Force-Feeding Ideology

[Kamaji]

Force-Feeding Ideology

Cal Thomas
August 29, 2023

It was just a matter of time before choice became mandatory.

Last week, a federal judge denied a request by parents of students in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Montgomery County, Maryland, to be able to remove their children from classrooms when books containing LGBTQ+ characters are read aloud.

Christian and Muslim parents had sued the school system, claiming such books force religious parents to either abandon what they believe their faith teaches, or leave the public school system.

This is indoctrination and the judge's ruling violates the First Amendment's "free exercise" clause, which "protects citizens' right to practice their religion as they please, so long as the practice does not run afoul of a 'public morals' or a 'compelling' governmental interest."

It took Judge Deborah Boardman 60 pages to try to make her case. She claimed parents failed to demonstrate how the no opt-out policy would "result in the indoctrination of their children or otherwise coerce their children to violate or change their religious beliefs. "With or without an opt-out right," Boardman ruled, "the parents remain free to pursue their sacred obligations to instruct their children in their faiths. Even if their children's exposure to religiously offensive ideas makes the parents' efforts less likely to succeed, that does not amount to a government-imposed burden on their religious exercise."

Oh really? Public schools have children for most of the day, five days a week, nine months out of the year. Religious parents have them at night and on weekends and during the summer months. Maybe they take them for worship and religious instruction one or two hours during the week. Based on time alone, who has the greater advantage to influence young minds - parents or public schools? A teacher's authority, along with peer pressure to conform, can undermine a parent's religious beliefs and those of their children. Why doesn't this argument work in reverse? Why can't religious values be taught in public schools so that secular progressives will know something about them? According to the "reasoning" of Judge Boardman, a child with atheist parents, or parents of a different faith, should not expect their child's beliefs (or theirs) to be undermined by exposure to teachings contained in holy books.

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Source:  https://townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/2023/08/29/force-feeding-ideology-n2627642

[unite for individuality]

Oh really? Public schools have children for most of the day, five days a week, nine months out of the year. Religious parents have them at night and on weekends and during the summer months. Maybe they take them for worship and religious instruction one or two hours during the week. Based on time alone, who has the greater advantage to influence young minds - parents or public schools? A teacher's authority, along with peer pressure to conform, can undermine a parent's religious beliefs and those of their children. Why doesn't this argument work in reverse? Why can't religious values be taught in public schools so that secular progressives will know something about them? According to the "reasoning" of Judge Boardman, a child with atheist parents, or parents of a different faith, should not expect their child's beliefs (or theirs) to be undermined by exposure to teachings contained in holy books.

That's a very good point!  Judge Boardman claims that
exposing children of religious parents to all manners of perversion
does not interfere with the religious instruction.
But we all know how that judge would rule if
children of heathen parents were to be exposed to religious ideas!

Myself, I have long thought that comparative religion
should be a REQUIRED class in school!
Most of the wars in history were fought for RELIGIOUS reasons!
Let each religion make their case, and let people choose.
Students would NOT be graded on what choices they make.
They would be graded on how well they know what the choices are.

Today's schools do NOT ban the teaching of religion!
What they DO ban is the teaching of anything that contradicts
THE OFFICIAL STATE RELIGION!
Namely, "Government is God! Government is the ULTIMATE authority!"

The specifics of the cultural values that schools teach
may vary from place to place, and from year to year.
The one thing that stays consistent is,
"You may NOT think for yourself!  You MUST follow the crowd!"