Discussion about hot topics trending today

[Falcon Horus]

If all it takes is one praise to Allah, I may have inadvertantly converted to Islam ten times over. You see, the second track on the Mass For Peace (The Armed Man) by Karl Jenkins is a call to prayer in Arabic. Oh, I haved praised Allah. Also, greeted my Muslim in friends in Allah's name.

Yeah, definitely a convert.

Though I probably convert every hour of the day to a different religion in that case.

[aretood2]

And coming high on the heals of another school system going after a coach for praying on the field with his players is not just showing poor judgement imo, but massive double standards..
Also where is the Freedom From religion nut jobs on THIS situation?
And how on earth can anyone say caligraphy/religion is linked to Geography??

Geography is also called Human Geography class or more accurately, world cultures class. Every Geography textbook splits into three sections. One for physical geography and political maps, another for history, and another for the beliefs, traditions, and cultures of people. These three parts, in some textbooks are part of a unit, a unit being a region of study.

That said, one of the things you need to learn are the major tenets of each world religion. And that sentence is simply one of Islam's major tenets. Caligraphy is also a tradition and art of a given culture. Hense the lesson.

Not to mention that the Student body supports the teacher, and it was mostly adults outside of the school system (the are that the schools serve) that were complaining. The reason the schools shut down, were due to threats that the district received from said adults.

Geography has been the "everything that doesn't fit neatly into the sciences, maths, language/literature, arts" class for a long time now. It's not about map reading. It's just the "things that are happening on Earth" class.

The calligraphy/religious text copying assignment should have been in the religious education class. I had to take one when I was at school.. I didn't end up converting to any of the religions I learned about, and the class covered all the major ones.

They closed all the schools in the area because they thought copying a single line of text, that the majority wouldn't even be able to read, would make the kids convert to Islam. If it was that easy then the over-saturation of Christian imagery in the Christmas/Easter season would decimate all the other religions. None of them would stand a chance against it. It's impossible to avoid.. And yet somehow they survive..

There's no religion class in the US since teaching about religion is part of the curriculum for World History and geography courses. Text books devote entire chapters about a world religion in some cases.

If all it takes is one praise to Allah, I may have inadvertantly converted to Islam ten times over. You see, the second track on the Mass For Peace (The Armed Man) by Karl Jenkins is a call to prayer in Arabic. Oh, I haved praised Allah. Also, greeted my Muslim in friends in Allah's name.

Yeah, definitely a convert.

Though I probably convert every hour of the day to a different religion in that case.

Say shalom to Womble so you can be Jewish

[Womble]

Stuff from the UN Human Development Report:

USA maternal mortality : 28 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, that's with a birth rate of 1.9.
Israel maternal mortality: 2 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, with a birth rate of 2.9.

Guys, did I mention that your healthcare is an absolute disgrace?

[Falcon Horus]

Say shalom to Womble so you can be Jewish

Good idea.

Shalom Womble!

Stuff from the UN Human Development Report:

USA maternal mortality : 28 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, that's with a birth rate of 1.9.
Israel maternal mortality: 2 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, with a birth rate of 2.9.

Guys, did I mention that your healthcare is an absolute disgrace?

Food for thought.

Also, 2.9 is that considered a good rate in Israel? Over here, they're always saying the birthrate is too low.

[Womble]

Also, 2.9 is that considered a good rate in Israel? Over here, they're always saying the birthrate is too low.

"Replacement rate" necessary to sustain a stable population is 2.1 (any two parents have two children to replace themselves + small margin to replace those who die without having had children or had only 1).

Belgium's birthrate is 1.7, meaning that native Belgians are dying out. You don't produce enough births to outbalance deaths.

Israel's 2.9 birth rate means that Israel's population has much higher natural growth rate than all Western countries including the USA. Outside of the USA and Israel, pretty much all of the West is below replacement rate (France teeters at 2.1).

[Annoyed]

I wouldn't accept 2.1 as the minimum.

Wouldn't the practical, real world minimum vary, depending upon stupidity level of the population? Stupidity has a price, and that price is often death. Therefore, a society full of coddled boneheads who have never had to think for themselves might need a higher rate to keep the population level as opposed to a smarter population that doesn't create real world examples of Darwin's theories as often.

[mad_gater]

for people wondering about the hoopla of school kids being made to write "There is no God but Allah"....I'd say it's no different than the college professor in "God's not dead" trying to force all his students to write that "God is dead"

[Annoyed]

Funny how the rules are different, depending upon which religion is being discussed. Christianity's version of God is being excised from the schools whereever and whenever possible, but let some other religion's God be involved and all those people who object to Christianity being portrayed in the schools seem to shut up and be fine with it.

[jelgate]

Me thinks the Buddahists are hiding something. Not everyone can be that pacifists

[aretood2]

I wouldn't accept 2.1 as the minimum.

Wouldn't the practical, real world minimum vary, depending upon stupidity level of the population? Stupidity has a price, and that price is often death. Therefore, a society full of coddled boneheads who have never had to think for themselves might need a higher rate to keep the population level as opposed to a smarter population that doesn't create real world examples of Darwin's theories as often.

That bolded part...please tell me you're not into social Darwinism and eugenics...

Besides, your generation left a very huge mess for mine. Thank you for your chaotic mess. I would say people as far as having children hasn't changed much at all. Sure there's some fads out right now regarding child rearing, but they will come and go as they always have.

for people wondering about the hoopla of school kids being made to write "There is no God but Allah"....I'd say it's no different than the college professor in "God's not dead" trying to force all his students to write that "God is dead"

No, that's totally different. Kids writing "There is no God but Allah" (which should read "There is no god but God ) is no different than having kids write the ten commandments to learn about Judaism and Christianity. Which in my book would be perfectly fine. Besides, Isn't it Catholic teaching (according to God's voice on Earth, the Pope) that Allah is Jehovah?

[aretood2]

Funny how the rules are different, depending upon which religion is being discussed. Christianity's version of God is being excised from the schools whereever and whenever possible, but let some other religion's God be involved and all those people who object to Christianity being portrayed in the schools seem to shut up and be fine with it.

Yeah, that's true. But that's no reason to threaten a school district to the point that it has to close down.

There's this double standard in western society. If a school quotes the Dalai Lama in a plaque, no one would care. But quote Jesus...or even Moses...oh boy.

[Annoyed]

That bolded part...please tell me you're not into social Darwinism and eugenics...

Besides, your generation left a very huge mess for mine. Thank you for your chaotic mess. I would say people as far as having children hasn't changed much at all. Sure there's some fads out right now regarding child rearing, but they will come and go as they always have.

Darwin's theories are at the very heart of evolution, whichever critter can do it better, faster, and more efficient than the other guy survives to breed. It is the mechanism which has allowed humans to become the dominant life forms on this planet. Whether that mechanism was created and set in motion by some sort of "God" or it if just happened is anybody's guess, but it does exist. Doesn't matter if I'm into it or not. It exists.

And I have never denied that my generation, the baby boomers, are the ones that screwed the pooch as far as this country goes.

[jelgate]

Me thinks Annoyed doesn't know what social Darwism is

[garhkal]

Funny how the rules are different, depending upon which religion is being discussed. Christianity's version of God is being excised from the schools whereever and whenever possible, but let some other religion's God be involved and all those people who object to Christianity being portrayed in the schools seem to shut up and be fine with it.

Not to me. It just goes to show how much of a double standard there is..

[Womble]

I wouldn't accept 2.1 as the minimum.

Wouldn't the practical, real world minimum vary, depending upon stupidity level of the population? Stupidity has a price, and that price is often death. Therefore, a society full of coddled boneheads who have never had to think for themselves might need a higher rate to keep the population level as opposed to a smarter population that doesn't create real world examples of Darwin's theories as often.

It's got nothing to do with "stupidity level", and everything to do with economics. If the number of productive workers vs. the number of elderly dependents grows from generation to generation, the society's economic potential grows. If the trend is reserved, economic decline is but a matter of time. Overpopulation creates its own problems, but it can be resolved by making good use of the available human resources. Population decline, on the other hand, is extremely hard to reverse.