HS test 'slams' Christianity, lauds Islam By YOAV GONEN Education Reporter Last Updated: 3:26 PM, August 24, 2010 Posted: 2:33 AM, August 24, 2010
State testmakers played favorites when quizzing high-schoolers on world religions -- giving Islam and Buddhism the kid-gloves treatment while socking it to Christianity, critics say.
Teachers complain that the reading selections from the Regents exam in global history and geography given last week featured glowing passages pertaining to Muslim society but much more critical essay excerpts on the subject of Christianity.
"There should have been a little balance in there," said one Brooklyn teacher who administered the exam but did not want to be identified.
"To me, this was offensive because it's just so inappropriate and the timing of it was piss-poor," he added, referring to the debate over the plan to build a mosque near Ground Zero.
The most troubling passage came from Daniel Roselle's "A World History: A Cultural Approach," observers said.
The passage reads: "Wherever they went, the Moslems [sic] brought with them their love of art, beauty and learning. From about the eighth to the eleventh century, their culture was superior in many ways to that of western Christendom."
Meanwhile, an excerpt listing the common procedures used by Christian friars to introduce the religion in Latin America stated that "idols, temples and other material evidences of paganism [were] destroyed," and "Christian buildings [were] often constructed on sites of destroyed native temples" -- and built with free Indian labor, to boot.
"I can see why some people might see these questions as skewed," said Mark MacWilliams, a religious-studies professor at St. Lawrence University in upstate Canton. "Why does the exam seem to have only documents that portray Islam as a religion of peace, civilization and refinement, while it includes documents about Christianity that show it was anything but peaceful in the Spanish conquest of the Americas?"
At the same time, MacWilliams criticized the presentation of Hernando Cortes' conquest of Mexico -- which he said portrayed him as a "choirboy" rather than a "conquistador."
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Guess that's where Schdy schools decided to allow the mocking of Catholics by allowing a child who knows absolutely nothing about the Rosary, to mis use the Rosary. And then the school won't teach students what the Rosary is all about either.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Guess that's where Schdy schools decided to allow the mocking of Catholics by allowing a child who knows absolutely nothing about the Rosary, to mis use the Rosary. And then the school won't teach students what the Rosary is all about either.
They should direct them to the local clergy.....IT'S THEIR JOB......if they were doing a better job they wouldn't have to CLOSE churches or turn them into christian rock stadiums.......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
They should direct them to the local clergy.....IT'S THEIR JOB......if they were doing a better job they wouldn't have to CLOSE churches or turn them into christian rock stadiums.......
You're advocating the public school send a student to a "religious" person (of any denomination) ???
Hmm. the same "religious" institution that can't have a flyer on a town govt website promoting a community event?
I am sure the Catholic Diocese wrote the thing. They sent an "interfaith" expert over to help. Soon they will be building minarets on the roofs to suck up to the muzzies too in the name of "tolerance." They disgust me, since they are traitors to the faith.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Guess that's where Schdy schools decided to allow the mocking of Catholics by allowing a child who knows absolutely nothing about the Rosary, to mis use the Rosary. And then the school won't teach students what the Rosary is all about either.
It is clearly not MOCKING Catholicism by any stretch of the imagination. I mean are you serious? Do you honestly expect a 'public' school to teach what the rosary is all about? That is what CATHOLIC SCHOOL is for.
If kids are allowed to wear bandana's to school, should that be considered MOCKING muslims?
MC, I think you are missing the entire point here. ....... the PUBLIC school had a ban on BEADS....all beads!! It was the liberal media that blew it out of proportion and turned this into a religious debate.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I am sure the Catholic Diocese wrote the thing. They sent an "interfaith" expert over to help. Soon they will be building minarets on the roofs to suck up to the muzzies too in the name of "tolerance." They disgust me, since they are traitors to the faith.
traitors of the faith? now? how about their UN vote......or they exist as their own filthy rich state? faith? where?.....
as to all the big 3 religions......I dont think god gives one of it's rats asses about a piece of land no bigger than Schenectady.....god has all of its fish to fry.......bigger bigger bigger picture........creationism also includes the universe............
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Logged
Great language from the Brooklyn teacher. Liberals who hate every other religion have found a new home.
