Systems that Teach Things that are not True
We have powerful systems in place that teach us to believe things that are not true. Paradoxically, we are frustrated when people in society believe things that are not true. In our churches and many of our schools (particularly religious schools), our children learn to dismiss objective criteria and critical thinking. It is my contention that we should never teach people things that are not true. Here are some of the tools used to teach and reinforce false beliefs: Exaggeration – Ex. “the most holy…”Unison mantrasMemorized statementsFunny hats and religious garb – to imply “specialness”Hand gestures – sign of the cross, laying hands, etcCoercion – pressure from the group to do as they doEnforcement –...
Why becoming a terrorist is a bad idea
Becoming a terrorist is a bad idea. If you are considering how great it would be or how thrilling it would be to kill other people for any religious cause, please read on. Becoming a terrorist is a bad idea because it is a lose, lose, lose proposition. That is to say, if you kill someone else, they lose. As a terrorist, many people are determined to kill you. There is a very high probability that sooner or later, they will kill you. So you lose too. Even if you are not killed, you will be on the run and will never be able to relax and enjoy life, so you still lose. The losses go far beyond these obvious things. Of comfort to the terrorist or would-be terrorist, is the idea that dying a martyr is somehow a positive thing. It’s not. You would be dead. There...
Religious Education is Bad
Wow, how can religious education be bad?! Almost all educators would agree that teaching critical thinking skills to our students is paramount. Religious education is contrary to that very basic premise of teaching and learning. Religion is false–The world was not created in 6 days. The earth is certainly more that 6,000 years old. Sacrificing a person by killing him on an altar or a cross is pointless. There is no evidence of heaven or hell. Noah couldn’t have built a boat that could contain all the species of the earth and provide the food, temperature, and habitat so those specimens could survive. I could go on and on. The point is, these things are false. In a typical Catholic school, students are required to take a full-year religion class every...
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