Education Secretary Calls for Christian Values in School

[Theophylact]

Paige's Remarks on Religion in Schools Decried

"All things equal, I would prefer to have a child in a school that has a strong appreciation for the values of the Christian community, where a child is taught to have a strong faith," Paige said in an interview published Monday by the Baptist Press, the news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. ...

...Dan Lengan, Paige's press secretary, said that the quotations in the article were accurate and that Paige has no intention of resigning.

"Secretary Paige's deep faith has helped him to overcome adversity, to find clarity and has sustained him throughout his life," Lengan said. "He has dedicated his entire career to promoting diversity and making sure children from all races, ethnic groups and faiths share access to the best possible education."

Lengan declined to clarify whether Paige was suggesting in the interview that public schools should teach Christian values or that parents should send their children to parochial schools. "The quotes are the quotes," he said.

So: either the US Secretary of Education thinks kids should be in private, parochial schools, or he thinks "Christian values" should be taught in public schools. You pays your [tax] money and you takes your choice.

[osprey4]

Yes, this man needs to resign immediately for promoting his ridiculous Christian values, like honesty, personal sacrifice and responsibility, doing things for others, respect for authority and parents, etc.

It's an outrage.

Seriously, though, I can certainly understand why civil libertarians and education bureaucrats would be upset. Imagine if students were told they had to take responsibility for their own actions.

[J-Excel]

What about Muslim values, or Jewish values, or Hindu values? *flame bait deleted*

If he wants to promote good values, he should list those values that he would like to promote. Instead, he is promoting Christianity, not "Christian values".




J-Excel YGPM - Fingers


Last edited by Fingers on 04-09-2003 at 6:15 PM

[Theophylact]

osprey4, the very fact that you think that

values like honesty, personal sacrifice and responsibility, doing things for others, respect for authority and parents, etc.

are specifically Christian values shows that you don't understand the problem. Each one is also a Jewish value, a Muslim value, a Confucian value, and, I would bet, a Buddhist value, a Hindu value, and so forth. Christians do not have a monopoly on virtue, and they don't have a right to force that notion on others. Not in this country. Yet.

[osprey4]

Originally posted by J-Excel
What about Muslim values, or Jewish values, or Hindu values? *flame bait deleted*

Oops, J-Excel getting a little out of control!

Obviously, Sec. Paige is promoting those values that brought him where he is today, the same values Dr. Martin Luther King held to, the same values that gave rise to the civil rights movement, and, I should add, the same values Ghandi promoted.

Perhaps someone can explain if a Hindu, Muslim or Jew would be opposed to these values.


Last edited by Fingers on 04-09-2003 at 6:15 PM

[osprey4]

Originally posted by Theophylact
Christians do not have a monopoly on virtue

No, I didn't say they did. But thanks for clarifying.

[J-Excel]

My point is, not only do Christians not have a monopoly on values, they don't even have a majority share.

[Theophylact]

I agree that those values should be taught. It's the identifying of them as "Christian" that I object to, when they're pretty nearly universal. And if they're labeled as "Christian" when they're taught in public schools, that's clearly wrong, don't you think?

I don't think the Secretary of Education should be promoting private, sectarian education from his public pulpit. If that's not what he meant, and if he also didn't mean that he wanted these values taught as specifically "Christian" in public schools, he should say so. If he did mean either of those things, he doesn't belong in his job.

[osprey4]

You guys are overreacting.

He is speaking from his own personal experience. The guy is from rural Mississippi and grew up in a very poor predominantly black (sorry, African-American) public school district. What experience would you expect him to speak from?

Maybe he should apologize for being politically incorrect. But really, isn't it about time we all learn to be a bit more tolerant of those who come from a different social or religious background?

[J-Excel]

Hehehe! Guess we should have been more tolerant of Trent Lott too.