Why is teaching homosexuality in Public School any better than teaching religion?

Question

I LOVE it. People get so riled up when there is a plaque of the ten commandments in front of a courthouse, or a nativity scene in a Public School, because it may offend some people

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20070222/ts_csm/anativity&printer=1

But, it is OK to teach about homosexuality, even though it may offend some people

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070224/REPOSITORY/702240384/1002/NEWS02

So, in other words, you have the right to not be offended, unless you disagree with us. In that case, you CAN be offended.

What an outrage.

Answer 1

I agree what an outrage!!!

Answer 2

What they are teaching is that homosexuality EXISTS. In case you hadn't noticed... it does.

Another thing you may not have noticed is they do the same thing with Christianity during your typical social studies class, when they cover most of the major religions of the world. So they probably teach about Christianity as much or more than they teach about homosexuality.

What you are citing as forbidden are specific, large-scale dedicated events geared towards any religion. If you could provide evidence that a school put on a 'gay pride parade' but wouldn't put up a nativity scene, then you might have a point.

Until then, you are comparing apples and aardvarks.

Answer 3

From the article:
"This is not a case about teaching about homosexuality. This is a case where Lexington sought to teach about diversity and about having respect," said Sarah Wunsch, staff attorney for the ACLU.

"It's not about sexuality; they were teaching about different kinds of families."
_________
I love seeing Christians get their panties all balled up around their necks trying to get their asshats on. Teaching about something is not the same as teaching it. Christians hated it when schools taught about religion. The Christians want to teach kids Christianity by indoctrination. That is not what was happening with the school in Lexington teaching about homosexuality.

And by the way, the birth of Jesus is not a historical event. Nobody knows when or even if it actually happened.

Answer 4

Nobody's TEACHING homosexuality. It is discussed as an existing phenomenon in society, and the scientific facts around it are mentioned. That doesn't make kids gay, just tolerant.

Although I think nativity scenes are cute, promoting the Christian ten commandments as guidelines for kids when they are in a public school IS endorsement of one religion at the expense of others. And just to be clear, it is equally wrong to promote Islamic law in school. If you want your little kid to be a good little christian, don't rely on the government to do it for you.

Answer 5

Here's the deal:
All of the actions you cited are meant to protect fundamental rights. By not endorsing a particular religion's symbols and practices, it gives everyone the right to practice any religion anywhere (incuding school, government, etc.) -- again, as long as no state rep endorses it (think about this if it's not clear). By supporting the equality of blacks, it offended MANY people but this was a clear issue of human rights. Interracial marriage as well as equality for women offended many people but, again, these are issues of human rights. It needs to be thought about very deeply for a while, with an open mind and without resorting to demagoguery, if you don't see it.

Answer 6

Teaching homosexuality in school is done to help us understand the differences in people, hopefully then we can be more compassionate and less judgmental.

Our country was based on religious freedom. To place Christian dogma at a public site indicates "this is the only way Americans believe," and that's simply not true.

I know you won't like this answer, but you are comparing apples and oranges here.

Answer 7

I think it has more to do with the fact that our country as a general whole has not agreed to the true nature of homosexuality. For instance we as a society already believe your religion is a choice or set standard of personal beliefs. Since this is the case, teaching religion would be considered only fact for the person who believes that form of religion.
On the topic of sexuality in all forms; until we have come to an agreement as to whether or not it is something you are born with or taught, or a combination of both, there will always be a debate as to whether or not it should be taught in schools. In all honesty I think it has more to do with what will benefit the majority as a whole. From my understanding we are taught specific things in school to give us insight and open our minds to the fact that there is a world outside of our own. I believe religion would be taught in schools if specific religions could agree not force the concept of beliefs into the teachings. Learning the history of religion versus the battle of who is right and wrong are completely different topics; battles are not meant for the classroom...education is.
The fact is that homosexuality exists regardless of whether or not people agree with it. They want to teach it for the same reason we learn about every other social aspects of life. I don't think that these facilities are trying to tell you that homosexuality is wrong or right but rather that it exists, be aware of it and learn that regardless of your personal beliefs, it is still important to preach respect for everyone.
I remember in school being told about different religions from a social point of view and I completely agree with it. However I think it became a problem with people when teachers started convincing students that their systems of beliefs were right and others are wrong. As a result it was easier to ban the teaching of religion completely since it’s a subject that very few people can step out of and teach on a non-biased discussion.
I honestly think that many don't want homosexuality being brought up in school because they are afraid that it is teaching students that it’s okay to be gay or lesbian; when in fact it’s not the case. A lot of recent teachings of this subject were brought up as a way of educating others in hopes to lessen the amount of violence and suicide associated with the topic. In all honesty it got to the point in my high school where people were being beat up to the point of near death just because others "thought" that the person was gay. Truth was they had lived a very prominent heterosexual lifestyle.
Regardless of someone's personal beliefs, homosexuality is far from being an abnormality on the account of numbers these days. I believe it's pretty apparent that the number of homosexuals coming out and living normal lifestyles with same-sex partners is climbing at a steady rate. And guess what! The crime rate hasn't increased because of it isn't that just strange.

Answer 8

Your logic is flawed. Keeping religion out of school has nothing to do with "offending" people -- it has to do with protecting both religion and the state from each other. Read the constitution and the Federalist papers and the attitudes of the founding fathers on state sponsored religion (i.e. the Church of England). They were all for religion, but they realized that the state could hurt religion just as much as religion could hurt the state.

Besides, you CAN teach "about" religion in school -- you just cannot teach students how to practice religion.

Likewise, you can teach "about" homosexuality in school -- you just cannot teach students how to practice homosexuality.

Plus, there is no item in the constitution separating sexual orientation and state as there is separating religion and the state.

Also, all scientific evidence points to homosexuality as an inborn characteristic, not something learned. Religion, on the other hand, is a purely social phenomena -- one does not develop their particular religious faith except through being taught by others. Despite all of your paranoias, no one is out there trying to teach your child to be gay. There are, however, people out there trying to get your child to convert to a religion that is not your own!

If we were to allow theology to be taught in school (and some schools do have optional theology courses, in high schools mostly), we would have to allow ALL theology to be taught. Which means that your child would get the Ten Commandments alongside the Book of Mormon, the Qur'an, and Dianetics (the basis of Scientology) to name a few. Your courthouses could just as easily feature ahadith of Muhammad as the gospels of Jesus. Frankly, that would be fine with me -- except that the real goal of those looking to re-connect religion and the state is to connect their particular religion with the state, not religion in general.

If you are fine with equal opportunity religious expression in public (i.e. publicly financed locations, not publicly accessible locations), then that would be cool with me. But, in that case you might also want to support equal opportunity sexual orientation expression!

Answer 9

Why does anybody teach anything in school really? I mean when kids are basically coming out of college and still can't spell worth a hooie, and still have these archaic ideas about history... it's all pointless. I'm offended by the ENTIRE school system, and have been since I was a kid myself. Nothing offended me more than their hooie version of history as it related to how we celebrate the pants off of coming to this country while destroying the lives of the indigenous peoples of North and South America, as if it were just the coolest thing.

So obviously, "offense" is in the eye of the beholder isn't it?

_()_

Answer 10

I doubt very much if Christians would agree that teaching about homosexuality would be acceptable either at least as far as accepting it as an alternate lifestyle. Teaching of the existance of something does not necessarily mean that it is supported or promoted. Same thing goes for religion. I don't think schools should teach religion (and I am a Christian) However, I do believe that if they are going to teach evolutionary theory that they should also teach the most profoundly accepted "other version" of how life came to be...i.e. creation theory.

Answer 11

Homosexuality is a fact of life. Millions of people are homosexual and it has been proved in scientific research. Sex - heterosexual or homosexual - might offend some people but it is a fact of life that children need to be aware of.
Religion, meanwhile. is different for everyone and very personal. Everyone's beliefs vary. Even within Christianity, people believe different things, so there is no set way to teach it or bring it into the schools. Religious teachings need to stay within the home and the church, not the school.