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Ophelia 
Beyond Awesome
Fiction Moderator
Book Discussion Leader
Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 1148
Gender: 
Location: France
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 Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 8:38 am Post subject:
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| But I don't think that is the reason most parents home-school. Unfortunately, it often does involve a religious belief or a belief that sex education should not be taught in schools or the parents not wanting the children exposed to their peers |
You see Ralph, that's what I mean by Americans being different from Europeans. Nobody here of whatever religion would take steps so that their kids don't have sex education or don't hear about evolution. I know that's not a majority of people in the States, but people here are bewildered when they hear things like this on TV. Why not teach the kids that the earth is flat? |
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Saffron
Sophomore
Book Discussion Leader
Joined: 01 Apr 2008
Posts: 298
Gender:
Location: Northern Virginia
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 8:43 am Post subject:
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| Ophelia wrote: |
You see Ralph, that's what I mean by Americans being different from Europeans. Nobody here of whatever religion would take steps so that their kids don't have sex education or don't hear about evolution. I know that's not a majority of people in the States, but people here are bewildered when they hear things like this on TV. Why not teach the kids that the earth is flat? |
Hear hear, Ophelia! |
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ralphinlaos
Intern
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Posts: 161
Gender: 
Location: Thakhek, Laos
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 11:05 am Post subject:
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| Amen, Saffron. |
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ralphinlaos
Intern
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Posts: 161
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Location: Thakhek, Laos
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 11:20 am Post subject:
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That "Amen, Saffron" was in response to your previous posting, Saffron - not to your last one.
Oh, Ophelia, sometimes I feel so unenlightened. I give up. "Nobody here of whatever religion would take steps . . ." Nobody? Nobody? Is everyone in your country so enlightened that they don't care if Bobby has Two Daddies or if they are demonstrating the use of condoms in grade schools or if creationism is not a part of the curriculum? Vive la France!
I believe the Flat Earth Society originated in Europe.
Ralph in Laos (completely out of the loop). |
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President Camacho
Sophomore
Joined: 12 Apr 2008
Posts: 257
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Location: Miami, Fl
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 11:55 am Post subject:
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Ophelia
Beyond Awesome
Fiction Moderator
Book Discussion Leader
Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 1148
Gender:
Location: France
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 12:05 pm Post subject:
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| I believe the Flat Earth Society originated in Europe. |
Europe invented the Middle Ages type of mentality, the Inquisition, and a few other niceties. Since then, we've done a bit of thinking (I hope).
Now we have globally societies with very few extremes. For example, for the topics you mention, some traditionalist Catholic parents would be what would be called conservative parents here. They would put their kids in a Catholic private school, where they would be taught the curriculum. If this was not to their taste, they would grumble or complain to the headmaster, who would tell them it's the fault of the Ministry of Education, but they would not take them out of the school.
And I've really never heard of evolution being questioned outside of the US.
As for sex education, the problems we have had were with Moslem students whose families had recently emmigrated to France ( they only objected to the daughters being informed as far as I know.)
And things like two Dads, society is not ready for this in France (some other EU countries are more enlightened ), but again those who disapproved would not take any concrete action. And it's really a matter of generation, I find my students are naturally extremely tolerant and open about those things.
For example France has had a law for over 10 years, the PACS system, which allows an official civil contract between two persons, whether they are homosexuals or not (BTW, we were not pioneers in the EU here).
There were a lot of protests from Catholics at the time, but now it's well accepted. |
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ralphinlaos
Intern
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Posts: 161
Gender:
Location: Thakhek, Laos
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 2:57 am Post subject:
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Remember James Frey? "A Million Little Pieces?" World-wide bestseller and then the controversy. Memoir or fiction? Well, there's an excellent six-page article in Vanity Fair in which Mr. Frey tells his side of the controversial story. You can read the entire article on-line at vanityfair.com.
Vanity Fair has some really top-notch contributors and their archives are filled with some great material; well worth reading.
Ralph |
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