Abbott thinks reading the Bible should be compulsory in schools (5 Viewers)

[ilikebeeef]

tony = fuckwit

what ever happened to a multicultural australia?

Maybe he should join the Christian Democratic Party.

 

[red-butterfly]

abbott can go to hell.

1+

 

[Name_Taken]

i haven't heard much about this and know that tony abbott would probably want the christian text imbued into the syllabus as fact and theology; but the fact is that we should be teaching our children about the bible and many other texts and perspectives in a secular way. Where all perspectives and the ideas that support them are given equal opportunity and scrutiny. It is not good to teach any one perspective whether that be particularly religious or not. We should be teaching the ability to understand all the different perspectives.

i don't think that students should be forced to read the bible specifically. But i do think that a compulsory religion class running to year nine or something might be valuable as long as it places equal focus on all religions. Religion and beliefs systems have an increbible ability to shape the way we think and how we interact with each other. Religious conflict has started wars and leads to great suffering so if this gives students a little bit more perspective and understanding in regards to the beliefs of others i don't see how it can be a bad thing.

+ 1

 

[XaittyO]

man thats messed up. Abbot needs to take a step back and realise what that could do to some people.

 

[evilflic]

Ah. I'm a Liberal voter, but Abbott makes me embarrassed.
If everyone has to read the bible, everyone should also have to read the holy scriptures pertaining to the other major religions.
I reckon nobody, unless they elect to, should have to study religion in school - especially not in a state school.
I hate how hardcore Christian he is. He's a little old to believe in fairytales, anyway, let alone impose his beliefs upon a secular society. Australia is not a Christian country, no matter how much he wishes it was; we're secular and that'll never change.
He belongs with the Christian Democrats, not the Liberals.

 

[Iron]

lol love how abbott is smoking out the filth from his party.
Australian Catholic party of choice

 

[zaxmacks]

I guess Abbott's never read the Constitution.

 

[HumanDichotomy]

Yeah, okay. If they also read the Qur'an, Buddhist texts, Hindi texts, Origin of the Species, etc., and are encouraged to make up their own minds about these texts.

 

[Will Shakespear]

Yeah, okay. If they also read the Qur'an, Buddhist texts, Hindi texts, Origin of the Species, etc., and are encouraged to make up their own minds about these texts.

how the hell can you equate Origin of Species with any of those other texts?

 

[BlackDragon]

Yes and they shouldn't learn the origin of species as if it exists in the same way that those other texts do. They should learn about evolution and all other sciences through scientific enquiry.

 

[HumanDichotomy]

how the hell can you equate Origin of Species with any of those other texts?

I'm just saying that if there *has* to be religious texts that they read, there should also be scientific texts to balance it out, to give a broad view of things, and to prevent them making an assessment based on one text. I'm not necessarily making a value judgement on any of them.

 

[BlackDragon]

I'm just saying that if there *has* to be religious texts that they read, there should also be scientific texts to balance it out, to give a broad view of things, and to prevent them making an assessment based on one text. I'm not necessarily making a value judgement on any of them.

We shouldn't be learning about science as if it were some book to learn in the same way that religious texts are. We should be learning about science through scientific enquiry.

 

[HumanDichotomy]

We shouldn't be learning about science as if it were some book to learn in the same way that religious texts are. We should be learning about science through scientific enquiry.

I'm not disputing that we should. I'm suggesting that we read Origin of the Species as a supplementary text with the scientific teaching that already exists.

Look, I'm an agnostic. I think that the literal interpretation of the origin of life in the Bible is untrue, and that the theory of evolution is correct. However, this doesn't mean that this doesn't mean that we shouldn't at least learn about other viewpoints, whether in a separate subject or not. I think it's important for our understanding of other people, I really do. So, I think that if the Bible is read, it should be done analytically or whatever, the way that scientific claims should be viewed, even well established ones. Evolution should be, and is, taught in this way, i.e. 'These are the reasons why evolution is the best explanation for the diversity of life', and then students examine it, and talk about it. Or maybe you've had a different experience of science class to me. And we did the same thing in SOR. Looked at things from the Bible, Qur'an and other sacred texts and talked about how and why it influences people.

 

[BlackDragon]

I didn't mean to say that you didn't have that view, just that everything we learn should be apart of the scientific mode of enquiry, and you said it well.

 

[HumanDichotomy]

Ok. Thanks.

All in all, I don't think the Bible should be read at *all*, unless kids choose to go to scripture lessons. As it stands, where 'religious' education is compulsory, if it must be, it should be much broader.

 

[SylviaB]

Yeah, okay. If they also read the Qur'an, Buddhist texts, Hindi texts, Origin of the Species, etc., and are encouraged to make up their own minds about these texts.

wtf??

contrary to what you might like to think, origin of species is not some atheist manifesto.

Most evolutionary biologists are Christian. Heck, most people globally who accept the theory of evolution are Christian.

 

[zaxmacks]

wtf??

contrary to what you might like to think, origin of species is not some atheist manifesto.

Most evolutionary biologists are Christian. Heck, most people globally who accept the theory of evolution are Christian.

[citation required]

 

[justinw]

i think making porno's should be compulsory in politics then.
Kevin goes wild ft julia gillard

 

[proletariat]

Dont forget the Tanakh.

 

[Absolutezero]

i think making porno's should be compulsory in politics then

For a while it was slowly creeping into mainstream culture. The rise of playboy, the golden age of porn (and films like Deep Throat), pornogrind music, Torture porn/gorenography films, and porno chic fashion. However, if the government have their way, this will probably all come to a grinding halt.