Should the Qur'an be Taught in American High Schools?

[a.kitman]

now why wouldnt you have a basic religion class? even as an athist i think its a very important subject. how do you even teach history whitout going into religion?

[Hauldren Collider]

Nerd.

Oh come on, I bet you love that book.

[Ben Kenobi]

By the way, Ben, you've become something of a running gag with my friends on my dorm floor. We have a Ben Post of the Day.

Really? Interesting. Anyways, yes, religious freedom is a Christian idea. Go read Milton sometime.

[giblets]

He's got a point, you can't really properly study the style of the Koran unless you know Arabic, and virtually no one knows Arabic.

I'm not sure, because high school students often have to read stuff that was originally in greek like the Odyssey. Maybe reading a translation isn't ideal but I don't see why it would be futile.

[Ben Kenobi]

now why wouldnt you have a basic religion class? even as an athist i think its a very important subject. how do you even teach history whitout going into religion?

Beats me. I did when I was in High school, plus I had a basics in Philosophy class. I agree that having a class on comparitive religion would be helpful, as an elective.

[DaShi]

He's got a point, you can't really properly study the style of the Koran unless you know Arabic, and virtually no one knows Arabic.

Then I say you can't understand properly study the Bible unless you know ancient Greek or at least Aramaic.

[Hauldren Collider]

I'm not sure, because high school students often have to read stuff that was originally in greek like the Odyssey. Maybe reading a translation isn't ideal but I don't see why it would be futile.

Well, the Odyssey is also one of the earliest examples of a particular form of epic story, which I think sets it apart fundamentally from religious texts.

[Jon Miller]

I'm not sure, because high school students often have to read stuff that was originally in greek like the Odyssey. Maybe reading a translation isn't ideal but I don't see why it would be futile.

They don't read it for style though. They read it for narrative and story elements.

JM

[Ben Kenobi]

I'm not sure, because high school students often have to read stuff that was originally in greek like the Odyssey. Maybe reading a translation isn't ideal but I don't see why it would be futile.

In america they read the Odyssey? I had to read Oedipus Rex, but that was only because my curriculum wasn't the standard. There really isn't much classical education at the high school level at least where I was in Canada. And the Greeks have had far more influence on America.

[Hauldren Collider]

Then I say you can't understand properly study the Bible unless you know ancient Greek or at least Aramaic.

I think the argument is that the translation itself is a relevant piece of English literature.

[DaShi]

For more than two centuries children in England and America learned to read by way of the KJV.

QED.

Many of them were forced to read it. Again because it was a religious text. Not because it was good literature. Qur'an is divine poetry.

[Jon Miller]

I think the argument is that the translation itself is a relevant piece of English literature.

King James in particular, the NIV/RASV/etc are not considered relevant at all.

JM

[DaShi]

I think the argument is that the translation itself is a relevant piece of English literature.

But I don't care about its place in English literature. The Qur'an is necessary for Americans to have better understanding of. The bible is not.

[Hauldren Collider]

I learned to read with Dr. Seuss. In my opinion, far better literature the bible, with much more accessible and relevant life lessons.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Then I say you can't understand properly study the Bible unless you know ancient Greek or at least Aramaic.

None of the Bible was written in Aramaic. If you are going to troll, do it right!