50% of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-03-07-teaching-religion-cover_N.htm

Americans get an 'F' in religion

Sometimes dumb sounds cute: Sixty percent of Americans can't name five of the Ten Commandments, and 50% of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married.

Stephen Prothero, chairman of the religion department at Boston University, isn't laughing. Americans' deep ignorance of world religions — their own, their neighbors' or the combatants in Iraq, Darfur or Kashmir — is dangerous, he says.

His new book, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — and Doesn't, argues that everyone needs to grasp Bible basics, as well as the core beliefs, stories, symbols and heroes of other faiths.

Belief is not his business, says Prothero, who grew up Episcopalian and now says he's a spiritually "confused Christian." He says his argument is for empowered citizenship.

[EstimatedProphet]

1. Of course not. They don't cover the Bible in church anymore

They just go over what they think the Bible is supposed to say, like 'War is good for you', 'Homos are evil', and 'White folks is best'.

[brentblack]

2. That was the PROBLEM!!!!

Sodom and Gomorrah lived in sin all those years...and Gawd was pissed!!!!


In my opinion, it is not the ignorance of religion that is dangerous....it is the religions and thier adherants that are dangerous.

[A wise Man]

40. Gawd was ....pissed

that is so cute. It's like saying that Sodom was the one that attacked us on 9/11

[dchill]

3. What? You mean they WEREN'T married?

You mean they were living in SIN?

[yellowcanine]

56. Shacking Up, yep. Ain't it awful? No wonder GAWD-AH wiped them out.

[Contrary1]

4. You can't force the parents and/or churches to educate them.

And I don't agree with Prothero's "solution".

"Prothero's solution is to require middle-schoolers to take a course in world religions and high schoolers to take one on the Bible. Biblical knowledge also should be melded into history and literature courses where relevant. He wants all college undergrads to take at least one course in religious studies."

[TechBear_Seattle]

18. It is a pickle, isn't it?

First off, a disclaimer: I am a non-believer, so no flames. If you have issue with my arguments, attack the arguments using reason and logic.

Much of Western art, music, literature, history and politics are impossible to understand without a basic comprehension of the Christian religion. We have gone so far in removing religion from the classroom that it has become very difficult to teach western civ. If America is to reverse this cultural ignorance, it is necessary to provide a grounding historical Christianity. Also, the Middle Ages and much of modern geo-politics is is defined by religious warfare. To understand the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the many wars spawned by the Reformation, the impetus for so many immigrants leaving Europe to settle in the western hemisphere and current events in Israel/Occupied Territories, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iraq, it is necessary to have a working understanding of how religions differ, which in turn requires an understanding of a religion's doctrines and beliefs.

The challenge, of course, comes in finding a way to prevent teaching of religion from becoming indoctrination for a particular religious dogma. Under existing standards, we routinely see teachers pushing one religious view while denigrating all other religious views. If religion were taught as part of the curriculum, I see it very quickly becoming preaching.

And so the catch-22: Vast swatches of history and culture can not be taught without students understanding Christianity and how it differs between sects and other religions, but there is no way to insure that teaching religion will not turn into religious indoctrination.

[Contrary1]

22. No flames from me.

I spent 12 years in Catholic schools. I completely agree with your last paragraph.
If the teaching involved spending the same amount of time studying the various religions, I would have no problem.

Unfortunately, I can't see that happening. And, it wouldn't just be the parents who objected, I think many teachers would too.

[Redneck Socialist]

29. Very true. Sunday school prepared me better for college than HS did.

Well, that's a little overstated maybe, but as you stated you need a grounding in the bible grasp much of what is alluded to in western literature.

I have no problem with religious texts being taught as literature or religion studied in its historical context.

[treestar]

30. No, that's a good point

In literature there are so many references to Biblical things and religion was so important to the people of the Renaissance. You can't understand much if you don't know the history of Christianity.

That also goes for Greek and Roman mythology. We had units in that in junior high and nobody thought we were being indoctrinated to believe in those gods. Now in those days, knowledge of Christianity was somewhat of a given, what you learned in church, but nowadays many students may not have that background and may actually need to study Christianity.

And Islam, and Buddhism. People need to get a clue that learning about something does not mean you have to be converted to a true believer.

[central scrutinizer]

5. And where are the laws about gomorrahy?

If sodomy is so bad, why are students being given the unspoken message that gomorrahy is OK?

[jimshoes]

11. Because you can get a shot

for gomorrahy and it will clear up in a few days.

[stevedeshazer]

51. You made me laugh.

Thanks.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. They should have got a different marriage counselor.

The one they got was a trifle harsh.

[Exultant Democracy]

7. Lol, too bad they can't get their myths straight. I would rather we start

by teaching people that the world is round, the world is more then 6000 years old and if they can cope with it evolution. Then we should teach the constitution, if there is any time left over we can have an elective in comparative mythology.

[cgrindley]

8. You have to know religions and their texts

Although they are all false and directly responsible for almost all human suffering, the stories are neat and are referenced by just about every form of mass culture to ever exist. I think that everyone should know the OT and NT and the Koran at the very least. There are a lot of other books worth reading and so on.

If it's done well, I think that a greater and more specific knowledge of religions and religious texts may actually help to dissuade people from wasting their lives believing in such crap.

[AndyA]

9. No Child Left Behind: Educating for a better future in America!

And who says George Bush's programs aren't working?

:sarcasm:

[truebrit71]

10. They weren't?

;-)

[Dora]

12. Sodom & Gomorrah was a favorite childhood snack of mine.

My parents used to say that s'mores were so sinful, they could have come from Sodom & Gomorrah. So they called them "Sodom & Gomorrah." And so did I.

Not being a church-going family, how was I to know the implications?

After that cookout, my Girl Scout troop thought I was a freak. I was exiled shortly thereafter.

[SoCalDem]

13. There is also a large percentage who wouldn't know a cosine

from a "For Sale" sign, or who cannot locate Canada on a blank map..

[fla nocount]

33. You sure?

I have a 19 y.o. who wants me to cosine a loan for him, he wants to buy a 4 year old Tangent.

[Gormy Cuss]

34. Wrong. That's not what it means. Cosines are relatives.

You know, the kids of your aunts and uncles. Speaking of relatives, the rule that confuses me is when to use niece vs. nephew. If the baby is your mother's sibling's kid, it's always a niece, isn't it?
:+

[SoCalDem]

50. Oooh.. math humor!! Only on DU

:)

[eppur_se_muova]

45. Yeh, but that last one's a trick question ...

if it's a BLANK map, then Canada's not ON it! :evilgrin:

[Ezlivin]

14. And they don't know where table salt comes from, either

Lot's wife was turned into pillar of salt, if you recall your Bible.

Genesis 19:26: And his wife looked from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

I wonder if she was iodized?

[TlalocW]

28. More importantly

When it rained, did she pour?

TlalocW

[soothsayer]

35. surely wasn't kosher!

[tinfoilinfor2005]

15. You all do know that S & G were cities, not people, right?

I haven't put on my sarcasm radar yet, so I'm not certain from reading the posts whether this is understood.

[WinkyDink]

20. I think that can be safely assumed. :)

[jimshoes]

23. .

;-)

[mondo joe]

16. Ofcourse they weren't married! They lived in sin! That's why god turned them into salt!!!

;-)

[Sinistrous]

31. God did no such thing !

He a-salted them.

Sinistrous

[gauguin57]

17. Yeah! The tabloids called them Sodommorah ... like Brangelina.

They sure were a cute couple back in the day.

[peekaloo]

19. okay you

:rofl:

Not to mention Lott's wife had a diet heavy in sodium chloride. }(

[WilliamPitt]

21. Good

Learn civics in school, and learn the Bible in church, sunday school and from parents.

[Chipper Chat]

24. I have all of Sodom and Gommorah's old records.

I didn't care for "Bookends" though.

[dysfunctional press]

25. comparitive world religions should be a required course- in elementary school.

it would not be an endorsement of any one religion- just a bit of an in-depth overview of the origins, teachings, and beliefs of the different religions and people's of the world.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

26. If we let gays get married...

pretty soon we'll be having whole cities getting married to each other.

They had a lot of slippery slopes back in ancient mesopotamia.

[RaleighNCDUer]

27. Makes you wonder, if the proportion of church going students

matches the proportion of general church-goers

Just what the hell are the churches teaching these days?

Then again, maybe they aren't teaching anything, out of self defense - I can directly link my atheism to the nonsense I was taught in Sunday School, and I know all the stories --

How do you justify him trying to give his daughters to the mob?
Why did his wife look back?
He let his daughters seduce him? But only because he was drunk?

And these were the righteous people who were spared?

The less you know, the easier to believe.

[Cerridwen]

32. And now you all understand why it is they fight so hard to get

religion taught in schools.

They're failing to get their message to their congregations so they want the educational system to do their job for them. They've been having a hard time attracting new members due to their hate-filled rhetoric and old-fashioned ideals; this has changed slightly in the past 10-15 years as they've attracted those who now feel "religion" validates their personal hatreds and prejudices. It's created a backlash against almost all "religions" to the point where many people have a knee-jerk reaction against religion in general.

They don't seem to "get" that if they'd catch up with the rest of the world and quit "preaching" such hate, they might actually attract a few people.

They in this scenario are the wing-nut "religionists" using "religion" as their "snake oil du jour". Broad brush applied for brevity not inclusivity.

[OxQQme]

36. Here's a link I found:

http://www.arkdiscovery.com/sodom_&_gomorrah.htm

The ancient tales from way before biblical interpretations tell of the gods and goddess's and the
battles they had amongst themselves, mostly sibling rivalries, and the weapons they had.
I'd say Mr. Sitchin was correct when he translated from the olden tales that the whole Dead Sea didn't used to be dead.
Think Nuclear devices.

"If I can show you fifty good persons in the city, will you spare it?"
"Yes."
"If I can show you ten good persons in the city, will you spare it?"
"Yes."

[Rex]

37. Sodom and Gomorrah weren't married?

nt

[AlCzervik]

38. and how many of them think the sun revolves around the earth?

i think that would be a good question to ask them.

[lumberjack_jeff]

39. Education isn't failing, indoctrination is.

It's a brilliant move, though. I can admire the tactics despite detesting the objective.

This is an excellent way to take the spotlight off our math/science/social studies/geography/language ignorance for the purpose of promoting religious instruction. Our ignorance of real education is a significant hurdle to their vision of indoctrination.

"But, but, but... we're ignorant about religion too!"

School isn't failing, churches are.

[paparush]

41. Nah...they were just dating..but broke up when Soddom asked for..well, you know...

[knitter4democracy]

53. Thanks for the giggle. I needed it.

:lol: That's funny. :D

[geniph]

42. Sodom hid in a spiderhole,

and had to be given a shot to treat his Gomorrah.

</freeperchanneling off>

[eppur_se_muova]

43. They were living in sin. That's why they were destroyed.

God hates that.

[eppur_se_muova]

44. Can't NAME five of the ten commandments? How hard can that be?

There's the First Commandment.
Then there's the Second Commandment.
Then there's the Third Commandment.
The Fourth Commandment. The Firth Commandment.

But then, I'm overeducated.

[bumblebee1]

46. That's also like saying that

Gomorrah was Saddam Hussein's wife.

[ComerPerro]

47. who cares? Why does this matter?

[Deja Q]

48. In confirmation class, some 22 years ago, I was the only one who knew

what the purpose of confirmation was! (the others merely equated it to an after school event or friendship gatherings, which is not the direct, intended meaning. An ancillary one, perhaps, but not the correct/primary/whatever one.)

I am not surprised by those stats.

[El Fuego]

49. And they think Gomorrah found marriage to be a real pain in the ass.

[kestrel91316]

52. Maybe students should be FORCED to study Christianity, like they

are in Catechism, and Catholic schools. Everybody I know who grew up Catholic or went to Catholic schools appears have been nicely immunized against ever again holding any religious beliefs...........

[Gloria]

54. I say, "Get Thee Registered!"

[youthere]

55. Their personal lives are none of my business, but I'll tell you this...

Their wine coolers SUCK.