Religion and lack of Religion in High Schools.

http://www.alternet.org/belief/1500..._why_are_schools_pushing_back_/ ?page=entire

Some schools allow religious students their own clubs, own class room and after school programs yet the same schools constantly block any attempt for any atheistic club or more correctly a Secular Thought Club, do you think this is fair and should schools allow both sorts of clubs?

Please read the link above

----
It's my opinion that if you can have a room where people can pray in school you should be allowed to have another where people who do not believe can hang out with like minded people. It is my observation that in the US, especially that non-religious types are the most distrusted people and the most misunderstood. There are several places where you can confirm this.

But anyway, what is your opinion?

(Don't post your opinion without taking the time to actually read the link please)

 

I think it's fair because we all know when you have more than one atheist in the room, they are planning something devious. Think what they could do with a whole after-school club? That could be a real threat.

 

I don't care for after school clubs period, religious or not. It tends to help build cliques, which I am particularly against.

 

What are you going to do in an atheist club?

"I don't believe in God!"
"Yeah, me neither!"
*silence*
"I like weaving baskets. Do you?"
"No"
*more silence*

 

There are tons of colleges that provide secular clubs that are primarily built up of atheist, and in an atheist club you do not have to worry about offending anyone who may be religious and will be more able to express views more openly.

Did you read the entire link, it's four pages and it goes over this.

 

It was a joke, about joining a club with people who for all you know you might not have anything in common with besides not believing in God.

 

what does an athiest scream out when they climax during sex? OH BIG BANG THEORY!

 

It's a slippery slope to socialism, obviously.

 

Wow, it's hard to believe that no one is taking this topic seriously.

As for me, this brings up a lot of similar issues about gay marriage in the vein of "If straight couples can get married then gay couples should be able to, too!" Why can there be a religious club available to high school students but not one for atheist or agnostic individuals? My opinion is that there is no reason why atheist clubs should be blocked from schools.
This situation would be different if it was a Nazi or KKK club, of course, because (TYPICALLY) they foster hate. Atheism isn't about hate, it's just different beliefs about a mostly harmless subject.

One thing I saw in the article was that some people actually fear that others will find out that they are involved in an atheist club. I have never encountered this personally, but I am intrigued. Why should anyone be bullied for their religious beliefs (or lack thereof)? Or for that matter, fired from their jobs?

 

Nobody is taking it seriously because it's obviously a really flawed issue. Jesus himself would agree it's unfair. There's not much else to discuss. It's not like there's any good defense to what's happening to atheists, just like there's no logical defense to discrimination against gays, blacks, etc. There are stupid, stupid people in our country who thump their bibles 24/7 without thinking.

 

Why can't these people pray at home and have meeting about their gods or lack of belief in a god at home? School is for education, no matter your belief, religion has no place is an educational environment. Whether those places live up to there names or not is a totally different story, but religion should be kept separate, locked in the proverbial back-room, in a safe. With no one ever speaking of it.

Just keep all of that mumbo jumbo to yourself and everyone will be better off in the end. I don't need to hear you praising Jesus, and you don't want to hear me quoting the Satanic Bible.

 

I know. When I was in high school, there were quite a bit of Somalians coming into the school system at the time. Our school created a huge room for them to pray in and wash their hands and feet in, while us other students were shown no luxuries. They also got to leave class a couple times a day to pray for like an hour at a time. It was ridiculous. Why couldn't someone who believes in a religion that dictates you have sex 5 times a day during school be given such a room?

Religion in general should be kept to your private lives. Take it out of the constitution and get it the hell out of school.

 

What's the controversy?

Public high schools are correct to not allow religious clubs and an apathy towards religion falls under that category. They should remain secular.

 

If they don't get anything special from other clubs, (eg photo club vs chess club vs <x> club can all do...__)

Then I see why not. I mean, heck.

When I was in high school, the religious club there was a lunchtime thing, once or twice a week.

They were allowed to do some events, as other clubs were allowed to host events. Just as long it wasn't during classtime.

So I don't see much of a deal here. Its a club witha specific topic, and a group of people who share interest/belief. Just as the video and photo club are a group of people who share interest/belief.

 

This pretty much sums it up. And you'd have people from other religions weekly attending to ask 'why'.

 

Silly person, there's a lot of issues that can be discussed

"Do you feel sad? I feel sad. Let's be friends. Yay like-minded friendship!"
"Are you happy? I'm happy. Let's be friends. Yay like-minded friendship!"
"Look at this new scam that people are falling for, can we do anything about it?"
"Let's do something charitable without interference from religious people misusing our money/labor!"
"Why are there, like, no girls here?"
"Look at how this person in the news got hurt and no one's doing anything about it because of their religious beliefs"
"What is the right way to debate a creationist?"
"Did you hear about that lady who lost her boss because her job didn't like her beliefs?"
"Look at this dumb internet poll. Let's link it to Pharyngula and then smash it."
"Book reading club! Let's start with Richard Dawkins...."
"Movie Teims! Let's watch Life of Brian."


Has anyone besides me here actually BEEN in one of these clubs? Y'all sound like you're talking from your butts.

 

Well, there's not really a common characteristic in atheists, which is why Dean's post is funny. It's not like after-school sports groups where most of the kids like physical activities that they can talk about it and play together. Most of those kids are athletic and do similar things. Atheists can be anyone and won't necessarily have anything in common with other group members.

 

I think this is both true and false. Atheists won't necessarily have anything in common. But secular humanists do. Buddhists do. A lot of the clubs in question are secular humanist clubs or advertise secularism.

It'd be like having over a "God club". People aren't interested in an "God Club." They're interested in "Christians on Campus" or some other thing that actually represents a group with it's own set of beliefs, rather than a concept.