h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I thought "Karma" and "reincarnation" was Buddism and not Hinduism?

Apparently they exist in both, though some aspects of Hinduism introduce a divine intervention to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_in_Hinduism

Happy Christmas SWL. I've corrected your subject header.

When I was at school, I misunderstood and didn't go to grammer lessons 'cos I thought I was too young.

Merry Mithrasmas

*grammar*

It's late

Hey, I'm in good company though

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6208295.stm

M&S good company eh !!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, well, good night and a merry Xmas to you.


Way past my bedtime

Buddhism was a spin-off of hinduism, so they do share some beliefs. But they do have a point in not letting parents pick and choose what religious events their children can attend. Just celebrate the main events of the country´s own culture, and then people of other faiths can do the rest privately.

I'm not sure I agree with that, I don't think people can be allowed to opt out of properly understanding other religions. This mother has clear ideas about Hinduism regards her son's disability (and of course I can understand why she is touchy about it) but I bet she can't quote the text from whatever the hindu holy book is or anything like that. If she's right then her son needs to learn that some people look at people in wheelchairs like that, sad but true. Either way, though, the whole affair has been badly managed, hasn't it?

Ah the *eternal* problem of being both an atheist and being committed to freedom of the individual (especially in regard to religion).


I went to a schools with no blind or severly visually impaired pupils till I was 13. Yet from the age of 7 it seems I was fed information about "guide dogs for the blind", Helen Keller, braille and why automated road crossing signs also made that beeping noise.

I had no need of that information for a good 6 years of my life. When Thomas Telford school closed and I went to churchfields I was not phased at all by the adaptations made to school life and equipment for the benefit of pupils who needed them.

So the boy in the story goes to a school with no Hindu pupils doesn't mean he will *never* meet a Hindu does it?

Should his parent be allowed to absent him from parts of the curriculum? Hell yes. Im all about choice and even if a black parent asked for their child not to learn about the enslavement of West Africans in the New World colonies by white Europeans if it could fit around the standard curriculum without too much fuss Id wonder why but take it as a personal choice the parent is free to make.

That goes especially for the ignorant, hurtful lies contained in the canon of religious books. However I still think that as all that religious mumbo jumbo is a big part of the cultural fabiric of life hereabouts then people should be heard when they want it represented in a curriculum that is paid for by them as tax payers.

I think the Head in this case took way too heavy handed an approach by threatening to refuse the child access to the Christamas party for a decision afterall was made by the childs parents and not the child.

This is *not* a case of political correctness going mad but of a bullying head and a school justifiably offering a curriculum that represents the cultural/religious makeup of this country.

one love

Oops, someone had better go and stand in the naughty corner.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6212125.stm

Accident "blackspots", dearie me.

Do we still have unemployment blackspots?

Blicky: problem is then Hindu parents living in the UK should also be allowed to remove their children from any teaching about christianity/non-hindu religions or sexual education. Would we want to let parents have their children grow up in ignorance? I´m sure history class in itself has lots of stuff that could be offensive to people, I don´t think you should be allowed to skip it if you don´t like it.

Hang on hang on hang on.

Curriculum? Teaching? This was a religious celebration, people, not a sit-down class. And parents have every right to remove their children from *participation* in a religious event.

Right?

TRiG.

I think I understand where you are coming from Trig and I even agree with Xan's reading of the situation (because in a rare departure from your backward looking stick in the mud outlook you've managed to grasp the way things actually are). Trig, as things stand EEVRYTHING is part of the curriculum or at the very least has to be planned to fit into it if not educationally in terms of beiong part of an overall theem it has to fit into the planned teaching time. This is because everything children do at scool should be a developmental learning experience, save for playtimes etc...

I *did* mention that this was one of the problems of allowing "religion" into secualr life, parents can say it is against or demanded by thateir cultural/religious sensibilities that little Mandy cant do this or that little Manjit cant do that

Now Im sort of in favour of schools dealing with parents demands that their own kind of mumbo-jumbo be catered to in that I think we ought to let people be who they want to be and do our best to forge a united society by having institutionms operate in an inclusive way. This is because despite what Xan says parents do have the choice and power to get their children out of certain lessons or school altogther.

All in all given the realities of the situation I think its better that Manjit and Mandy spend 27 hours together at mainstream school than their parents deciding that home or strict fatih schooling is the only option because secularists get all intransigent about not allowing the bigG or parent choice into schools.

one love

SWL, I think for a change you actually have a point! Hurray!


Even better your post not only contains a point you wanted to make it also illustrates the phallacy of a popular misconception! Roll out the barrels!

You are pointing out how in English black is used to indicate "bad, neagative, unwelcoming" etc...etc... and also in White/European dominated cultures that speak English it is simultaneously used to indicate people with brown skin. It is an unfortunate accident of language but not one Im really bothered about. I dont think that the synonym is a helpful one, it could be damaging in some ways, but I give the majority of peolpe the benefit of the doubt that they can seperate the two meanings. If people dont have the mental capacity to seperate the two they will more than likely be taken in by other racist arguments. This includes black people who will devalue themselves because of the linguistic implications.

"Say it loud
Im black
and Im proud"
(RIP J.Brown)
What you are unitentionally illustrating is that the use of some words in some ways have NOT and have never been banned by the dreaded PC brigade. People still use them quite freely. the English language has not been stolen, boulderized or rendered ineffective. I d like to say I give the majority of people the benefit of the doubt that they havent been taken in by such lies but the output here of such people as yourself SWL, Xan and Novo show that peole can be so witless that they are taken in by this paper thin lie.

RE the brainstorm thing my point that some people STILL dont get is this. I dont know and dont even care if one some or none of the worlds eppileptics, family friends or passing aqauintances have been offended by it.

Someone suggested it to me, they offered another MORE accurate phrase threby enriching my language and I just accepted on the principle that I dont like to be rude...well not when I dont mean to be.

"boulderized" - to smash with a rock?

or

"bowd·ler·ized"
1. To expurgate (a book, for example) prudishly.
2. To modify, as by shortening or simplifying or by skewing the content in a certain manner.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bowdlerised

obviously i meant smash with the PC rock.

Thanks

no problem - it's the one I prefered myself.