Francis Chartrand for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles

22/10/2008 05h00

The debate on the famous course on ethics and religious culture confronts both sides.

Those who find the brilliant idea of opening young people to religious diversity, with the cultural and historical.

And those who want children can be exempted from this course to follow a religious education.

I propose a third way.

Why would not we not simply religious schools?

EYES CLOSED

"In my book at me," looks like Stan, the school is the temple of knowledge, science and knowledge.

What religion do just that?

Want to teach your children that the world was created in six days, that Jesus was born by a virgin and that God spoke to Moses through a bush that burns without consuming?

It's your right to do so, but do it at home, outside school hours.

The primary mission of the school is to encourage children to think. However, as would the American polemicist Bill Maher, religion is the art of not thinking.

Religion do not mind criticism she has taught to believe word, to hold true for what can not be proved and to adhere to a system of values blindly, without doubt or never called into question.

Quite the opposite of what should advocate school!

APPLIES TO ALL

As for the "neutral" advocated by the new course on ethics and religious culture (studying cultures in Historical and cultural), it suffers from excessive politeness.

Under this approach politically correct, all religions are equivalent and no dogma, even the most ridiculous or most discriminatory, deserves to be judged or questioned.

This is the triumph of relativism. There is no moral absolute or universal values, but morals and values that all are equal.

As the Greek philosopher Protagoras, each person believes what is true for him, and anyone else that he can not criticize their beliefs or values.

In short, do not say Excision is a gender mutilation that should be condemned, "but" Female circumcision is a cultural practice millennium must be understood. "

PUT WHITE GLOVES

We would he head to set an equal fascism, communism and democracy? Of course not.

So why should we put our trial on hold when it comes to religion?

Why should we put white gloves and be careful not to make any critical point of view?

That is fine, preach tolerance and openness, but it is not true that all opinions and all beliefs are equal.

The school is not to say: "You have your reasons for believing as you do and I think of myself as I think. Everyone has the right to think what he thinks and nobody has the right to dictate to others what to think and do ... "

The school is to teach children to make judgments.

Should push tolerance to tolerate intolerance?

Studying fundamentalism in the cultural, it's like studying the concentration camps under the architectural angle.

It is absurd and stupid.

Labels: Religion and fanaticism, Richard Martineau, Secularism

# posted by Francis Chartrand @ 12:50 PM