Schools are dropping the Holocaust from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim pupils, a Government backed study has revealed.
It found some teachers are reluctant to cover the atrocity for fear of upsetting students whose beliefs include Holocaust denial.
There is also resistance to tackling the 11th century Crusades - where Christians fought Muslim armies for control of Jerusalem - because lessons often contradict what is taught in local mosques.
The findings have prompted claims that some schools are using history 'as a vehicle for promoting political correctness'.
How I wish now that I had gotten out of math class by stating that it somehow offended me at a religious level, and thus intimidating my educators into dropping the course lest they offend me.
Even secular movements are in on the act, in this day and age when Big-bang and Evolution THEORIES are taught as fact and competing ideas are not permitted into the classroom. I cannot speak for other Christians but as for myself I think that the theories should be presented with proper acknowledgment to the fact that they are unprovable and in effect belief systems in and of themselves.
But the thing about the news story is that the holocaust is not an unprovable theory. There are photographs, eyewitness accounts, confessions from the killers and the buildings themselves which still stand. The leap of faith required to believe in it is not that great. Evolution and Big Bang theories ultimately are their own faith models, as there will always be gaps in the fossil records and no one will be able to explain how something came from nothing unless there was something that preceded it.
Romans 1:18-22 18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
A blast from college days. This Husker Du song is from the Flip your wig album (which I had in vinyl). I had a 90 minute tape with Flip your wig on one side and Elvis Costello's King of America on the other. The labels have fallen off of it but I still have that tape. It gets moved into whatever vehicle I am driving.
Walking around with your head in the clouds Makes no sense at all Sell yourself short, but you're walking so tall Makes no sense at all Is it important? You're yelling so loud Makes no sense at all Walking around with your head in the clouds Makes no sense at all Makes no difference at all
I don't know why you want to tell me When I'm right or when you're wrong It's the same thing, in your mind, the only time I'm right is when I play along
You concern yourself with evidence It's evident to me Well you say you've got the tiger by the tail But I don't see these things that way
On the way in to work this morning I heard something I liked on the current:
Patty Griffin - No Bad News
"Why don't you burn it all down, burn your own house down, burn your own house down Try to kill your own disease And leave the rest of us, there's a lot of us, leave the rest of us Who wanna live in peace to live in peace."
Waiting until the last minute to purchase a mother's day card and then failing to do so because your wallet was locked in a church on Saturday night is NOT a valid excuse, never, ever, ever. It really does not matter how amusing an anecdote it may seem like to you.
Mother's day morning:
You wake up early - GOOD.
You let wife sleep in - GREAT.
You go downstairs to make breakfast - EXCELLENT.
Now, with that kind of momentum, DO NOT turn on that little tv you have in the kitchen. You're just begging to get caught up in some fishing show or that big fight at the end of Rocky III, the one that you have already seen 20 times.
It is a TRAP, and you WILL end up gulping down coffee and gobbling croissants, trying in vain to get to church on time. Turn off the TV, get the waffles cooking and ask yourself why on earth you would want to sabotage yourself in such a fashion. Wipe that smirk off your face, because it is NOT funny and you WILL find yourself wishing that you were dead.
If after church you should give your wife the option to "Choose wherever she wants" to go out to eat, NEWSFLASH: THAT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE 'HAVING A PLAN.'
Now I acknowledge that some women may not feel that this one is such a terrible offense, as they may relish the freedom of dining at a restaurant of their choice, so your mileage may vary.
But regardless of whether or not your wife allows you to fudge on this one, it is not an excercise in the proper use of initiative. Sooner or later she is going to realize that she chooses where or if you guys go out to eat all other 364 days out of the year and she is going to resent the fact that you did not take charge of this thing and just pick a place to take her to, for crying out loud. And then, brother, you will be brought up on charges for SHODDY HUSBANDRY, and you will be on trial for your life.
It's the equivalent of driving 5 over the limit: Technically you could be cited at any time. You could take this passive approach for years and never get a complaint. But just when you think you have an understanding with the authorities, BAM! You are in a world of hurt that you never even saw coming. Hedge your bets! Have a flight plan! Make your reservations well in advance if you need to. Don't let this pathetic tale become yours.
When you are confronted with the terrible truth:
Learn from your mistakes. Resolve to buy the card a week in advance. Tie a string around your finger or something. (Bonus Tip: Get a couple years supply on clearance and stash 'em)
Do not make excuses. you're busted, pal. And by the way - An explanation is just an excuse with one of those little pine tree air fresheners tied to it. So don't go splitting hairs. Make it a little easier on yourself.
Admit that you are a mangy, low-down dog. Lay on your back, wave your legs in the air and WHINE. Yelp when your sides are kicked. It's your only hope of getting back into the pack.
Say that you are sorry. If you can't say it, then you don't mean it. If you don't mean it, then you can't say it.
If you've been making excuses, offering explanations, fighting to maintain your pride or dignity, or worst of all not learning from your mistakes, then saying I'm sorry will not mean anything to her. It is better for you to go off to work, think all day about what you have done and tell her sorry right before you leave to go pick her up.
A took these photos from the truck when I drove around the front of the house. I just rolled down the passenger window and snapped off a couple of shots.
Here are a couple of closeups (Be sure to click on them to see full size):
From what I read, gestion takes about four weeks. Given that the eggs have been there for a week now and supposing a week or so before they leave the nest, I won't be able to use my front door for the next month, and really shouldn't be mowing my front lawn, either.
I think I'm going to be really popular with the neighbors this summer.
Two weekends ago When I was clearing the yard I noticed that a bunch of the dead flowers had been removed from the planter out front on our steps.
Last weekend we spotted four eggs in the planter:
On Monday I spotted a mallard couple wandering around in our front yard, and this morning I was able to spy through the sidelight on our front door and actually see the hen, sitting in our planter. Now there are 7 eggs.
These waddling squatters are a welcome addition to our yard, especially after what happened last year. In the mean time, the planter can wait.
Another pleasant surprise this spring were the hostas that I transplanted from my parent's place last summer. Out of the middle of one of the plants sprung up four royal purple tulips, which had obviously mingled into the hosta's root system and been transported unwittingly by me. So mom has been gone for a year and a half but she is still sending me surprises.
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