Question about school curriculum

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36Drew
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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james-d wrote:No, one has answered my question.Or perhaps choose to ignore it. What would you do if your child was having to wait out classes because those that are of muslim or islam faith take time out of the school day to pray. This is maintsream in their religious beliefs and must be adhered to. Should we respect this and maybe add a couple of hours a day to the school day??? And If we do , Perhaps they would respect the Christian beliefs that this country was built on. After all, This is Canada.



Your original question was bashing a group for their determination to push their agenda, and then in this post you make a statement that exposes your own agenda.

Irony?
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Sneaksuit
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Re: question about school curriculum

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36Drew wrote:Somebody said that religion should be taught about. That's theology. You appear to have missed the rather obvious point I was trying to make...


Drew you've made a common mistake. Theology focuses on a single religion for believers, finds "God" in scripture, and experiences the religion with all its liturgy and prayer. It's the education for monks and ministers and is taught in religious schools. There are theological schools of Islam and Judaism but in the west they are dominated by Christianity.

Religious Studies is what people in this thread seem to be talking about, which is an objective approach to the phenomenon of religion in general; its history, psychology, textual criticism, etc. as an academic subject encompassing all religions and is not affiliated with any church. Belief is studied but not necessarily practiced. A basic course of this type would be appropriate and beneficial to high school students as an elective.
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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james-d wrote:And If we do , Perhaps they would respect the Christian beliefs that this country was built on. After all, This is Canada.


I don't believe the Native Americans were originally christian...
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36Drew
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Re: question about school curriculum

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Sneaksuit wrote:Drew you've made a common mistake. Theology focuses on a single religion for believers, finds "God" in scripture, and experiences the religion with all its liturgy and prayer. It's the education for monks and ministers and is taught in religious schools. There are theological schools of Islam and Judaism but in the west they are dominated by Christianity.

Religious Studies is what people in this thread seem to be talking about, which is an objective approach to the phenomenon of religion in general; its history, psychology, textual criticism, etc. as an academic subject encompassing all religions and is not affiliated with any church. Belief is studied but not necessarily practiced. A basic course of this type would be appropriate and beneficial to high school students as an elective.


Thank you for the clarification. I've never discerned the difference between "Religious Studies" and "Theological Studies". I do agree that study of religion and beliefs in school would be an awesome elective. I don't believe that there should be a predominant teaching of any religious material as "fact" as part of the curriculum, and there should be absolutely zero attempt at indoctrination of any type.

I do feel, however, that if individual students want to take their own time to go pray amongst themselves in the lunchroom or whatever - that's entirely up to them, regardless of which faith they are. School should not be stopped for that, nor should one group be favored over another.
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SmokeOnTheWater
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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james-d wrote:No, one has answered my question.Or perhaps choose to ignore it. What would you do if your child was having to wait out classes because those that are of muslim or islam faith take time out of the school day to pray. This is maintsream in their religious beliefs and must be adhered to. Should we respect this and maybe add a couple of hours a day to the school day??? And If we do , Perhaps they would respect the Christian beliefs that this country was built on. After all, This is Canada.

Where exactly is this happening ?
I know that the Christians ( I think they were born again Christians ) in my child's elementary class would leave when they did not approve of celebrating certains activities like Halloween.
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Veovis
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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james-d wrote:No, one has answered my question.Or perhaps choose to ignore it. What would you do if your child was having to wait out classes because those that are of muslim or islam faith take time out of the school day to pray. This is maintsream in their religious beliefs and must be adhered to. Should we respect this and maybe add a couple of hours a day to the school day??? And If we do , Perhaps they would respect the Christian beliefs that this country was built on. After all, This is Canada.


I haven't heard of this happening. Just like other faiths if a family did not want their child to participate in certain events, I can respect that. However "no praying in school" I feel would apply to all faiths and should not be allowed, and certainly not shutting down classes and "making your kid wait outside" This doesn't happen that I have ever heard of in Canada.

HOWEVER, I would not be against at certain required times and places if they needed to be excused from class for a short time to go elsewhere for such purposes.

I don't think the breaks have anything to do with Christianity so much anymore and more just "that's when we always had it"
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JLives
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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School is for secular learning. If their parents wish them to have a religious upbringing they should not be in a public school. I am strongly opposed to cutting out of class for any reason not education or health based.
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Hmmm
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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Prayer is something one can do silently and just as effective Biblically speaking. PS I've read none of this thread. :)
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Veovis
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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jennylives wrote:School is for secular learning. If their parents wish them to have a religious upbringing they should not be in a public school. I am strongly opposed to cutting out of class for any reason not education or health based.


Are you saying that part of society doesn't have any faiths? Or that schools should pretend faiths don't exist? How could you ever talk about issues in Israel and Palestine and pretend faith doesn't exist?

Perhaps I am mis-reading is all. God 101 should not be a course, but the fact people believe in God(s) shouldn't be harmful, though some would get uppity saying you're trying to subvert their kids, but you'll find zealots everywhere.
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JLives
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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Of course faith exists and I have no problem with a comparative religion course teaching about all of the different ones, including lack of religion. The students can believe whatever they (or rather, their parents) want to believe. I'm saying they should reserve the practice of it for home or church and leave school for schooling.
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Tero
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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In bc there is an entire unit in the grade 8 curriculum clawed "Comparative Religion." the lessons are just how it sounds.
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Re: Question about school curriculum

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jennylives wrote:Of course faith exists and I have no problem with a comparative religion course teaching about all of the different ones, including lack of religion. The students can believe whatever they (or rather, their parents) want to believe. I'm saying they should reserve the practice of it for home or church and leave school for schooling.


Agreed. Your religion of choice shouldn't be cutting into your child's or other children's education.
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