[Vision2020] Re: Religious Diversity Education

[Ted Moffett]

Luke, et. al.

I really doubt that the words "under God" will be removed by law from the 
pledge of allegiance soon.
Why do you say this?  What evidence do you have?  President Bush is a born 
again Christian who is appointing conservative judges to the federal courts 
who would be unlikely to support removing "under God" from the pledge.  And 
the US Senate voted unanimously to support the words "under God" in the 
pledge when the controversy over the pledge recently came up.  The evidence 
is against your claim here.

But the point is, how can you say the schools deny God's existence with 
millions of students all over the US saying this pledge with the words 
"under God."  Sounds like acknowledging God's existence to me.

You have an extreme interpretation of what it means to believe in God that 
forces you to take extreme positions.  Like your position on biology and 
evolution.  Science does not deny the possibility of the soul and an 
afterlife.  This is a matter of religious faith.  You can claim that science 
considers the soul and afterlife improbable, but these issues are, like I 
said, a matter of religious faith.  Many very brilliant scientists who 
believe in evolution are also Christians.  They have a different view of 
these issues that allows them to accept the science of evolution and believe 
in Christ.

You take extreme all or nothing positions that force you to deny other 
possibilities.  Again I state, there are many views of God and science that 
are believed by Christians and people of other faiths.  For example, 
consider that some spiritual faiths think that animals have souls, so the 
rather negative view of animals it seems you express when you talk about 
about scientific biology looking at homo sapiens as animals, is not the way 
all people look at this subject.

I do not have any blinders on.  I am open to many interpretations of the 
world around me on issues of science, spirituality and God etc.

Thanks for the exchange.  I hope your faith serves you well!  I just wish 
you would with a bit more humility consider that other faiths might have 
value and truth that you are not acknowledging.

The world does not have to be an all or nothing proposition on issues of 
spirituality and faith.

Ted

>From: "Luke" <lukenieuwsma@softhome.net>
>To: "Ted Moffett" <ted_moffett@hotmail.com>,  vision2020-request@moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Religious Diversity Education
>Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 20:49:47 -0700
>
>Hello, Ted:
>
> > Students in the public schools recite a pledge NOW that states they are
>"one
> > nation under God" right in the pledge of allegiance!  This reference to
>God
> > was challenged in the courts, but this challenge so far has failed.
>
>Just watch and wait - soon it will go through.
>
>
> > I know that in the subjects studied in public schools now, in 
>literature,
> > history and sociology or social studies classes, "God" is mentioned and
> > discussed.  It would be impossible to teach literature, history and
> > sociology with mentioning the subject of God and religion.  How could 
>you
> > teach history without mentioning the Pope and Catholic church?
>
>Interestingly enough, about three or four years ago in the Spokane public
>school system a debate was raging over the question of actually teaching
>history, and people were saying why bother? I don't know who won.
>
>
>   How many
> > poems and novels mention God?  Numerous.  Literature courses have 
>passages
> > in books that mention God.
>
>It doesn't matter, because "science has shown" that we are all animals
>evolving in nature with no souls, no afterlife, and therefore logically no
>God. That's why there are many student suicides, not because they have a
>depression problem, not because they are mistreated, but because the basic
>science taught today is exactly that. I'm an animal, you're an animal, why
>not act like it? What's the point of living then? And what's the point of
>teaching history?
>
> >
> > And again I state, it is not taught in the public schools, now or at any
> > time, that there is no God, unless by some teacher pushing their own
>agenda
> > against the rules!
>
>I advise you to sit in on the 10th grade biology class in Moscow High, and
>Pullman High, when they start going into microbiology, DNA, and genes.
>That's where Darwinists really push the man-as-animal and the origins
>teaching. I just looked at a public school biology textbook for a while, 
>and
>I am not making this stuff up.
>
>
> > You are suggesting that the public schools have a policy of teaching
> > Atheism, and that is just plain not true!
>
>But it is. You're under a false impression, Ted, and you need to have the
>blinders pulled from your eyes. Check out the materials for Idaho Public
>School Biology, and you will not honestly be able to say that they don't
>push Atheism.
>
>Luke Nieuwsma
>
>

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