Government Should Teach Traditional Values

[Wry Catcher]

What are the traditional values of our nation?

Bigotry and slavery were two, a manifest destiny to annihilate the indigenous people of North America another. Child labor, low wages and unsafe working conditions, polluting our air and water and economic panics on a regular basis. Women denied the franchise to vote, sectional rivalry; a civil war and a life of labor ending one day in a poor house.

 

[WorldWatcher]

Absolutely the government should not be promoting or favoring any religious belief or doctrine of any kind. But in my opinion, the Founders were of one accord that neither should the government prohibit the free exercise of religion wherever it is exercised unless it is infringing on somebody else's unalienable rights

Just a clarification, when you say "the government [should not] prohibit the free exercise of religion wherever it is exercised unless it is infringing on somebody else's unalienable rights" what qualifies as "Free Exercise". Are you referring to private citizens exercising the religion, or do you mean government resources, taxes, and capital being used as a part of exercising religion?



>>>>

 

[Poli_Sigh]

Now if there is one thing I do not want from the Federal Government it would have to be a lesson in values since they don't have any.

Perhaps a better idea would be to require everyone in Government to take that lesson, because quite frankly I'm positive they don't know what they are. They could also use several lessons covering such subjects as principles, morals and honesty.

 

[Foxfyre]

Absolutely the government should not be promoting or favoring any religious belief or doctrine of any kind. But in my opinion, the Founders were of one accord that neither should the government prohibit the free exercise of religion wherever it is exercised unless it is infringing on somebody else's unalienable rights

Just a clarification, when you say "the government [should not] prohibit the free exercise of religion wherever it is exercised unless it is infringing on somebody else's unalienable rights" what qualifies as "Free Exercise". Are you referring to private citizens exercising the religion, or do you mean government resources, taxes, and capital being used as a part of exercising religion?



>>>>

I'm saying that the Founders never intended that the Federal government would have any power to dictate what religious activities the local community would have in the schools or not have in the schools. If the local school enjoys the highschool choir performing Handel's Messiah every Christmas--that was a huge tradition when I was growing up and people came from miles around to hear us--then the local school should be able to perform Handel's Messiah along with any other Christmas music, religious or not. The schools should be able to have a Christmas tree instead of a holiday tree if they want it and to have Christmas parties if they want them and start the day with voluntary prayer if they want to.

What the local school should not do is require the students to participate nor can they prefer one religion over another.

I grew up in schools where Christmas carols and prayers were common and ordinary and though we had quite a few Jewish kids, Native American kids, and non church-going kids and lots of Protestants and Roman Catholics, it was simply never a problem for anybody. We recognized Hannukah too and some of the Indian high holy days and everybody enjoyed sharing cultures. And in twelve years and all through college, I can tell you the religious affiliation of only two of all my teachers--and the political affiliation of none.

It was good.

 

[Disir]

Disir, you're going to really annoy people or kill the thread if you continue along those lines as what you are posting has zero to do with either traditional values or religious activity of any sort in the schools. All you are doing is cluttering up the thread with a lot of irrelevent material however relevant it might be to other issues.

I think we are all in agreement that the Founders had no intention of allowing the Church or any religious entity to be the government or any component of government. Why? Because they saw a person's religious beliefs and convictions as an unalienable right not to be touched, influenced, or regulated by any government entity.

But there is a profound difference between the Church being the state or a ruling authority within the State and allowing religion to be a part of government, education, or any other aspect of society. Absolutely the government should not be promoting or favoring any religious belief or doctrine of any kind. But in my opinion, the Founders were of one accord that neither should the government prohibit the free exercise of religion wherever it is exercised unless it is infringing on somebody else's unalienable rights.

You can post every syllable designated as a founding document and it won't change that fact on whit.

The fact is over the decades, school children have been increasingly indoctrinated with the concept that their God and their religion is not welcome in the public schools. A teacher is discouraged from including ANY religious music in a school concert which means the children will not be exposed to many works of great masters such as Bach, Handel, Mendelsshohn. Even if one or two traditional Christmas carols is included, a teacher can be fire for including one too many. In fact Christmas is no longer tolerated in most places. The traditional student led generic prayers at school assemblies, football games, and other events have disappeared from most of the American scene. Schools no longer have a Baccalaureate service which was a highlight of graduation for most of us in my day--the first chance we had to wear our cap and gown.

This is one of various ways that government is imposing its own form of social engineering on the school kids. The Founders are no doubt rolling in their graves and crying out that this is happening.

Infringing.

You learn about fairy tales in elementary school and then you move on. You can pray in the hallways, next to the flagpole and silently in class. You can carry a bible with you on any public school grounds. You may not have class led prayer and you may not teach Christianity. You may teach about it. You can sing Christmas carols and you may present some Christmas stuff providing that there are other symbols around it.

Establishing where those rights came from is fundamental. I find it unfortunate that you are unwilling to engage in that.

The Constitution did not set up a "Christian Country".

 

[Wry Catcher]

So, what are traditional American values? List them or, STFU. Using terms which one cannot define is foolish (that means it makes the author appear to be a fool).

 

[Wry Catcher]

I'm waiting.

 

[Jackson]

The gov't shouldn't be in the business of teaching any kind of values, that's for the parents to do. The gov't should be in the business of protecting our nationaand our rights and civil liberties as individuals, nothing more.

But they do.


1. Here, from the NYTimes:
Which is one reason “The Story of Stuff,” a 20-minute video about the effects of human consumption, has become a sleeper hit in classrooms across the nation.
Video Warning of Pitfalls of Consumption Is a Hit in Schools - NYTimes.com

2. You should take a look at what is being shown in classrooms:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM]The Story of Stuff - YouTube[/ame]


Anti-capitalism, anti-growth, anti-prosperity.....
"some people in this system matter a little more than others"
....sure isn't traditional values being taught...


...which brings me to #3:

Proof that they've won over some 'kids'?
Occupy Wall Street.


And that's why the Gallup poll in the OP is such amazing good news.

Question. Have you been keeping track of how many times you've posted that video?

Do you think it's more profound this time around?

I didn't watch your video, forgive me, time is short. But I do want to address what is called the "hidden agenda", or "hidden curriculum" which is what you might be talking about.

That is just a matter of the teacher teaching in a manner of respect to the children and expecting the same in return. It also involves honesty, trust and optimism throughout the day. We have to remember the teacher is generally the second authority figure the child will interact with beyond the family. It is important that they respect and honor rules of a classroom and above all, the rights and privileges of one another.

These are the basic and traditional values that I am talking about.

 

[Poli_Sigh]

The Constitution did not set up a "Christian Country".

Most Christians are confused about that. Anytime the word God is mentioned in the Constitution they've been programmed to think Jesus Christ.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Still waiting. Please define and list traditional American values:

1. Slavery
2. Bigotry
3. Extermination of indigenous people
4. ?

 

[Disir]

The Constitution did not set up a "Christian Country".

Most Christians are confused about that. Anytime the word God is mentioned in the Constitution they've been programmed to think Jesus Christ.

Yes, and I have to wonder if it will take a theocracy to remember what all of this was for.

 

[Jackson]

Still waiting. Please define and list traditional American values:

1. Slavery
2. Bigotry
3. Extermination of indigenous people
4. ?

Those are not traditional values.

 

[Disir]

Still waiting. Please define and list traditional American values:

1. Slavery
2. Bigotry
3. Extermination of indigenous people
4.

4. Forced sterilization

 

[Samson]

The gov't shouldn't be in the business of teaching any kind of values, that's for the parents to do. The gov't should be in the business of protecting our nation and our rights and civil liberties as individuals, nothing more.

You mean....the same parents who cannot manage to do something as naturally simple as feeding their kids at home are suppose to teach anything as abstract as "values?"



Good Luck with that.

 

[Samson]

Still waiting. Please define and list traditional American values:

1. Slavery
2. Bigotry
3. Extermination of indigenous people
4. ?

Those are not traditional values.

Not unless you're wrytarded.

 

[Disir]

Still waiting. Please define and list traditional American values:

1. Slavery
2. Bigotry
3. Extermination of indigenous people
4. ?

Those are not traditional values.

No but it does keep us honest.

 

[eots]

If you get your impressions from the Old Left Media, the following Gallup poll may come
as a shock!

This Gallup poll certainly came as a surprise to me...

In terms of expressing the view that view that government should do what it can to promote traditional values in society guess which age group showed the highest support!!!

C'mon....guess!


"In most of Gallup's Governance surveys from 2001 through 2010, older generations of Americans were more likely than those in Generations X or Y to say they want government to sanction and protect traditional values. However, the percentage of young adults -- aged 18 to 34 -- who want government to promote traditional values has been steadily increasing in recent years, rising from 38% in 2008 to 53% today."
As a result -- and owing to declines in older adults' support for government's promoting traditional values -- young adults are now the most likely to favor it.
Americans Divided on Gov't Role in Promoting Values


Meaning???
The end is near for the Left!


Hallelujah!!

REALLY ! WELL THAT SOUNDS JUST...SWELL !!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOxGRuKFwJg&feature=fvwrel]The Trouble With Women (1959) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Sky Dancer]

You want a theocracy? It's coming. Vote for Rick Perry.

 

[Foxfyre]

Still waiting. Please define and list traditional American values:

1. Slavery
2. Bigotry
3. Extermination of indigenous people
4. ?

Those are not traditional values.

But so many educated in the government schools in the last several decades have been brainwashed into believing those are/were traditional values. They have been conditioned to think of negatives first and wipe any positives off the screen. They are really pathetic actually, but if the OP is right, the pendulum is beginning to swing in the other direction and some are beginning to see, read, and think for themselves again. That would be a very very good thing.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Traditional values=racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-semitism, slavery, women and children as property, lynch mobs, capital punishment.

Outlawing abortion
Abstinence only education
Outlawing homosexuality
Creationism taught in science class
Forced prayer in schools