[REBORN FROM THE ASHES][comment][01.18]

123runfordreamUID：2697608

Education: Through the Wall of Ignorance

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . . .

—The Bill of Rights (1791)

Ever since this clause was written into the Bill of Rights, most Americans have considered the separation of church & state beyond debate. But an increasing number of Americans also deplore one by-product of this separation, which the Founding Fathers probably never had in mind: the almost complete exclusion of religion from the public schools and colleges.

In many state-operated schools, religion is as unmentionable as syphilis was in Victorian parlors. Result: a generation of religious illiterates—who perhaps know how to read & write, but not how, why or what to believe.

When the National Conference of Christians and Jews asked George Zook (TIME, Aug. 12) what to do about it, he thought at first that the question was "too hot a potato" for his powerful but conglomerate American Council on Education. But after reconsidering, he named a committee of thirteen educators to set down the basic principles on which they could agree. The committee, headed by F. Ernest Johnson of Columbia's Teachers College, included Protestant, Catholic and Jewish members (but no agnostics). Among them: Frank P. Graham, president of the University of North Carolina; Msgr. Frederick G. Hochwalt, director of education for the National Catholic Welfare Conference.

Last week, after more than two years' study, the committee published its conclusions, The Relation oj Religion to Public Education (American Council on Education; $1). Main thesis, as summed up by George Zook: "Schools should accept religion and the churches as a factor of social life, just as much as they do the waterworks." The committee proposed to teach about religion, but not to teach religion itself, in the schools. For a while the group had considered a proposal to find and teach a set of principles common to all faiths (e.g., some form of Golden Rule), but rejected this as "watered-down" religion acceptable to nobody.

Said the committee: "We who write this report are members of religious bodies to which we owe allegiance by conviction. For us, the democratic faith . . . rests on a religious conception of human destiny. . . . [We] believe that the American people are deeply, though not always articulately, conscious of a religious heritage to whose central values they want their children to be committed. . . .

"It is not the business of public education to secure adherence to any particular religious system. . . . But we believe it is the business of public education to impel the young toward a vigorous, decisive personal reaction to the challenge of religion. . . . A first step is to break through the wall of ignorance about religion and to increase the number of contacts with it."

The committee's ideas on how to break through the wall:

¶ "In the study of ... community life—government, markets, industry, labor, welfare, and the like—there [is no] reason for the omission of contemporary religious institutions and practices."

¶ "The study of the religious classics . . . in the regular literature program [should be expanded]. . . . The Bible is second to none among the books that have influenced the thought and ideals of the Western world. [It deserves study] conducted with at least as much respect as is given to the great secular classics, and devoid of arbitrary interpretations to the same extent. . . ."*

¶ "To confine the teaching of religion to separate 'religious courses' tends toward . . . splitting off of religion from the rest of life. . . . [Religious education] is not something to be added on to the school curriculum, but rather something to be integrated with it"—in existing classes on history, sociology, psychology, economics, philosophy, literature, music, the fine arts.

Concluded the committee: "On all sides we see the disintegration of loyalties . . . the revival of ancient prejudices, the increase of frustrations, the eclipse of hope. . . . Religion at its best has always been an integrating force, a spiritual tonic for a soul racked by fear and cringing in weakness. ... Its imperfections will not be lessened by an attitude of splendid isolation on the part of intellectuals, or of indifference on the part of those responsible for the education of youth."

* Several states prohibit Bible reading in school, others insist that only the Protestant Bible be read. The committee would like to see each student study the version of his own faith.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,853119-1,00.html

plukaUID：2721764

NOTE&EXCERPT
Education: Through the Wall of Ignorance

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . . .
—The Bill of Rights (1791)

In many state-operated schools, religion is as unmentionable（不宜说出口的） as syphilis（梅毒） was in Victorian parlors（会客室）. Result: a generation of religious illiterates—who perhaps know how to read & write, but not how, why or what to believe.

too hot a potato（烫手山芋）

The committee proposed to teach about religion, but not to teach religion itself, in the schools. For a while the group had considered a proposal to find and teach a set of principles common to all faiths (e.g., some form of Golden Rule), but rejected this as "watered-down（打折扣的）" religion acceptable to nobody.
......

"The study of the religious classics . . . in the regular literature program [should be expanded]. . . . The Bible is second to none（首屈一指的） among the books that have influenced the thought and ideals of the Western world. [It deserves study] conducted with at least as much respect as is given to the great secular classics（世俗经典）, and devoid of arbitrary interpretations to the same extent. . . ."*
"To confine the teaching of religion to separate 'religious courses' tends toward . . . splitting off of religion from the rest of life. . . . [Religious education] is not something to be added on to the school curriculum, but rather something to be integrated with it"—in existing classes on history, sociology, psychology, economics, philosophy, literature, music, the fine arts.

Concluded the committee: "On all sides we see the disintegration of loyalties . . . the revival of ancient prejudices, the increase of frustrations, the eclipse of hope. . . . Religion at its best has always been an integrating force, a spiritual tonic for a soul racked（折磨） by fear and cringing（畏缩） in weakness. ... Its imperfections will not be lessened by an attitude of splendid isolation on the part of intellectuals, or of indifference on the part of those responsible for the education of youth."

* Several states prohibit Bible reading in school, others insist that only the Protestant（新教的） Bible be read. The committee would like to see each student study the version of his own faith.


COMMENT

It seems the religion has fallen prey of the wide-accepted materialism and the worship of scienific truth. As a student in a country which boasts little religious tradition, I seldom feel the difference between an adherent of God and an atheist: in fact, I see no pious adherent at all. 

This situation surely have something to do with the education. A seemingly self-evident explanation goes that religion and science are incompatible: they contrast and refute each other, fighting for the unique status in people's belief. And as science and technology have consistently beening proved their unparalleled capability in creating a world available to more convenience, their status rises dramatically. Anything that is considered harmful to the development of technology is considered deleterious to the development of society, and in the same way, human's living. "The unscientific" is now frequently labeled as lie or fault, an interpretation that sometimes mix the conception of unscience and pseudoscience. While the pseudoscience are rightly condemned, perhaps we can be more tolerant to those "unscience".

The religion falls into the category of unscience, of course. No pastor can show that God exists, no scientist can prove otherwise either. As for me, I prone to an agnostic stance: religion fails to convince me the deity, yet science in the meantime should not bother to protrude his nose into the business of belief. As being written in the constitution, citizens enjoy the religious freedom, and education should not undermine this freedome by prejudice in deciding its curriculum.

Though in support of the committee's proposal, I'm kinda skeptical about the pragmatic things. Are they able to transform a deep-rooted education tradition into a religious flexible one? That must be a tempest storm across the whole country. Whether they can stand up to it remains to be seen.

adammaksimUID：2675466

bill of rights  a list of the rights that are considered important and essential by a nation.

syphily Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochetal bacterium


parlors n.会客室


religion is as unmentionable as syphilis was in Victorian parlors. 一个很辛辣的比喻~~


too hot a potato 烫手山芋~


waterworks 自来水厂。。。？


Schools should accept religion and the churches as a factor of social life, just as much as they do the waterworks.


water down 掺水，使行文不那么有力  原来英文里也有掺水一说~~


In the study of ... community life—government, markets, industry, labor, welfare, and the like—there [is no] reason for the omission of contemporary religious institutions and practices.



[It deserves study] conducted with at least as much respect as is given to the great secular classics, and devoid of arbitrary interpretations to the same extent. . . ."


existing classes on history, sociology, psychology, economics, philosophy, literature, music, the fine arts.


comments:
It's another article about the religion which deals with a problem we never meet in a atheism country. To be honest, the subject is kind of vague for me. Although truly favor a separation of church & state, I don't know whether it is wise for the religion & education. Maybe religion is not so important, for most students in China who may learn little about religion during their education can still behave themselves with the communist " Eight Honors & Eight Disgraces" in their minds...
Ok, I'm kidding. What I actually agree with is " to teach about the religion, but not to teach religion itself". That means, in my opinion, for a better understanding of our secular world and ourselves, religions should be taught as a subject and a phenomena of human culture instead of a pre-existing truth for people to accept leaving no latitude of inquiring.

jinziqiUID：2387034

deplore 对…表达悲痛
illiterate
a person unable to read
integrated
make into a whole or make part of a whole

When the National Conference of Christians and Jews asked George Zook what to do about it, he thought at first that the question was "too hot a potato" for his powerful but conglomerate American Council on Education.
为什么在word里被划了绿线…
In many state-operated schools, religion is as unmentionable as syphilis was in Victorian parlors.

Schools should accept religion and the churches as a factor of social life, just as much as they do the waterworks.

The committee proposed to teach about religion, but not to teach religion itself, in the schools.

On all sides we see the disintegration of loyalties

My comment
Actually, I am ignorance about religion. If I have the opportunity to contact with someone who believes in one faith, I even don’t know how to respect his belief. So, as I see, the education of religion in schools is of great necessary.
And schools should accept those different people who have a variety of religions so that we can get along with them and have a better communication. As for religion itself, I don’t know which one to believe, the God or the Buddha. It may because I don’t know them well. Once I learn much more about them in their history and achievements, I will accept them.

jinziqiUID：2387034

2# pluka

我仔细研读学习了你的comment哈 启发很大
“As for me, I prone to an agnostic stance: ”
prone这词是从你这学的，以前就知道prefer， 不过想问一下 是不是应该是 I am prone to呢?

敛寒影UID：2613052

For us, the democratic faith . . . rests on被搁在，停留在 a religious conception of human destiny


"It is not the business of public education to secure adherence to any particular religious system. . . . But we believe it is the business of public education to impel the young toward a vigorous, decisive personal reaction to the challenge of religion. . . . A first step is to break through the wall of ignorance about religion and to increase the number of contacts with it."


[It deserves study] conducted with at least as much respect as is given to the great secular长期的 classics, and devoid of arbitrary interpretations to the same extent. . . ."*



[Religious education] is not something to be added on to the school curriculum课程, but rather something to be integrated with it"—in existing classes on history, sociology, psychology, economics, philosophy, literature, music, the fine arts.


On all sides we see the disintegration瓦解 of loyalties . . . the revival of ancient prejudices, the increase of frustrations, the eclipse衰落 of hope. . . . Religion at its best has always been an integrating force, a spiritual tonic滋补品 for a soul racked by fear and cringing in weakness.



Comment:

This article is talking about the exclusion of religion from the public schools and colleges.The committee established for solving this problem proposed several suggestons on how to break through the wall of ignorance about religion and to increase the number of contacts with it.

I always regard religion as some kind of belif(belief) for a small group of people,with which they are more solidary with each other,particularly, a more tough heart as a result of the sturdy and holy belief.After reading this article,I further recognized that religion infiltrate and exist on history, sociology, psychology, economics, philosophy, literature, music, the fine arts.It is the resonate of spiritual field,and returning to the nature of onself and simple essence of substance in the complicated real world.Moreover,the religion includes spiritual heritage of previous generation.

Respecting to those measures,I acknowledge though the literal meaning the contemporary religion caese to be lengthy and elusive any more,indeed,integrated with school curriculum,existing great secular time.

prettywraithUID：197049

Comments (2010-01-18):
At first glance, the essay looks like incoherent complaints. As a matter of fact, as one powerful support for his assertion, author mainly states the committee's report, which is persuaded argument. Author expresses his assertion clearly, which is "break through the wall of ignorance about religion and to increase the number of contacts with it", and gives his reasons. Whether the political appeal is effective or not, this topic is still filled with controversy. I do not know what concrete situation of American related laws or policies for religion. Thus, it is hard to say if the author's viewpoint is right or not. But from the information he has provided with us, government seems to prohibit Bible reading in school or insist that only the Protestant Bible be read. I do not know the reason why American government does like this. Perhaps government wants to protect students with little influence before they are able to choose their belief independently.

From my perspective, though I am not one religionist or believer, I respect other people religious belief and I am always curious about religion's doctrine and history. It is an interesting thing to find the reason why the religion can attract numerous people to believe it. Although I sympathize with author's complaint, "ignorance about religion", I feel that schools are not proper places to increase the number of contacts with religion. After all, there are many other ways to let people know religion, except schools education.

Wrong spelling:
incoherent  uncoherent
committee  committe
political    polictical
know     konw

qisaimanUID：2703629

issue: as a result of the separation of the church and state, religion is excluded from public schools and colleges. it seems that religion has been discriminated since then, how should the public schools deal with religious content presents itself as a hot potato.
a committee consisted of different religious experts is established to obtain a general suggestion.
as a fundamental principle of any democratic society, the right of freedom of speech should be

protected and respected, including the religion 's advocating his belief. but since the public schools play special role in instilling ideas and valve to the youngster, a limited right should be applied there instead of in other aspects.

spelling mistake
principle
exclude

splendidsunUID：2723757

1-18
Comment：
The topic today discusses the devoid of faith in American youth, which urged the councils of education in US to make a study about it. To prevent this trends, the committee encourages schools could mell the religion with other curriculums. From this passage, we could see that the value of religions for US citizens in their society. Because of the diversity of American religions, it also brings a tough topic for the committee to balance it. As a result, they proposed to teach the Golden Rule of all religions but not those from specific religions.
While, this topic informed me the situation in China where announces that everyone has his/her freedom to choose his/her faith or religion. In fact, this rule seems to be just written on the paper without any practical value. We still accept the same education of so called "Politics" from the primary school to the graduate school. No one could avoid these useless required courses. That's the freedom we actually have.
In my mind, the youth in China have to face the same problem that US youth have. The young have no faith or belief which makes them feel frustrated and confused frequently in their lives. In the generation of our parents, they admired Chairman MAO as their spiritual idol, and they were encouraged by MAO's quotations. For us, pop singers seem to replace MAO as our idols. However, that raised a question that the bad behaviors of them would bring great negative influences on the young which is also urges the education system to take actions on this issue.

错字
Curiiculums—curriculum
Belif—belief
Quotion—quotation
Rasied—raise

make no law doing不得立法侵犯
beyond debate 无可争辩
deplore悲叹
Founding Fathers 开国元勋
unmentionable不轻易说出口的事情
Golden Rule
water-down 用水稀释了的
rests on 依靠，依赖
be second to 对于……是次要的
great secular世典
split off 分离
tonic补药
splendid isolation光荣孤立

抽象句型
A rests on B. A依赖于B，A是B
A is second to B.A对于B是次要的

AdelineShenUID：2630498

comment:

Religion and education are to some extent incompatible. In this case, the problem of whether education should include religion is debated heatedly. In my opinion, religion should be included in education, but in some right ways.

In education, religion should not be regarded as religion itself. Professors are not churchmen, their task is not to encourage the students to believe in one certain religion. What the professors should do is to provide the students with the knowledge of religions, with the influence of religions on the human society, with the interaction of religions with the development of the economy and the government.

As religion plays a more and more important role in human society, the education about religion is necessary. The aim is to help the students know more about the society.

zhengchangdianUID：2563082

Comment：

Two forces——Government and Religion——always want to have power over the other one in spite of their endless fights with null results. In fact, religion has served as both a sword and a shield for the establishment of glory dignity and the security of abosolute adherence to the government.  For instance, the famous Cardinal Bishop is just a spokesman of the Roman King.

Well, this passage talks about the ignorance of religious education and offers a few plights the American are faced with. In my points of view, it is not wise to conpel the students to learn religion as a course before the answer of which religion to teach flout on the surface. As we all know, the bickering among the various Christian sects has already been a troublesome headache for hundreds of years. Besides, ethnic identity have trapped in the mash of religion overlook, let alone to say the embarrassing situation of racial discrimination.

Fortunately, racial discrimination and segregation have already been put on the agenda of goverment bills in recent years. However, ethnic identity has been obscured by the stengthen of national identity gradually. Under the atmosphere of discrimination, the migrants show a diversified trend of assimilation: the first generation of immgrants show a mainly insists on an immigrant identity of their homeculture, and the second generation mainly insists on an ethnic identity or Afro-American identity. In such circumstances, no wonder the appearance of religious identity comes into being.

123runfordreamUID：2697608

religion is as unmentionable as syphilis was in Victorian parlors.

Comment：

I have been thinking this question for a while, why the American education abandon the chance of teaching religions? And why the power of Christian theory is so huge that every one seems ready for fighting for god who can not be deified? And these words suddenly enlighten me “to teach about religion, but not to teach religion itself”

My understanding is that, there is possible to let the students to know something about the religions but try to tell them how great it is and not trend to persuade them to believe in one religion only.

One of my friends is Muslim. When I knew that at first, I was a little scared so as to talk much about his belief. He told me, I should refer more about the religions to explore my soul as possible as I could. He did not told me something like, you should believe in Muslim too because it is the only god in the world and the truest one. At that moment, I appreciated him very much.

When I read this article, I remind of him. And I thought it would be the right thing to make the point of teaching religions and do it. People have their own choices. Teachers should give the students’ to themselves however.

KiKi~淇水滺滺UID：2679824

Comment

As a person with no religion and born in a country with no religion, I always wonder about the Bible and the religion related. However, to most Western people, the Bible is of great importance. The Bible is second to none among the books that have influenced the thought and ideals of the Western world. I met a foreigner once and he told me that it’s the Bible that made him becoming a good man and having a happy family.

From my perspective of learning, the Bible to the West is what the Marxism to China. All governments or the political fields want to have something to control people other than laws. So Western countries picked the Bible, while China chose Marxism. We have to admit sometimes they are effective.

qxn_1987UID：2610437

Said the committee: "We who write this report are members of religious bodies to which we owe allegiance by conviction. For us, the democratic faith . . . rests on a religious conception of human destiny. . . . [We] believe that the American people are deeply, though not always articulately, conscious of a religious heritage to whose central values they want their children to be committed. . . .
[Religious education] is not something to be added on to the school curriculum, but rather something to be integrated with it"—in existing classes on history, sociology, psychology, economics, philosophy, literature, music, the fine arts.
【Concluded the committee: "On all sides we see the disintegration of loyalties . . . the revival of ancient prejudices, the increase of frustrations, the eclipse of hope. . . . / Religion at its best has always been an integrating force, a spiritual tonic for a soul racked by fear and cringing in weakness. ... Its imperfections will not be lessened by an attitude of splendid isolation on the part of intellectuals, or of indifference on the part of those responsible for the education of youth."】
The committee would like to see each student study the version of his own faith.

Comments:

This is an article about education and religion which are both important to a person’s whole life. As to education, different people in different countrise have different opinions about it, as well as religion. The committee thought a new generation of religious illiterates born though concomitant the education, though which might produce more people who can read and write.

The public education, as far as they concerned, should impel young toward a vigious, decisive personal reaction to the challenge of religion.

Since I am not a Protestant, Catholic or Jewish member, bluntly put, I couldn’t have a deep comprehension about the relationship between education and religion. And yet, the school should not confine their students to a certain religion, they should have the right to choose and study their own faith. The education should channel off the religion of students, instead of nipping their faiths in the bud, or confining their religion.

In the end, allow me to coin a sentence in the passage:“ We would like to see each student study the version of his own faith.”

======
拼写：
illiterate
religion

jilinlinUID：2396929

My comments: 01.18 [education of religion]
     In Western culture, religion serves as a spiritual supporter and a vital part in social life. Is it educational responsibility to cultivate a generation of religious illiterates? Is it a progress or a regress when religion becomes as unmentionable as syphilis in most state-operated schools? As a matter of fact, religious activities and practices have already been a social customs and institutions which greatly affect the conducts and behaviors of most general people in their daily life in most Western countries. Since religion at its best has always been an integrating force, a spiritual tonic for a soul racked by fear and cringing in weakness, it seems that the educators should add some classical courses such as Bible into students’ normal curriculum and teach students things concerning religion through community life.
     However, the US is a country of cultural diversity that unilaterally advocate one kind of religions in state-operated schools is not an appropriate choice because religious problems have always been the hot potatoes. For example, the lessons of Christianity may cause aversion of Islamic and Jewish students. What is worse, there will be a risk of arising conflicts and causing fights between diverse religious students if religion disciplines introduced into classes. Therefore, the best way to avoid the foregoing risks is to leave the preaching tasks to the missionaries.