maximal tolerance for religious freedom
Here's my proposal. I'm going to just take a couple of minutes to explain it -- education in world religions for all of our children in primary school, in high school, in public schools, in private schools and in home schooling. So what I'm proposing is, just as we require reading, writing, arithmetic, American history, so we should have a curriculum on facts about all the religions of the world -- about their history, about their creeds, about their texts, their music, their symbolisms, their prohibitions and their requirements. And this should be presented factually, straightforwardly with no particular spin, to all of the children in the country. And as long as you teach them that, you can teach them anything else you like. That, I think, is maximal tolerance for religious freedom. As long as you inform your children about other religions then you may -- and as early as you like and whatever you like, teach them whatever creed you want them to learn. But also let them know about other religions.
Now why do I say that? Because democracy depends on an informed citizenship. Informed consent is the very bedrock of our understanding of democracy. Misinformed consent is not worth it. It's like a coin flip, it's just not -- it doesn't count really. Democracy depends on informed consent. This is the way we treat people as responsible adults. Now, children below the age of consent are a special case. I'm going to use the words that a Pastor gave -- parents are stewards of their children. They don't own them. You can't own your children. You have a responsibility to the world, to the state, to them, to take care of them right. You may teach them whatever creed you think is most important, but I say you have a responsibility to let them be informed about all the other creeds in the world too.
The reason I've taken this time is I've been fascinated to hear some of the reactions to this.
i herd this idea at TED -not mine but i still would like your reaction
Here's my proposal. I'm going to just take a couple of minutes to explain it -- education in world religions for all of our children in primary school, in high school, in public schools, in private schools and in home schooling. So what I'm proposing is, just as we require reading, writing, arithmetic, American history, so we should have a curriculum on facts about all the religions of the world -- about their history, about their creeds, about their texts, their music, their symbolisms, their prohibitions and their requirements. And this should be presented factually, straightforwardly with no particular spin, to all of the children in the country. And as long as you teach them that, you can teach them anything else you like. That, I think, is maximal tolerance for religious freedom. As long as you inform your children about other religions then you may -- and as early as you like and whatever you like, teach them whatever creed you want them to learn. But also let them know about other religions.
Now why do I say that? Because democracy depends on an informed citizenship. Informed consent is the very bedrock of our understanding of democracy. Misinformed consent is not worth it. It's like a coin flip, it's just not -- it doesn't count really. Democracy depends on informed consent. This is the way we treat people as responsible adults. Now, children below the age of consent are a special case. I'm going to use the words that a Pastor gave -- parents are stewards of their children. They don't own them. You can't own your children. You have a responsibility to the world, to the state, to them, to take care of them right. You may teach them whatever creed you think is most important, but I say you have a responsibility to let them be informed about all the other creeds in the world too.
The reason I've taken this time is I've been fascinated to hear some of the reactions to this.
i herd this idea at TED -not mine but i still would like your reaction