Why do "leftwingers" demand their rights not be infringed upon, but yet insist on imposing their standards?

Question

It never ceases to amaze me that we are told to be "open minded", given labels and yet lifestyles and agendas are being forced upon us. Our children are being taught in the Public school sector "tolerance" to left wing propaganda and are not being taught religion. I am not refering to doctrine, I am specifically addressing religion. If the liberal can advance his/her agenda why should Christians, Buddists, Muslims, Satanists etc. be denied an equal opportunity?

Answer 1

I think you have been nipping at the cool-aid.

I don't believe for a second that you want public schools to teach the basics of every major religion. As for why schools in general should not be teaching religion... school teachers aren't qualified to teach religion.

If you want your children to have a "specific" education regarding religion, I suggest you take advantage of the free library system in your general area. Teach them at home. Take them to the religious school of your choice. Don't make people who are sometimes barely qualified to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic teach what is YOUR responsibility to your children.

Why is the government and the school system responsible for teaching your children about spiritual matters? Isn't that your job?

Teaching children tolerance is admirable. Teaching them about god is their parents job.

I submit that if parents weren't so damned lazy and would spend more time teaching their own children things, the school system wouldn't be having such a hard time.

Teaching tolerance isn't a "liberal agenda," it's called human understanding. I want to know examples of what is being taught in your school system that you object to as, "liberal agenda." I have a feeling this entire "ideal" of yours isn't really an argument FOR varried religious studies in school, but a very poor argument for banning tolerance in general. What a disgusting twist of truth. You should be ashamed of misleading people in that way. I'm ashamed of you.

Answer 2

Big Al, not to be rude but how are you "forced"??

I must confess I do find it odd that conservatives only believe in freedom so long as it is reserved for the male heterosexual christian, and lets be clear that IS what you are implying. For hundreds of years, you and yours had all the power, you don't like share and you certainly don't like the idea of equality. Your question betrays your very insicincerity to the subject. You accuse "liberals" of having any agenda, but conveniently forget your own. You're just the other side of the coin.

Finally, I must ask why this is asked at this site and not under religion, since that is what you claim it is about. Truth is Al, your just be a provocateur, you have your views which happen to be different from others. You don't like the fact that other people are now exercising their rights to equality. Live with it, their not going away no matter how much you pray to your God, so just move on.

Answer 3

Truth is, we're a secular nation. We were founded upon freedom OF religion, which eventually got expanded to freedom FROM religion. Freedom is a core value of our country. Personally, I DO think it would be great if we had the time to teach kids about ALL the religions, but quite simply we don't. Our education is already pretty subpar, speaking from an international perspective, and we simply don't have the time to dedicate to that. As such, the most logical thing to do is to not teach any religion. I don't particularly like it either, truth be told (spoken as an agnostic, but no less sincerely), but it is the best option available to us. As for the quotes around tolerance: the truth is, we need to prepare people to be able to live in a pluralistic society. At very least, someone coming out of the school system usually knows that Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and Christians exist, and hopefully they'll even know a little bit about some of the core beliefs of each of the above major religions. Honestly, I can't say for sure because I personally bounced back and forth from public school to Catholic school. Which brings me to the next point: if you don't like the public school system for any reason, you do have the rights to homeschooling should you be able, as well as private school.

The only things I've heard about tolerance in public schools, though, are for presenting facts. Something goes a little sick and twisty in my stomach when I hear people who are against the presentation of facts in an education system. If you feel that the picture is incomplete, you are more than welcome, and in fact encouraged, to talk to your children about what they learned in school, and to further educate them on any topic.

Answer 4

I'll make this simple enough to understand:
1. For the most part the "left wing" insists that EVERYONES rights be not fringed upon.
2. The only agenda ever forced on me was via religious educators.
3. Organized Religion is by definition an oxymoron and by practice is divisive, war mongering, and demeaning to the human spirit.
4. Spirituality is personal and essentially conflict-free... I think the way I do, you can think how you wish. You don't have to agree with me, just don't try to force me to think like you.

Answer 5

The areas where we must all get along does require a basic amout of educated tolerance. The basic message in tollerance should be 'each person has the right to be.' There is no way to teach religion without limiting who has the right to be. Also, there is no way to cover all of the religions without sacrificing teaching time on core subjects.

As a note: The Sumpreme Court decided that parents that send their children to public schools DO NOT have the right to have their ideas taught exclusively.

I believe that that judgement came down about two years ago. If you want you child to have only your ideas, you will have to homeschool.

Answer 6

The same can be said about every group of individuals seeking their own agenda. Many label and re-label in order to impose their propaganda to influence others without the ability to seek the truth, based upon the information that is dispersed in all types of media. He who has the victory in war; writes the history to his advantage; rather the veracity is valid or not. Hypocrisy is only limited to ones imagination. Have you looked into the mirror lately?

Answer 7

There are two struggles inherent in this question:

A struggle between the Left and Right wings of the religious community -- really a continuation of the same struggle, with many of the same players religiously as Abolition and Women's Rights. There is an inclination to the Right side of the religious community because of a group of very clever purchasing decisions made in the late 70s and early 80s by fundamentalists (radio stations mostly). Where this goes in the long run is anyone's guess -- however, religion overall is shrinking (I am religious, but not stupid) which brings us to the second struggle.

A struggle between the Right and the Left at a secular level. The Right was losing this battle steadily from 1935 or so to 1980. They got a new infusion of power when the Religious Right joined with them to fight for political power. Reluctantly the Religious Left is moving toward similar strategic alliances. We aren't there yet -- but its going to happen.

The end result of this combination is that the two sides are now fairly well balanced.

Traditionally however, Liberals did NOT demand a place at the table in secular discussions. Those discussions were dominated by Conservatives. This was true in secular culture from about 1920 to about 1990. (it never ceases to amaze me that we held our own in the battle field of politics with everything arrayed against us except a portion [and only a portion] of the University system) It is less and less true now. Liberals are demanding to be heard and have begun purchasing radio stations and so forth (we don't have much in the print media yet, but we will -- the idea that the print media is liberal is laughable to anyone who is a Liberal him or her-self --- you know what you believe, and it isn't being published - so clearly the publishers aren't liberal, regardless of the reporters).

Having tolerance is of course a two way street. I refused, for example, to sign a petition blocking the Neo-Nazis. Do I believe in their dogma? Never!!!! Do I believe that they have a right to their dogma? Absolutely.

The tolerance being taught in public schools is secular tolerance. I may religiously think that fundamentalists should all be confined to an island, and left to their own devices (I don't, but many people in my congregation do), but I have no right to attempt to enforce that in the secular world. I have to tolerate them, even though I think they are utterly wrong and functionally evil (without, I hope, meaning to be).

There are 1440 brands of Christianity alone in the US, 4 major streams of Jewish thought, several varieties of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and 3 major traditions of Wicca plus hundreds of smaller ones. I do not want ANY of those brands (including my own) forced on kids of ours -- nor in fact on any kids. That is my (or their parents, depending) duty. I do want tolerance taught. I want my kids to learn to tolerate mean spirited bigots as well as people of every other grouping imaginable. I want those kids taught to tolerate mine. Plurality is what America is about. It was about it when my grandfather (12 times removed) died in the Revolution -- it still is.

We are all part of plurality.

Regards,

Reynolds Jones
http://www.rebuff.org
[e-mail]

Answer 8

well, I could also ask, why do "rightwingers" insist upon imposing THEIR standards on everyone? why do THEY have the right to tell me I have no or shouldn't have equal rights? ever hear of separation of church and state? if you want religion taught in school, then they should go to private/parochial school. or, is that not what church is for? I have nothing against anyone's religion, but there is NO one "right" religion. not everyone in this country is Christian, so how can you teach religion in public school and not exclude someone?

Answer 9

I'm sorry, but do you watch the news? Have you heard of George Bush, Mitt Romney, Pat Robinson?? The point is we don't want to force our lifestyle on you. We just want the right to live. It is ok for the rightwingers to to tell me how to live my life, but not for me to ask them to mind their own business. The Christian right has been for years trying to impose their "standards on the whole country. Does no one have the right to fight back??

Answer 10

Religion shouldnt be discussed in schools. If you want to send your child to a religious school, then you do exactly that! Public schools are not a place for religion! If you believe in god thats fine, but no one should be forced to participate in something they dont believe in, and not everyone believes in god.