Bible at School: yet another attack on secularism and freedom of worship
cristiangcel
- 3 minutes read - 504 wordsA quarter of the twenty-first century has passed, yet there are those who stubbornly insist on indoctrinating young minds: one might say it’s medieval, but that’s not quite the case. Teaching the Bible and introducing morning blessings in schools, in a changing world where new subjects and a rational approach to curricula are needed, is the latest outlandish idea of the Italian school system proposed by local “sovereignists.”
Not innovation, but a regression to the Middle Ages, yet another slap in the face to that little secularism which should be the foundation of the Italian Republic. What will come next? The Inquisition? Witch hunts? The fact is that the current priority is not to adopt innovative policies in both curricula and certain school dynamics, but to turn back and indoctrinate students with a “sacred book”: all in the name of freedom of worship!
Issues such as bullying, outdated and limited curricula and teaching methodologies, and contemporary realities such as emotional and sexual education in schools have been ignored, in favor of an approach based on faith and the past rather than on science and today’s needs: denying Darwinism and supporting the reality of creationism is a slippery slope, one can speculate.
“Italy must return to being a beacon of virtue and spirituality. Those who want a neutral education can always study at home,” is the response given to those who protested against this reform. This is certainly not something normal to declare and uphold, especially from those who should ensure neutrality in school curricula rather than from those who want to turn schools into places of blind faith and propaganda.
Instead of educating, especially on topics like sexuality, there is a preference for clinging to a past filled with taboos and silence, where shame and quiet prevent communication and the education of the young, especially at a time when sexuality is increasingly being experienced at younger ages. The key seems to be “do not foster critical thinking, but impose propaganda and religion,” something that absolutely should not be present in our time.
Freedom of worship, therefore, the choice to adhere to a faith or not adhere at all, should be a cornerstone principle of society, especially considering the secular nature of the State: there is a preference to impose, almost as if it were an “ideological crusade,” a retrograde and bigoted mindset in young minds, all in a world today that is completely different from the Middle Ages, where needs and characteristics have changed entirely.
What will tomorrow bring? I like to joke (to avoid crying, of course) and suggest that the next proposal will be to give up medicine and treat the sick through prayer, as divine providence can do everything compared to science, which is a product of human beings. In a world like this, I prefer a scientific and modern approach, rather than dancing in the rain and hoping for help from a supposed deity.