RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Freedom Is Not Always About Choice

About 400 years ago, the Pilgrims came to this land to escape from religious persecution. Since then, the United States is known to be a country where a person can freely choose his or her religion without fear. Further, persons can choose to sample many religions and be a member of several faiths, if that is his or her choice.

But the real benefit from freedom of religion is the ability to choose no religion at all and still be an accepted member of the community. That is the part of United States democracy that is unequaled anywhere in the world. A person has the right to believe or not to believe in God, practice morals and standards that are acceptable in their community, and to live and work unencumbered by a commitment to a religious organization.

That is the true essence of religious freedom. On any given weekend, you can be sure that less than 50 percent of your community (provided it is not a homogenous religious community) will be attending religious services. It is highly unlikely that non-attending individuals will be attacked or driven from their homes in shame. In fact, both attendees and non-attendees will mingle the rest of the week, unlikely to ever exchanging words about “going to church.”

The US religious freedom must really seem odd to other countries that attempt to force (or deny) religion. And for all the rhetoric about the United States and its devotion to God and religion, the reality is that the majority of US citizens are more interested in breakfast, specialty coffees and the Sunday paper.

Major Sporting Events

Which of the following sporting event is the oldest in terms of when it began as a competitive event in the United States? (Answer below)

World Series (baseball)

Kentucky Derby (horse racing)

US Open (golf)

US Open (tennis)

Dumb Jocks?

Top high school football recruits, also known as “blue chip athletes”, are getting an early start in college by enrolling for spring semester courses instead of staying in high school. This allows those exceptional athletes to practice with their team. This practice of early admissions to college is gaining a higher percentage of popularity every year.

So why not allow all exceptional high school students a chance to start college early, maybe even at the beginning of their senior year? Does anyone really think that advanced placement courses offered in high school are equal to the actual college educational experience? If the objection is questioning the maturity of a 17-year old, well no one seems to be worried about football players.

The real issue is that high schools don’t have the educational, vocational and virtual resources to fully engage today’s senior students. Most students have the necessary requirements needed for graduation completed by the end of their junior year. Sports and social leadership are the common reasons for seniors to stick around; it’s not about acquiring vocational skills or advanced academics.

Of course all the above statements do contradict research studies that indicate that high school seniors are poor at math and reading skills. Maybe 12^th grade students should go back to elementary school to re-visit basic educational skills instead of early admission to college?

Answer

The oldest US sporting event is the Kentucky Derby first held in 1875. Surprisingly, the second oldest is the US Open for tennis (1881), third was golf (1895) and the World Series was a distant fourth beginning in 1903.

Visit www.3MinuteLearning.com

GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2007 3 Minute Learning LLC