Well, it appears we are at an impasse. If I’m not misreading it, your belief is that the most important element of schooling is the religious portion and if a school does not include a large dose of religion it is a failure and leads to godlessness. I will point out that we have had public schools in this country since before we were a country, and the 1800s and early 1900s did not appear to be a particularly godless time. I will also point out that yours is a position that is fully supported by Grand Ayatollah Sistani.
I on the other hand believe that public schools serve a vital interest in this country and I am 100% in favor of continuing it. I also have no problem in individuals/families that choose not to participate in public schooling and home school or religious/private school their children. Why are you so intolerant that you insist on destroying something that many people think clearly works and want continued?
While you point out, correctly, that “Many taxpayers seriously resent being under police threat to fund the establishment of a godless worldview in the next generation of voters.”, there’s lots of things that the government funds via my taxes that I seriously resent as well, such as subsidies to large corporations. Public schools (in my belief, and many others) serve a societal good and should be supported. Many people are not willing or able to home school their children. The mere fact that some high school dropouts have been able to successfully home-school does not alter the fact that this is a poor starting point (how can you teach what you do not know yourself?) We can’t set policy for the 98% based on the successes of the 2%
So, your comment that Government schools are socialist-entitlements because they’re socialist entitlements is a perfect example of a tautology. Supporting your position by repeating your position is no way to win a logical argument.
So, as I said, we are at an impasse, and there is no way that either of us will convince the other of our position (mine is right, or course. – You may choose to disagree).
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>> “ If I’m not misreading it, your belief is that the most important element of schooling is the religious portion and if a school does not include a large dose of religion it is a failure and leads to godlessness. I will point out that we have had public schools in this country since before we were a country, and the 1800s and early 1900s did not appear to be a particularly godless time.” <<
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And now I will point out what you appear to have deliberately left out:
Until the mid 1800s the US government printed Bibles for the schools, and that Bible was more than half of the curriculum, when our schools were turning out great men.
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Re: ...”yours ( meaning me) is a position that is fully supported by Grand Ayatollah Sistani.”
If anything it is the government school defenders who **are** the Ayatollahs!
Government school defenders are the people who defend a system of schooling that **FORCES** their religious worldview ( godless) on CAPTIVE kids! And...It is the government school defenders who defend FORCING their neighbors to fund their anointed religious and NON-neutral godless worldview.
Shame on these government school defending **BULLIES**!
It is those who are calling for complete privatization of all schooling who are defending CHOICE , and freedom. Let parents decide what religious worldview is best suited to their family's values and beliefs whether those beliefs are godless or God-centered.
Yeah! I am shouting. I am sorry but is it possible that you are deaf? I believed that I was very plain in my arguments in my previous posts and I know that a government school defender would never ( oh! never! ) deliberately misunderstand then totally distort an opponent's plainly stated arguments. I hope this clears things up for you.