New York Regents Give Religious Schools Conscience Exemption To Teaching Tolerance

[rug]

Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Posted by Howard Friedman --PermaLink: 7:00 AM

Last year, New York enacted the Dignity for All Students Act, effective July 1, 2012. (See prior posting.) In addition to prohibiting bullying, the law (Educ. Law Sec. 801-a) requires schools to include in their K-12 curriculum instruction in tolerance and respect for others of different races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, genders, and sexes. According to Yeshiva World, on Monday the New York Board of Regents voted to exempt yeshivas and parochial schools from this requirement to the extent that the school has a religious or moral objection to the requirement. Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz said that parents of students in such schools "may now feel secure that ... their children will not be subjected to lessons that are inconsistent with their religious doctrines."

http://religionclause.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-york-regents-give-religious-schools.html

[drm604]

1. So they have a conscience exemption against teaching children to have a conscience.

How sad.

[cbayer]

2. agree, it really is sad. How can they object to this?

[skepticscott]

3. Uh, because God tells them to

What better reason does anyone need to do anything?

[Ron Obvious]

4. Kinda defeats the point then, doesn't it? n/t

[rexcat]

5. Does that mean they can continue to teach intolerance?

I think there is something fundamentally (no pun intended) wrong with this scenario!

[deacon_sephiroth]

6. They dodged a bullet on that one.

Teaching tolerance would be...how did they put it?

"...inconsistent with their religious doctrines."

I couldn't have said it better