Thursday, February 23, 2006

Irrational Anger

The day did not start out well, or perhaps I was just too tired to handle such difficult subjects so early in the morning. My mood was not particularly surly while fixing breakfast for the children and packing their lunches and trying to get Adam out the door on time to catch the bus, but it grew dark and dismal after reading the news story about the school in Minnesota that was modifying its art curriculum in order to pacify some Muslim parents who were objecting to depictions of the human form (clothed or otherwise). I was enraged beyond reason, especially in light of the news of other adjustments that had been made in other schools for other religions - special prayer rooms, special fountains for ceremonial washing of feet - all of which were being paid with public monies.

You can be sure that if something like this were to occur in our local public schools, I would be the first to show up at the School Board meeting and demand the immediate resignations of all those who approved such idiocy. My own personal feeling is that religion does not belong in the public schools, not the religion of the supposed majority nor the religion of the minority. The public school is a place to teach basic required skills to children; the home is the place to teach the fundamentals of religion (in conjunction with the local house of worship); and if any parent feels the need to obtain special considerations for their beliefs, they either do without it until the school day is over, or go start their own school.

I have no respect for a people or a religion that seeks to impose its will and belief on other people through violence or the threat of violence. I have no respect for a people who become violent over a cartoon depiction of their supposed prophet. If a people cannot deal with the fact that others do not believe what they believe, they can just leave.

They will get none of my money, nor will any school that allows such stupidity.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen!

-BMcG

Anonymous said...

Nothing irrational about your anger, dear brother. The truly maddening thing is, though, the fools who allow this sort of thing are getting your money already. And mine, and everybody else's who pays taxes.

What frightens me is the knowledge that some of those "religious" people have a peculiar pattern of operation: as long as they are in the minority in a country, they are all about tolerance and acceptance. Then once they are in a position of government power, it's 'Hello, Taliban.' Thus begins the violent persecution of all whose beliefs differ from theirs.

Only thing is, in our dear country people bend over backwards to be tolerant to them. Would they show the same consideration and openness? Hardly. Where they are in power, the simple sharing of a Bible could mean imprisonment or death.