One Day at a Time

Christianity just IS.

My first thought just seeing the title was South Dakota. If you are going to boycott a state, the first state to ban almost all abortions should be a likely target. History has shown that if a woman wants to end a pregnancy, she will seek every means available to her. If abortions are illegal, that means the rich get Spas, and Clinics, and Retreats, and Trips to Europe. The poor get a coat hanger and a back alley. Which, in essence, means that the woman's life is in danger.

When I read your Post-It, my first thought was, that's a pretty big tar brush you are using, sort of like saying, dogs are used for hunting, therefore all dog owners support the NRA.

However, I looked up the definition of "cult" in the Oxford American Dictionary and the first definition is "a system of religious worship." Yep, that makes Christianity a cult all right, a 2000-year-old cult with I don't know how many followers. We are guilty as charged.

So then I wondered, just what does this article say that you find so upsetting. So I followed your link and read it. Here's what I learned from the article.

This is an elective class. So why not an elective class on the Qur'an or the Torah? I agree. If you don't want to take it, don't. Education shouldn't be limited to just what you want to learn. That would be like eating only dessert and skipping all the vegetables. Into every life a little broccoli must come.

Second, local systems can decide whether to offer the class or not. In other words, if they don't feel comfortable doing so, they don't have to. What's wrong with that?

The class will be taught to high school students. Presumably these are young adults old enough to make their own decisions, old enough to start sifting through all the ideas that are out there, old enough to start forumlating their own ideas and opinions. Teaching the Bible to high school students will be very challenging. I would love to sit in on a class. I'm sure high school students have some very neat insights, very deep questions, and new and original ideas. Any teacher who doesn't know his/her stuff, will be eaten for lunch.

Who is to teach this class and how is the class to be taught? The law requires that the courses be taught "in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students." Sounds like a good way to study the Bible to me. If a radical right-winged Christian tries to teach a class espousing very narrow guidelines and interpretations, that will be illegal and the teacher, by law, will be required to stop.

As a Christian, I find the idea of putting religion in the public schools a scary thing. Because if you teach Christianity, then you have to teach every other religion, no matter how small the following. I prefer to keep religion in the churches, where parents can decide which religion they want their child to learn. Additionally, teaching Christianity in the public schools can only result in a weak and watered-down version. Finally, I want a certain degree of control over what doctrines are being presented to my child until my child is old enough to make those decisions for him/herself.

The only thing I find scary about this law is that it is opening the door to allowing anything under the banner of religion to be taught to any age group.

Depending on the definition Christianity is a cult really. I've had real problems over the years with calling myself a Christian, even though that's what I am - it's just there are so many highly vocal nut cases out there that make it look bad. I know what it means to me, so I'm ok with it now. I hear ya' though.

Ah, the theocratic GOP strikes again...no doubt they think this is another blow in the so-called "war on Christians." Oh, the pooooor persecuted Christians.

Hence the "so-called" label... and good or not, I'm still not sure christianity isn't a cult...I'll admit that dog-ownerism can be a cult... :-)

There are good Christians and bad Christians, just like with dog owners. :)