<p>Gilbert, I can tell by your response that I have been misunderstood. I have no interest in debating what any particular church believes, preaches, teaches, etc. and i also am not debating gay rights or issues. </p>
<p>I do understand how schools work, having been a public school teacher for years and having taught at both public and private colleges. My husband has been a school board member for years, and I have a graduate degree in education. </p>
<p>A school, whether public, private or parochial can set its own curricula. No problem. I do not need to agree with it. That is not the same as not allowing exposure to literature or plays or works of art that depict those who do not follow the same religious leanings. It is about AWARENESS…which is not the same as preaching to do what others do but to not close off EXPOSURE to those who follow other religions, cultures, beliefs, etc. I see no harm in exposure to those who do not follow the same beliefs. I can read a book or see a play about those who hold views that are totally contradictory to my own but that doesn’t put my own beliefs or religion at risk to do that. I am NOT debating what the church chooses to preach. I may disagree but it is their right to teach whatever belief or rule that they wish. I don’t see exposure to those who are different than their religious beliefs as putting anything at risk to them. Are they not secure in their own teachings? I’d want my kids to learn about what another church believes and it would not keep my kids from believing in their own religious beliefs or values.</p>
<p>I am not for removing books and plays that depict those who do not hold the same beliefs as one holds for themselves. What is the fear? Be secure in your self and your church. Watching a play that has characters that do not follow your church’s teaching is not going to put your church’s teachings at risk. Should we all just learn about our own people? I think understanding others’ religions, cultures, sexual orientations, races, etc. can only be beneficial. That is not the same as agreeing with one another or changing our own values or beliefs or religion. Should we only learn or read or watch things that depict those with whom we agree? THAT is what I am discussing…NOT gay rights…NOT the church’s teachings…NOT the curricula they set. I’m talking of censoring exposure of books and plays that depict those who do not follow one’s own group’s ways. </p>
<p>One definition (not my own which you claim I am creating my own definition!) of censorship is:
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<p>One definition of a censor is:
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<p>My point is that a religious leader or school leader is censoring material that he/she wants to suppress because he/she/they find it objectionable. I am maintaining that one can read or watch works that do NOT align with one’s own ways and not be swayed to change one’s religious beliefs. To not allow one to view other ways is harmful to society as there is no understanding of others who are not the same religion, race, orientation, nationality, sect, etc. Exposure is not the same as AGREEING and CONDONING. I am not advocating for any church to change its beliefs or teachings. Who cares that I don’t agree with their beliefs. Not my business. But I am speaking up against censorship which breeds fear of those who are not like our own. There is harm in that whereas I do not see harm in simple awareness of others who practice what I may not agree with. It doesn’t change my own belief systems or threaten my religion’s culture. Suppression of books and arts that depict a range of beliefs only puts up walls to our understanding and tolerating those who are not like ourselves. </p>
<p>You keep bringing up gay marriage and the beliefs of the church and that is not what i am talking about (not to say YOU can’t talk about it) but it seems like you are responding to me about those issues and I am not even talking about the beliefs or rules of the church which is not my purview. I’m talking about censoring which closes minds off from anyone different than their own church, race, culture, etc. Hard to love thy neighbor if you can’t learn about others’ ways in an attempt to understand and tolerate, which is not the same as condoning.</p>