Religion lessons not for schools

In a recent newspaper article, the Congress of the People (COP) stated its intention to “make religious instruction and comparative religion classes mandatory in all secondary and primary schools.”

So much, then, for the rights of the one in nine Trinidadians who are non-religious. We also suspect that many believers will object to their children being exposed to diverse religions. It might let children know that religious beliefs are exactly that—beliefs with no objective basis.

But there are more serious difficulties with the COP’s proposed policy—a policy which, we suspect, neither the PNM nor the UNC would reject.

In the first place, “religious instruction” is not education. In fact, it might even be harmful to intellectual development, since higher religiosity is correlated with lower academic achievement, in both the sciences and the humanities.

In the second place, religion does not help prevent social ills, for the higher the levels of religiosity in a society, the higher the rates for murder, battering of women, child abuse, and government corruption.

Nigeria, for example, is the world’s most religious nation and also the world’s most corrupt one. Jamaica’s murder rate is amongst the three highest in the world, and 97 per cent of Jamaicans say they are religious.

On that basis alone, it is our view that religious instruction should be banned in public or state-assisted schools. This is not to say that religion should not be taught, but such teaching must be done in the appropriate subject area—philosophy, or history, or mythology.

We would also like to know exactly how the COP plans to teach comparative religion. The statistics for world religions are as follows: Christianity—2.1 billion; Islam—1.3 billion; Hinduism—900 million; Chinese traditional religion—394 million; Buddhism—376 million; African traditional and diasporic—100 million; Sikhism—23 million; Judaism—14 million; Baha’i—seven million; Jainism—4.2 million; Rastafarianism—600,000; Scientology—500,000.

And the COP’s policy excludes the world’s 1.1 billion secularists. Are our schools expected to cater to all these systems and, if not, why not?

We understand why the COP has suggested this policy. As a party mainly attractive to middle-class voters, it needs to get grassroots support and has calculated that flattering religious groups is the best way to do this.

This is fine, but when that flattery extends to public policy and, worst of all, policy that affects our children, then the COP should be aware that it may alienate the very constituency it started with—a constituency, moreover, which is probably over-represented in the floating vote that swings the marginal seats.

Can a party that purports to embrace “new politics” but delivers the same old same really bring about meaningful change in T&T? 

T&T Humanist Association

www.humanist.org.tt

Akon could have done some good

So Akon has apologised. It’s what I wanted. To me it didn’t matter if the girl was 15 or 51. I found his dance to be very disgusting and rude. It was inappropriate.

People say he’s a rapper and she should have expected that but do we have to put up with that kind of behaviour here? Still, I am glad it happened. I hope that parents and young girls have learnt from this.

Parents need to be extra careful about where their children are going and with whom they are hanging out.

In fact, there are parents out there who encourage their young daughters to “wine and show them.” This upsets me so much. If they are doing the “dutty wine” at an early age, then when they are older what is left for them to do?

As a primary school teacher I speak to the girls (and boys) in my class about inappropriate behaviour. I hope my advice outweighs what they see their parents doing and will go with them into their secondary school life.

Young girls and women must always carry themselves with grace and poise. You can have fun without the vulgarity and sexually explicit behaviour.

Parents need to set a better example for children. The “do as I say and not as I do” doesn’t work anymore.

Thanks, Akon, for apologising and opening our eyes. May we all learn something from this incident.

A John

Barataria

Eating my words will not be easy

OPEN letter to Prime Minister Patrick Manning:

After reading that the price of the Brian Lara Stadium has doubled and that the entire Torouba Sporting Complex/tsunami shelter will now cost $1 billion instead of the already whopping $850 million, I just wish to say the following:

Do not expect me to watch it, hold my head and bawl “ooh gooood!” I’ve already done that twice—first for the $850 million and then for the $1 billion.

You have been telling supporters that we critics will change our tune when we see the completed complex. Let me tell you what will make this critic eat his words.

When I enter this billion-dollar complex, I will fall into the swimming pool. Robot arms will come out and teach me the breast stroke in a matter of minutes, then the back stroke, then the butterfly stroke, then the butterfly dance!

I should then be able to replace George Bovell III on the Olympic swimming team.

It won’t be enough to just have fencing, pole vault, lacrosse and equestrian facilities.

I expect at the official opening to see an exhibition match of quidditch between Harry Potter’s Hogwarts and a local President’s XI!

Do all that and this critic will sing your praises—until, that is, I get home to my dry taps and hear that yet someone else I know has been gunned down!

Kurt Seucharan-Fuentes

Via e-mail

Zero gravity not possible

A recent news item reported that physicist Stephen Hawking of Cambridge University floated free in zero gravity, becoming the first person with a disability to have the experience. This event reportedly took place aboard a modified jet during 25-second plunges of the aircraft.

The claim of zero gravity is often made by NASA scientists when describing the conditions experienced by astronauts in the space shuttle as it orbits the Earth.

However, as I stated many years ago and will now repeat for a new generation of science students in this country, neither Stephen Hawking in the modified jet nor NASA astronauts in the space shuttle experiences zero gravity; in both situations gravity is most assuredly present.

The two cases are what may be loosely described as free-fall, a physical state that creates a feeling of weightlessness that is erroneously described as zero gravity. Gravity results from mass and therefore it is not possible to reduce gravity to zero near the very massive Earth as is being claimed. Near zero gravity can only be achieved in outer space far away from any mass and this fact continues to be ignored by scientists.

The idea that zero gravity is achievable through free-fall originated from Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity which holds that acceleration produces gravity.

In a scientific paper published in 2001, I demonstrated the complete invalidity of general relativity theory and on this basis predicted that the theory will not be confirmed by the Stanford-NASA experiment set up to test it. This experiment, referred to as Gravity Probe B, cost over US$750 million. It has been under development for almost 50 years and was finally launched in April 2004.

At a scientific meeting last month, preliminary results of this extraordinary experiment were reported and already scientists appear to be reaching for excuses to explain the findings.

Stephan Gift

Professor of electrical engineering, UWI

No water in taps since 2001

RESIDENTS of Caparo River Road, Mamoral, have been without water in our taps since 2001. A letter was sent to the Office of the Prime Minister in 2003 and, according to a reply by his permanent secretary, WASA was investigating the matter. To date we are still without water.

We are a peaceful and law-abiding community and have not done like other communities, like burning tyres and blocking roads. We have done what is lawful and right and we are still waiting for our much needed water supply.

I have listened to our leaders’ 2020 vision, water for all. What a joke!

Imagine squatters seem to have more rights than us. Check their communities—water, lights, well paved roads.

I hope that this letter will catch the eyes of someone in authority who will remedy this serious problem.

Stephen Taylor

Mamoral 2

Signs of our times

If one is to judge by the dilapidated signs at the front of the St James and Diego Martin Police Stations and the woeful state of the office of the School Feeding Programme in St Clair, then this country is truly in trouble.

And if a previous government was “tiefing,” how come another government “misappropriates?”

And how come most of the country has water woes yet there is no problem for the zillions of gallons needed in the smelter(s)?

And finally, who is the WICB fooling about “curfews” for the players when it is widely known that players break the curfew and allow the minimal penalty deduction from their fees to be automatically taken out?

P King

Port-of-Spain

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