Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site bbncca.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!bbncca!msimpson From: msimpson@bbncca.ARPA (Mike Simpson) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion Subject: Re: School prayer Message-ID: <642@bbncca.ARPA> Date: Mon, 26-Mar-84 11:52:53 EST Article-I.D.: bbncca.642 Posted: Mon Mar 26 11:52:53 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 27-Mar-84 02:00:17 EST References: <437@aecom.UUCP> Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma. Lines: 41 *** 26 March 84 From: Larry Yudelson (aecom!yudelson) "So, public schools should teach that religion is the root of all evil, that religion is a gigantic lie, etc? ... " The first paragraph sounds more like a momentary burst of paranoia. I don't think that public schools should be teaching religion at all. If they MUST, have them teach ABOUT many different kinds , without proffering one as "the RIGHT one", and let the kids make up their own minds. "I have my doubts about the long-term effects of a society where children can play chess but can't pray at school; I am also terrified of a society where everyone must say the same prayer, be it Billy Graham's or Bertrand Russell's." I don't claim to follow the second paragraph very well -- although the thought of everyone saying the same prayer scares me, I don't see where praying in schools is going to be the panacea that fundamentalists claim it to be. Besides, there will be prayer in schools for as long as you have junior high algebra [ :-) ]. "Perhaps a free-market approach to education would be a lot better approach than a big-brother approach to both education or religion." I agree with the last statement totally. Given a free-market approach, each parent can customize his/her child's education to preference. Comments welcomed, to the net or to me directly. -- -- cheers, Mike Simpson, BBN msimpson@bbn-unix (ARPA) {decvax,ima,linus,wjh12}!bbncca!msimpson (Usenet) 617-497-2819 (Ma Bell)