Reply #18: Agreed [View All]

It depends on what he was using it for, in my opinion. If the teacher wanted to point out that a number of folks back in colonial times were religious, I have no problem with that. It's an established fact, and there's no sense in disputing that. However, if he was piggybacking on that fact to sell his particular religious viewpoint, or to say that there is some sort of equivalency between the religion practiced 250 years ago and what passes for "popular" Christianity today, then the fellow is seriously wrong.

It's too bad, too. There's a wealth of educational opportunity to be found in a discussion of the role of religion in public life. I hasten to add that the teacher should moderate, not guide, such a discussion.