From: DRAGONFLY           
To: JONBOY              
Subject: Anything butSex
Date & Time: 04/08/91 18:25:56
Message Number 14776

JB> Gee - my 12th grade English teacher, Mrs. Stevens was a witch...
    
   Sounds like a fascinating teacher. (They didn't have too many of 
those in my extremely conservative Christian school.) 
   That brings me to an interesting question: what do y'all feel should
be the place of religion in the schools? Do you feel that no religious
matter should ever be discussed in public schools, even to the point of
not telling certain episodes of history? (In other words, if some war
were over religion, should we say that?) Should we mention religion only
when it's absolutely necessary -- to explain historical matters, for 
example -- but not, say, include any pieces involving religion in a
literature class? (That is to say, every period of history had at least
some good works which had nothing to do with religion -- even during the
Middle Ages.) Should they embrace all "major" religions equally, having
special speakers from each "major" religious body lecture to the
students? (And how do you define "major"? If there's ten students in a
body of a thousand that believe in the Cult of the Armadillo, is that a
"major" religion?  How about if just one student believed in it?)
   I'm not talking about whether a Bible study (or a B. Gita study, or
a study of any religious text...) should or shouldn't be allowed to meet
on high school grounds. I'm asking what the teachers should be allowed
to teach in the classrooms.
     
   My own viewpoint is that high schools (and, to a lesser degree, 
junior high schools) must teach classes on the religions and philo-
sophies of the world. Although there's no hope of ever teaching every
religion of the world, it's fairly easy to group the largest religions,
explain the basic beliefs to all of them, and then define the
differences. Same with the philosophies of the world. 
   How do I define 'major' religion? I just chicken out, and say that