‘Should the Bible be taught in public schools?’ was a question that appeared on CNN this Sunday morning. My blog, called ‘The peaceful Revolution” is dedicated to a “Thinking Revolution” in society, and the “Clarification of Values” for the American public. What a better subject than that? I will clear up this constitutional amendment issue ones and for all, so the Courts (a miracle?) or someone in government (another miracle?) will read about it and learn how not screw it up, as they usually do with important issues in society. The justification for teaching about the New Testament (Christianity), Old Testament (Judaism), Koran (Islam), Upanishad and Bhagavad Gita (Hinduism), or the Veda (Buddhism), holy books of the 5 major religions on earth, is justified because these religions affect your life every day, just as much, if not more, than the study of Chemistry, Mathematics, or Political Science.
Thirty years ago my college asked me to develop a course in Parapsychology because “psychic phenomena is out there in the world and it affects lives.”. I had to convinced the curriculum committee that there was a profound difference between “Teaching about Tarot cards” and “Playing parlor games in a college classroom.” I did. Translating this to CNN concerns about teaching about the holy books of humanity in public schools, let me assure you that such knowledge will cut religious conflict for our next generation, as long as you teach only the history of the religion, as written in the holy books, and the religious rules and practices as written in the holy books. You let the students do their own interpretation and explanation of scriptures. The Supreme court of the United States should form a Judicial commission to go through each holy book and mark in pen the passages that will be allowed to be taught in public school. The students and Deans should rate the instructor on one question only, “Did the instructor taught the class about the history and religious rule and practices as written in the holy book, or did he teach how to become a member of that religion?”
A society that knows the difference between teaching how to do something and actually doing it – is a winning society in history!