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Showing posts with label constitution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label constitution. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Essay: A liberal education is needed to participate in democracy

Information and comments on the essay:


A liberal education is needed to participate in democracy

From the book: Chum for Thought: Throwing Ideas into Dangerous Waters by David Satterlee

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Read or download this essay as a PDF file at:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4eNv8KtePyKTlY0R2M2MDIyT2M/edit?usp=sharing


Chum For Thought:
Throwing Ideas into Dangerous Waters

A liberal education is needed to participate in democracy


Our Democracy requires the participation of informed citizens. How do citizens become competent to become active in government, working to create a better country for their neighbors? Education at home and at school is a key factor.

A successful democracy assumes that people are basically good and decent and that they should make responsible choices for themselves. Without the general moral and intellectual capacity of its citizens, it would be impossible for a constitution to grant universal citizenship and self-governance.

Parents and schools are expected to bring out the best in our children. The best involves more than prescribed knowledge and obedience to authority; it includes self-knowledge, self-discipline, and the enduring desire to keep on learning. We hope to maximize every child’s potential. We want every person to have the liberty and ability to pursue the adventure of a productive and satisfying life. Further, we expect that the success of every person contributes to the collective success of our communities and our nation.

As children develop into mature adults, they should be able to understand their

Essay: Is America a Christian Nation?

Information and comments on the essay:


Is America a Christian nation?

From the book: Chum for Thought: Throwing Ideas into Dangerous Waters by David Satterlee

Find out more, including where to buy books and ebooks

Read or download this essay as a PDF file at: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4eNv8KtePyKUWpkS2VVUkNZZFU/edit?usp=sharing

#Constitution #Religion #Immigration
Or diverse nation of #immigrants? #Liberal #Tolerance

Chum For Thought:
Throwing Ideas into Dangerous Waters

Is America a Christian nation?


Is America a Christian nation? What if one of our Presidents had been a Primitive Baptist from Tennessee? Should he have felt right about insisting that no citizen play musical instruments in church or hand out temperance society tracts?

Would Americans have approved of anyone who had insisted that we were, and should act like, a Primitive Baptist nation? A Baptist nation? A Protestant nation? A Christian nation?

Actually, in the greater scope and scale of history, this continent has only very, very recently changed from being a collection of native tribal civilizations. We are presently a diverse nation of immigrants.

The framers of our constitution were careful to draft a secular document that gives our government authority drawn exclusively from the people. It is structured to actively resist the overriding influence of any special-interest group without having to resort to another revolution.

Our elected President is expected to represent all Americans. He is responsible for managing a civil society that protects life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all of us. Modern civilizations like ours work best when