Having grown up saying the "Pledge", I very much agree. There is so much that relies on general consensus, Like obscenity laws. Those are left to the community, and usually it works out. Like saying "under God", in the pledge. It wasn't a big deal, and you could always not say it if you wanted. I remember as a grade schooler, sitting under a big Christmas Tree in the foyer singing Chistmas carols, even though I wasn't Christian.
But now the agendas are so hardened, and polarized that the common consensus doesn't seem to work well anymore. It's always nice to hear your voice, Emily. (-; ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <emilymaenot@...> wrote : I'm all for quiet time...let them read a book for 15 minutes or sit quietly or write. If schools want to incorporate "meditatation", then why not just teach the concept of breathing and paying attention to that and call it a relaxation skill. I agree with separation of church and state, but remember thinking it was getting ridiculous when the "under God" phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance was ruled unconstitutional by the 9th District Court. This ruling was later reversed. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <steve.sundur@...> wrote : Ann, I respectfully disagree. If there is anything to be vigilant about, it is the separation of church and state. State including schools. There are many special interests looking for any tiny opening in that area. The oft used, "slippery slope" very much applies here, I think. I think TM in schools would be great. But I think we need to find a different way to transform that environment, I'm afraid. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <awoelflebater@...> wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <turquoiseb@...> wrote : This is just cult hysteria and misdirection on Buck's part. Thomas Jefferson *was* a Christian, and he objected to *any* form of religious practice being added to the school systems of America because that violated the Constitution of the United States. Or possibly Buck believes that the "tyranny" referred to in Jefferson's famous quote below referred to rakshasas. :-) It didn't...it referred to a group of Christians who were trying to sneak their practices into a school system, just as the TMO is. "I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." I am very much not a Christian, but I would object similarly to any form of religion-based meditation being offered in public schools in America for the same reason -- it violates the Constitution. And there is simply no question that TM (as it is currently taught) is based in religion -- the mantras are the names (or nicknames, for the nitpickers) of Hindu gods, and Hindu gods and teachers are chanted to and bowed down to during the puja, without which *TM cannot be taught*. For similar reasons I would opposed any form of Buddhist meditation (including mindfulness) being taught in American public schools *if it included and demanded traditional Buddhist rituals as part of the teaching process*. If a technique can be *totally* divorced from its religious background, such that no invocation of or mention of the religious trappings are ever needed to learn and practice the technique, then I'd see no problem with such a technique being taught in schools. But TM does NOT fit that criterion. Never has, never will. This was decided in the courts w.r.t. TM decades ago. You are waayyyy too hung up on the concept of religion. You are positively spooked by it. Practicing a meditation technique for a few minutes in some North American school room is a long way from what was or may still be happening in Catholic schools with its indoctrination and spiritual brainwashing. Sitting down for a few minutes to shut out the world is potentially a great thing given that America's typical school environment is pretty much entropic noise and superficiality. Get off your paranoidal high horse and get a grip. You're hysterical. If you take half a second to think for a change you'd realize just about everything we do in our day is based on some religious practice or culture or belief. We're grounded in it as human beings. I had no idea you were such a prissy wussy, Bawwy.
