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Should the oneness of humanity be taught in all schools worldwide

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
The idea of there being a distinction between religion and not-religion is a Christian invention. A hallmark of the Gregorian Reformation. It is a thoroughly Christian idea, a Christian vision of how society ought to work.
sec·u·lar
adjective
1.
denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
"secular buildings"
Similar:
nonreligious
lay
nonchurch
temporal
worldly
earthly
profane
unsanctified
unconsecrated
unhallowed
laic
Opposite:
holy
religious
sacred
2.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH
(of clergy) not subject to or bound by religious rule; not belonging to or living in a monastic or other order.
noun


That fact is irrelevant to the fact that throughout history there's always been those that are non religious, and do not believe in any organized religion. Call it what you may, I owe nothing to Christianity. I'd be better off without such oppression.

I do not owe my spirituality to Christianity either.
 

Rival

Diex Aie
Staff member
Premium Member
sec·u·lar
adjective
1.
denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
"secular buildings"
Similar:
nonreligious
lay
nonchurch
temporal
worldly
earthly
profane
unsanctified
unconsecrated
unhallowed
laic
Opposite:
holy
religious
sacred
2.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH
(of clergy) not subject to or bound by religious rule; not belonging to or living in a monastic or other order.
noun


That fact is irrelevant to the fact that throughout history there's always been those that are non religious, and do not believe in any organized religion. Call it what you may, I owe nothing to Christianity. I'd be better off without such oppression.

I do not owe my spirituality to Christianity either.
Sigh.

Are you aware that Christianity is the religion which defined the idea that there is an area of civilisation which can be considered 'secular'? Before this, what we call religion was inseparable from all cultures. Christianity divorced the two and created the distinction we now make between religious and non-religious. Jews didn't do this, Muslims didn't do this, Pagans didn't do this. Only Christians have the distinction between the secular sphere and the religious sphere because they invented it so the state couldn't meddle in Church business.

I know you hate it but it's true.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Sigh.

Are you aware that Christianity is the religion which defined the idea that there is an area of civilisation which can be considered 'secular'? Before this, what we call religion was inseparable from all cultures. Christianity divorced the two and created the distinction we now make between religious and non-religious. Jews didn't do this, Muslims didn't do this, Pagans didn't do this. Only Christians have the distinction between the secular sphere and the religious sphere because they invented it so the state couldn't meddle in Church business.

I know you hate it but it's true.
History is mostly tragedy and ugliness! As for the future I see no reason not to depart from Christianity. The more humans grow past it, the better. Human nature is known by history. I see no reason to revere the faults of history just because Christianity recognized that many people are simply non religious.
 

Secret Chief

Veteran Member
all religions are from the same source

NO superior race, religion, nationality or group of people. Thank you. If you agree please try and teach this concept in your school.
I work in a UK school. It is not taught that all religions are from the same source because they are not. Nor is it taught there are superior races, religions nationalities or groups for the same reason.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Yes at school we were taught that Jews were evil and never to befriend them. We were told aboriginals were drunkards and lesser people. Nothing about Muslims until later though. I was a Catholic then. I consider it wrong to have taught me those things. Christ taught to love all. In school assembly hundreds of children. “Jews are evil”. No need for it.
I'm glad I never went to Catholic schools. My Hindu friends from Sri Lanka were taught (in the Catholic schools) to spit towards the Hindu temples as they walked past.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I can tell you that Aboriginals did not have a fair go in the schools when I was going to those schools, predudices were taught and discrimination did happen as they tried make Aboriginals white and anything that was not Christianity go away.

Regards Tony
same thing here, and they're still fighting for rights. But as individuals, we weren't necessarily buying into it. Dad hired indigenous farm workers to prove a point. I still remember the young man who loved to play catch with me when he got off the tractor.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
We're not all equal, and children can see right through that nonsense in 1 minute or less.
No, we are not all equal in the sight of God. Baha'u'llah wrote that.

“Let no one imagine that by Our assertion that all created things are the signs of the revelation of God is meant that—God forbid—all men, be they good or evil, pious or infidel, are equal in the sight of God.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 187
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
I live in a very multicultural society, in Toronto, Ontario. I like it. It's very rich in terms of the arts, the food, the languages, the traditions, the festivals that are available to us. Many Torontonians take a great deal of pleasure in celebrating our diversity, and I am personally a great believer that diversity can add immensely to how we approach problem solving and creativity.

Still, diversity means that we do, indeed, have our differences. And I would not like to see all of humanity homogenized into one grey mass, each of us basically indistinguishable from each other. To @Audie, I'd say that diversity can very often be the greatest strength of a team. One person's ability to throw and another's to catch, or one to run swiftly and another to be an immovable object in the path of a runner.

What we need to do is to accept that every human -- so long as they are doing no harm to themselves and others -- deserves our acceptance of being their authentic selves. And the truth is, we are not one family, nor even one clan -- we are many and we are diverse, and it only goes wrong when we fear the differences in others.

But, in deference to the OP -- we are all one species! We are all homo sapiens. But as much as we might enjoy our visit with the neighbours next door, it's still always nice, and comfortable, to get back home again, with those close to us.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
I'm glad I never went to Catholic schools.
I went to a Catholic high school for my freshman year. Mind you, I was not raised in any religion but my mother sent me there because I was getting in trouble in junior high in the public school. The whole experience was pretty scary for me since I knew nothing about God or religion, let alone the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! It did not go over very well for me so my mother took me out the next year and enrolled me in a public school for the remainder of high school. That school was in an upscale suburb of Rochester, NY and most of the children were rich and Jewish. It was a very good school and 90% of graduates went on to college.
 

TransmutingSoul

One Planet, One People, Please!
Premium Member
same thing here, and they're still fighting for rights. But as individuals, we weren't necessarily buying into it. Dad hired indigenous farm workers to prove a point. I still remember the young man who loved to play catch with me when he got off the tractor.
Good on your Dad. My father was brought up in the predudices towards aboriginal people, Australia did not start to lose these predudices until the later 90's. I was lucky that my last few years of school involved friends that were Aboriginal and I worked with one of those friends for a few years as well. My heart of my mother helped a long way in shaping my mind on this topics.

I have watched shows on the struggles of Native Canadians. We organised and had a Native Hoop Dancer from Canada perform here in Normanton during our wet season, way too hot for Him (He passed away this year, Kevin Locke)


The town I now live in is 80% traditional owner descendants.

Stay well, stay happy, Regards Tony
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
Sorry you missed the point. It’s about teaching the next generation to respect all and treat all as equals. Nothing to do with any religion. Prejudices need to be addressed and the best and lasting way I believe is through education.
OK. Will you accept gays as equal and free to be gay in their private and public lives? And will you reject the anti-gay prejudice that Baha’i advocates?
 

Eddi

Christianity
Premium Member
I don't think there is such a thing as "the oneness of humanity"

There are many different kinds of human, there are many different ways to be human, humanity is diverse, not monolithic

And I hope it will always remain diverse

But we are of course all equal and should treat each other accordingly
 

idea

Question Everything
Its good to keep in mind that the
leaders of international idealistic
- isms of the 20th century did us no favours

Perhaps isms and religious dogmas would hold less power if everyone followed more universal - rather than groupthink - principles.

Teach kids/everyone to reject leaders who claim to be prophets/chosen/blessed/special - "by the people", not by the pope, not by dictator, not by prophet - by everyone working together.
 

idea

Question Everything
I don't think there is such a thing as "the oneness of humanity"

There are many different kinds of human, there are many different ways to be human, humanity is diverse, not monolithic

And I hope it will always remain diverse

But we are of course all equal and should treat each other accordingly

We all enjoy good food. We like music, rely on family, friends. We all get sick, experience death. Humanity is connected by so many shared experiences.

What we all share - this is as close to "truth" as it gets.

What only one group believes = false :)
 

Eddi

Christianity
Premium Member
We all enjoy good food. We like music, rely on family, friends. We all get sick, experience death. Humanity is connected by so many shared experiences.

What we all share - this is as close to "truth" as it gets.

What only one group believes = false :)
We all enjoy different good food, different music

We have shared experiences but we are wonderfully diverse

There is no oneness and that is good

And the truth of any belief has nothing to do with what group or groups believes it
 

sayak83

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Yes at school we were taught that Jews were evil and never to befriend them. We were told aboriginals were drunkards and lesser people. Nothing about Muslims until later though. I was a Catholic then. I consider it wrong to have taught me those things. Christ taught to love all. In school assembly hundreds of children. “Jews are evil”. No need for it.
Private Catholic schools?
If its public schools in Australia, can you share the curriculum where these things are taught?
 
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