II Samuel 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chronicles 11:21)..

But what children should learn most of all is that the Bible, though poetic and beautiful in parts (Ecclesiastes, Psalms), is the writings of ancient tribal peoples that should be taken with a pillar of salt.

[opihimoimoi]

3. The Bible reveals aggression and genocide, death sentences,

etc etc including slavery.

In totality, it is a bad book...responsible for too many deaths, misery, and suffering. It is a tool, used by scammers posing as preachermans, etc.

Counter proiductive and mind stifling...

[Clark2008]

28. The Bible, itself, is responsible for nothing.

The people who follow the most arcane interpretations of it - or fail to understand that Jesus got rid of Old Testament laws in His Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes - are the people responsible for many deaths, misery and suffering.

The Bible is a tool, you're correct, and, like a hammer shouldn't be used to screw in a screw or a saw used to pound in a nail, the Bible shouldn't be used to teach hate and intolerance.

[Ian David]

9. Laws written by people who couldn't figure out to to safely cook pork...

or, for that matter, how to keep their own penises clean without minor surgery, are not a valid foundation for a modern society.

(As someone whose parents bought him the Penis Upgrade Kit when he was eight days old, I am being slightly ironic).

[Name removed]

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[Metta]

2. Especially the pre-Constantinian bible.

The "heretical" stuff.

[idiosyncratic]

4. Actually, I think it should be taught . . . at least as literature

There are so many references in our language, like "pearls before swine," "apple of my eye," and "wisdom of Solomon."

I think people should know where they came from.

[Ladyhawk]

20. A total waste of tax dollars.

I wish I could unlearn the bible...beastly thing.

[TheFarseer]

5. Yeah, I think all US creditors should forgive our debts

well, not so much *should* as, wouldn't it be nice?

[wuushew]

6. The school day is a finite period

better to devote that time to needed skills like mathematics and science, skills in which the United States compares unfavorably in relation to the rest of the world.

[stubtoe]

7. If they do teach the Bible in school,

they should also teach the Koran, the Torah, the Bagavad Gita, the teachings of Buddha, etc. etc. plus the histories and mythologies of our Native American nations for good measure!

If one religion is taught, then it's only fair to teach ALL. Don't you think so?

I DO get your point though, HypnoToad, and well said. This is just my "religion should be taught in schools" rant/reply to the RW.

[Ian David]

11. I have been touched by His Noodly Appendage

Don't forget Pastafarianism and the wisdom of The Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[stubtoe]

16. heeeee !

:)

[Clark2008]

26. Maybe they should teach religious studies from an

historical context - it is so intwined in the history of civilization. And, I think it would thwart fundie-ism. Afterall, if kids learned the clinical version of the New Testament and how Jesus was about love and tolerance, they would rebel against all the hatefulness of fundie-ism, which is a product of the Old Testament and has nothing to do with Jesus. The Fundies should learn this.

However, to teach just one religion above all else is unConstitutional.

[existentialist]

8. I agree that the Bible should be presented in schools

in both history and literature classes, because it is certainly a part of our history and literature.


I also agree, as some else has stated in this thread that, "they should also teach the Koran, the Torah, the Bagavad Gita, the teachings of Buddha, etc. etc. plus the histories and mythologies of our Native American nations for good measure!"

[Bluebear]

10. Well, I wouldn't say it is part of our history

But that's just me.

[Clark2008]

29. Sure it is.

There are many historical references in the Bible, even if you don't believe in the overall message.

I know that you, BlueBear, are a very open-minded person. I think you should watch A&E's series about the historical Bible (and I can't, for the life of me, remember the name of the series). They replay it from time to time and it's pretty interesting - it points out both the realities and the falacies of what we've always been taught (or haven't been taught, as the case may be) from Biblical context.

[choicevoice]

12. The bible is not required to teach good

It is merely one reference. Personally I DO NOT WANT THE BIBLE anywhere near my children.

[Greyhound]

13. Those of you that think the bible is a good book should read it and this

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0806511249/102-2407984-7654538?v=glance
also
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0374516642/qid=1129401435/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2407984-7654538?v=glance&s=books

:banghead:

[Clark2008]

30. And those of you who are as intolerent of our religion

as the fundies are of yours (or your lack of religion), should re-think your position.

It is, you know, intolerant to think religious people are wrong, and it's bigoted to think that all Christians are like fundies.

:banghead:

[Greyhound]

32. Not intolerant at all. Please believe whatever you want, just don't

expect me to believe it too.

Oh, and don't expect me to subsidize it either.

[Kazak]

15. The Sermon on the Mount...

Teach THAT shit to my kid!

[jackthesprat]

17. No, the Bible should not be taught.

But there should be a philosophy class taught; that might include discussion of theology.

[Deja Q]

22. Mostly agreed.

ALL religions should be taught.

Unfortunately, all of this engenders free thought. That's a no-no.

Ultimately it'll be solely the Xian Bible, with certain bits cut out because those are offensive to those in power.

[oregonindy]

18. truth should be taught in school..which is why the bible shouldnt be

unless its as mythology

http://www.bidstrup.com/bible2.htm

my favorite is dealing with the most important thing in the new testament and they cant even get that right.



I'll make it very simple. Tell me what happened on the 3rd day after jesus died.




which one happened?

A. did only mary go? John 20:1

B. did both mary's go Matt 28:1

C. was it both mary's and salome? Mark 16:1

D. was it the women and others? Luke 24:1


when whomever got there what did they see?

A. Both Mary's saw an earthquake and an angel who rolled the stone away Matt 28:2

B. Mary by herself saw the stone rolled away, saw no one and nobody told her what happened to the body and ran for peter and others John 20:2

C. The stone was rolled away when they got there and there was a single young man in white inside who told them what happened and they ran away and said nothing to anyone until jesus appeared to her at some undisclosed time Mark 16:2

D. They and some others went and found the stone rolled away and there were 2 men in dazzling clothing who told them what happened. They then went and told the eleven and everyone else. Luke 24:2


just like the sesame street song "One of these things is not like the others," except its all of these are not like the others.



definition of inconsistency:--- the relation between propositions that cannot both be true at the same time

thus there are inconsistencies in the bible and it should not be taught in school as anything but another mythology

[Clark2008]

31. Apparently you've never interviewed witnesses to a car accident.

Then you'd find that everyone's interpretation of a situation is different, but it doesn't mean that the accident didn't happen.

Yes, there are a million inconsistancies in the Bible because nearly each book was written by a different author, but that doesn't mean that Abraham didn't live and have a children by both his wife, Sarah, and his slave, Hagar or that Jesus didn't walk the earth.

My point, is that it's not necessarily 'mythology.'

[Name removed]

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[Deja Q]

21. Pity I missed this one.

[bluedawg12]

23. Comparative religion ought to be taught in school

The bible can be taught in prochial schools, or Sunday school and Torah readings can be taught in Yeshiva schools, and the Quran can be taught in what ever those schools are called.

But, the idea of teaching about diversity in religion is a good idea.

[kliljedahl]

24. Yes it should be taught

along with all the other ancient mythologies

[porphyrian]

25. Sure, in a religion class...

...along with all the other religions in the world today. How better to understand each other than to understand our core beliefs? It's got no place in science classes, though, except as an example of what isn't science.

[ulysses]

27. I could see it in an ethics class.

(As if we get to teach ethics...)

Teach the actual Bible, though? Sure. It's a blueprint to socialism. :7