Religious Scholar

Based on early reports, it appears that ignorance is at the root of the Sikh temple shooting near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We may not be able to dispel the clouds of misinformation fogging the minds of the intolerant, but we can put in place a rigorous curriculum in our schools to provide objective, factual information about world religions and to demonstrate the benefits of tolerance for future generations.

This curriculum must be provided without bias on the part of teachers and school boards who may hold strong religious beliefs of their own. Still, it is no betrayal of one's own beliefs to accurately present the belief systems of others.

We are a diverse nation; it is a diverse world. Without understanding based on objective fact, we are reduced to a large brawling family of name-callers and sharp-shooters. The peace and community we seek is grounded in shared common knowledge and communication.  We need consistency in sharing factual information about religious beliefs and we need to provide it to our children throughout their education.