Okay, that title was intentionally inflamatory - but still an honest question. For the record, I'm not talking about racial diversity, or physical diversity of any kind. I'm talking about a spiritual and philosophical diversity that threatens our relationship with God. Hear me out.
Here's the article that sparked the thought: Parents Sue Florida School District Over Religious-Themed Song.
Apparently, some parents were outraged that their children were being taught an overtly religious song in a public school. The song - "In God We Still Trust" by Diamond Rio - contains the following lyrics:
"You place your hand on His Bible/When you swear to tell the truth/ His name is on our greatest monuments/And all our money, too/And when we pledge allegiance/There's no doubt where we stand/there's no separation/We're one nation under him."
Now, there are a lot of directions my mind went on this story, but the one I wanted to explore - and get your thoughts on - was the idea that we can't publicly teach our children songs about the Christian God of the Bible because we might offend the devotees of some other religion (and that includes Atheism, btw).
Even though this country was founded on Christian principles by mostly Bible-believing men, we are taught - in the name of diversity - to honor, respect, and treat as equal other belief systems. We are told over and over again how rich our culture is to have so many varied inputs into our "melting pot". Other cultures have so much to teach us we hear them say. But I can't help thinking (over there in the stubborn, politically-incorrect portion of my brain) that the "melting pot" has become a standing cesspool of diluted truth (how's that for a word picture!).
You know, there's a reason why God warned Israel about fraternizing with diverse cultures and "learning their ways". He knew it would cause them to fall away from Him and eventually bring about their nation's demise . . .
4 comments:
AWESOME someone else has a "stubborn politically incorrect portion of their brain" too!!!!!!!!
It is so nice to know I am not alone. Is diversity in the faith arena good for school children or for that matter, anyone in America? **** NO, not in any way shape or form!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our beautiful country was founded mainly by Christian men and the ones that weren't alteast had a degree of respect for it. Scholastic book club(public school) featured books before Christmas on Chanukah, Quanza and tons of bloated snowmen and jolly old men but NOT A ONE about the Christ child. NOT ONE !!!!!!! That offends me, like to the degree that a vein buldges in my forehead, my fists clinch and I want to talk thru my teeth. I KNOW that the dilution of faith offends our heavenly father but it is such an insult to all of the men and women who died for our country and our freedoms. True freedom is slowly taken away when we loose site of "where" our freedoms came from. Good luck with that social experiment America!!!!! Im sorry Kip, I get really fired-up when it comes to politics so please forgive me for my emotional outbursts..... Thanx my brutha
I see that neither of you have any concept of freedom of religion.
Government officials can't tell your children OR mine what they "ought" to believe, and if you want that, I'm going to push for MY beliefs to be taught, not yours. And since I'm an atheist, you probably wouldn't like that.
Your country sadly was formed on oppressing native indians and followed with slaves. You hold on to your Christian beliefs out of fear ... You form churches in backyards and tv, then go out into the world and continue oppression...
Who cares if you say grace or the Lords prayer in school, when your children commit the greatest attocities against humanity.
The only truth you spoke was this . . .
You know, there's a reason why God warned Israel about fraternizing with diverse cultures and "learning their ways". He knew it would cause them to fall away from Him and eventually bring about their nation's demise . . .
Israel is about to crumble and it has nothing to do with God, it is the greed & cruelty of men...
Christ was a gentleman.
As His followers, I'm thinking that we need to be sensitive to the fact that Christ didn't browbeat people into believing in Him. He presented it and let them choose.
It seems that the problem is that Christianity has long been the majority religion. Hence, the majority of religious expression was Christian. Now, it seems that "religious diversity" is a catch phrase for meaning "religious expression as long as it isn't Christian". That shouldn't be. I firmly believe that just as Christ allows us to choose, so we should be allowed to express ourselves religiously, no matter what religion (atheism included), you choose. That also means that if the majority of a school team or class is Christian - then they should be allowed to pray as an extension of their individual religious belief. Teachers should be allowed to express their own individual beliefs as well. As long as it isn't a mandatory action, what is the problem?
If you answer something to the effect that an individual would feel pressured to join in the majority - then the problem is that individual's inability to deal with peer pressure, not the religious expression of the majority.
I can see more Christians being frustrated and disheartened that, on the whole, we seem to be losing numbers and our majority is eroding. That does not mean that diversity itself is bad.
I see diversity as a platform for contrast - and it tends to firm up my own faith, as opposed to tearing at it. I guess I'm very much into the "Choose for yourselves who you will serve...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" mentality.
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