[Vision2020] Re: Religious Diversity Education
Luke
lukenieuwsma@softhome.net
Thu, 5 Jun 2003 21:50:50 -0700
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Hello, Mr. Moffet:
> The words "under God" I believe were added to the pledge of allegiance =
in=20
> 1954, I'm pretty sure. Check on this!
Well, that simply goes to show my point even more. Those words were =
added rather recently, and they can be taken right out again easily.
Why do you say it does not matter? Even assuming your claim that=20
> the science classes teach there is no God, I think it reasonable to =
assume=20
> that many sincere students and teachers of many faiths regard the =
reference=20
> to "under God" in the pledge to be of great significance for their =
faith,=20
> and the overall moral and spiritual orientation of the public schools =
as=20
> they serve society.
Maybe so for a few, but not the majority of the students. The reason =
I say it doesn't matter is that the philosophical implications of =
neo-Darwinism reduce us to mere organisms striving to survive, intaking =
energy, placed on earth by mere chance. Just like all the other =
creatures. In fact, since we're just more fully evolved animals, the =
logical conclusion from this is that we live like animals.=20
When is the last time you saw a squirrel give a skunk, or a cat, or =
another squirrel some nuts out of kindness? The ramifications of =
evolution are self-centered lifestyles. That is why I say it does not =
matter whether some highschool kid, taught that he's the new and =
improved ape, says "one nation under God" once, or twice, or 5 times a =
week.
To attempt an answer to your "God and evil" dilemma:
God has the power to do anything, but another attribute of God is His =
perfect righteousness. Therefore, He never sins, yet is capable of all =
things. He allowed man to sin so that He could glorify Himself and make =
man more glorious than he already was. It's like allowing a silver vase =
to get dirty so you can clean it and put on polish, and make it far more =
shiny and beautiful than before.
God did not create evil, He created man as capable of evil. Evil exists =
as the opposite of God. You cannot have light without darkness, which is =
simply the absence of light; the same thing applies to God's goodness.
For every single question that man can make, there is a true answer. And =
everyone cannot be right. On a trigonometry test, there can be a hard =
question with only one correct answer. Many students may come up with =
the wrong answer, and have their own proofs etc to back it up too yet; =
however, there is still only one answer. And when you know you have the =
right answer, you don't have to try to solve the problem any longer or =
consider other solutions.=20
Best,
Luke Nieuwsma
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello, Mr. Moffet:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>> The words "under God" I believe =
were added to=20
the pledge of allegiance in <BR>> 1954, I'm pretty sure. Check =
on=20
this!<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Well, that simply goes to show my point =
even more.=20
Those words were added rather recently, and they can be taken right out =
again=20
easily.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Why do you say it does not =
matter? =20
Even assuming your claim that <BR>> the science classes teach there =
is no=20
God, I think it reasonable to assume <BR>> that many sincere students =
and=20
teachers of many faiths regard the reference <BR>> to "under God" in =
the=20
pledge to be of great significance for their faith, <BR>> and the =
overall=20
moral and spiritual orientation of the public schools as <BR>> they =
serve=20
society.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Maybe so for a few, =
but not the=20
majority of the students. The reason I say it doesn't matter is that the =
philosophical implications of neo-Darwinism reduce us to mere organisms =
striving=20
to survive, intaking energy, placed on earth by mere chance. Just like =
all the=20
other creatures. In fact, since we're just more fully evolved animals, =
the=20
logical conclusion from this is that we live like animals. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> When is the last =
time you saw a=20
squirrel give a skunk, or a cat, or another squirrel some nuts out of =
kindness?=20
The ramifications of evolution are self-centered lifestyles. That is why =
I say=20
it does not matter whether some highschool kid, taught that he's the new =
and=20
improved ape, says "one nation under God" once, or twice, or 5 times a=20
week.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>To attempt an answer to your "God and =
evil"=20
dilemma:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>God has the power to do anything, but =
another=20
attribute of God is His perfect righteousness. Therefore, He never sins, =
yet is=20
capable of all things. He allowed man to sin so that He could glorify =
Himself=20
and make man more glorious than he already was. It's like allowing a =
silver vase=20
to get dirty so you can clean it and put on polish, and make it far more =
shiny=20
and beautiful than before.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>God did not create evil, He created man =
as capable of evil. Evil exists as the opposite of God. You cannot =
have=20
light without darkness, which is simply the absence of light; the same =
thing=20
applies to God's goodness.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>For every single question that man can =
make, there=20
is a true answer. And everyone cannot be right. On a trigonometry test, =
there=20
can be a hard question with only one correct answer. Many students may =
come up=20
with the wrong answer, and have their own proofs etc to back it up too =
yet;=20
however, there is still only one answer. And when you know you have the =
right=20
answer, you don't have to try to solve the problem any longer or =
consider other=20
solutions. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Best,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Luke Nieuwsma</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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