Via Ogre, comes this week's Christian Views Symposium.
The Questions:
1. Should the Bible be taught in Public Schools? If so, how?
2. Should prayer be returned to Public Schools?
1: My basic thought is that there's a huge amount of crap that gets taught in public schools, which has little to do with my idea of their basic purpose- to give kids the tools needed to act as citizens, and to get a job beyond slinging burgers. Teaching what's in the Bible, to me, would not be part of that basic mission. Teaching what the basic tenants of the major world religions, as part of world history, could be.
No matter where you are in the US, there is a church relatively close that would love to teach your children in Sunday School, if that is something you want for your kids.
2: I wouldn't have much of a problem with, for example, a prayer to be said before lunch. I think it could be done as a way to teach kids about different religions and cultures. It should not always be Christian based.
As an addendum, Ogre's concept seems to be that we should get the feds out of public schools entirely, let the local school boards make such decisions, and then let people vote with their feet if they want a different kind of schooling. I have some qualms about such a plan, most based around a tyrany of a majority, or even a vocal minority. What I have heard about education in the Middle East, based around learning the Koran, makes me concerned.