What do you think of think of this quote from Paul Blanshard?

Question

"It may be true that Johnny can't read, but at least 12 years of public schooling has divested his mind of all of that religious superstition with which he entered school."

U98 - I got it from a second source, so I don't know the exact source for the quote. I do know it was one of his books as opposed to a speech or magazine column - sorry I can't give you more info. :(

Answer 1

In the The Humanist magazine, Mr. Blanchard also states, "I am convinced that the battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity that recognizes and respects the spark of what theologians call divinity in every human being."

Paul Kutz, a leading Humanist and signatory of the Humanist Manifesto II (l980) writes in its preface that, "Humanism is a philosophical, religious, and moral point of view." While it has been clearly shown that the First Amendment mandates governmental neutrality between religion and religion as well as religion and nonreligion (Epperson v. Arkansas, l968) and that there is no favoritism among sects or between religion and nonreligion (Walz v. Tax Commission, l970), such practices have not been applied to public education. By excluding more traditional (God centered) religions from public education the court has installed non-religion (human centered) religious practice i.e Secular Humanism.

Whats amazing is in spite of this most people are still religious! Basic beliefs color all of one's life roles (vocational, avocational, spiritual, community, personal), in short all aspects of a person's life. The bottom line is that man can never escape his religious nature. Like government the public schools are administered by people who think, and in that thinking engage their world views (beliefs). Maybe by recognizing this providing an even playing field for all theologies to be openly admitted and expressed in the public school sector could be the best alternative.

Answer 2

It seems to me a sad sad quote. He seems ambivalent in his attitude. The fact that the school has failed in its primary job, for which it was created, to educate Johnny. Yet the one thing it should not be doing, that is the state interfering with religion, it has excelled.

Should not Mr. Blanshard be outraged that the bumbling teachers are failing to do their job and producing educated people that will further our country in all regards. After all if the Athiests are right all the schooling will wash those superstitions and notions out of their heads.

Answer 3

Can you supply a source your Blanshard quote, I can not locate it.

Here is something else to think about;

"We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true."

Prof. Robert Silensky, California Univ.

Answer 4

It might make a cute wisecrack in some particular context, but out of context it sounds kind of stupid to me.

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Answer 5

He was a Unitarian Universalist. What else would you expect.

Answer 6

it is just like this one backwards


tomy freind
i will end
but if you try to stay
i like it that way

Answer 7

I`d call it idiotic myself.

Answer 8

Not much.

Answer 9

haha;)