Teaching Religion in Public Schools [Excerpts] - Part 1
In December of 2006, the U.S. Department of Education sent guidelines to all public schools in our country explaining that they could now teach about religion in their classes. This should not be surprising since the federal curriculum standards for civics, history and geography for more than a decade have been calling for teaching religion in public schools
What does it mean to teach religion, or to teach “about religion” in public schools? Since the education establishment is totally committed to transformational education (changing the beliefs, attitudes and values of the child), teaching religion, or teaching about religion, in public schools really means shaping the child’s beliefs, attitudes and values about religion.
That is, in the name of teaching “about religion,” many public schools will be engaging in an all-out assault on Christianity and will, at the same time, be indoctrinating our children with the New Age/Pantheism of theologian Joseph Campbell.
A “teaching religion in public schools” seminar held this past July, 16-20, at Stockton, California, is a case in point. This seminar was dedicated to creating “master teachers” who would guide other teachers on why and how religion should be taught in public schools. (The seminar was funded by a grant from the U. S. Department of Education and was conducted by the California Three Rs Project.)
The purpose of the seminar was to argue that religion can and should be taught in public schools and to explain the methods for doing so. The way to package this agenda, according to the speakers and information at the seminar, is to teach what it called “Religion in American History.”
The materials and speakers at the seminar made it abundantly clear that the curriculum was designed to mold the attitudes and values of the child about religion - not to genuinely teach “Religion in American History.” This purpose became evident by the promotion of a number of major themes (“doctrines” might be a better word). Several of the more significant doctrines were:
Theme #1. “The Reformation” never happened. Speakers at the seminar said it is inaccurate to speak of the Reformation because there have supposedly been numerous reformations, and continue to be numerous and ongoing reformations within the Christian church. Speaking of the reformation, therefore, said the speakers, is false.
In addition, speakers at the conference argued that one group’s “reformation” is another group’s “heresy.” So it’s all a matter of your group’s point of view. That is, the speakers followed the false doctrine of unlimited cultural relativism (e.g. some cultures revere their relatives, other cultures eat them; it’s all a matter of “perspective”).
Speakers at the seminar spoke openly about the need to “deconstruct” and “reconstruct” American history -- to suit their own point of view, of course. Using this postmodern approach to historical research, real history disappears - which frees the seminar’s speakers to construct any kind of history they desire. Historical facts and real history become irrelevant. Shaping the worldview of the child (and the teachers) is the only concern.
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/edwatch/10-16-religion.htm
