Watt's Gnus

I'm seldom happy with either/or [E] (300 words)

I'm seldom happy with either/or.

To mangle a phrase: humans often do something because they 'can' without asking whether they 'should'.

Both 'outer space' and 'under water' are of interest to us curious latter-day-apes. But until we successfully navigate 'inner space' I'm not sure either is advisable as frankly I'm not sure we as a species are mature enough yet. I'm hopeful that we will mature as there are many humans who have reached that level of enlightenment and compassion. We are works-in-progress, me too.

As for schools and education... the first lessons should be virtues like kindness, friendliness and generosity. Children need to be taught reality such as sex/sexuality and societal/cultural differences a.s.a.p. Many try to keep secrets away from children to their detriment. Children are either bewildered because they already know or feel betrayed when they finally find out. They grow up less capable of dealing with a real world that was denied them.

Once again... it's not either/or. All adults (no exceptions) should be preparing children for their future by sharing what they know. And that includes art, science and culture as well as basic life skills. Again, from the beginning, a.s.a.p.

A small community that is a mono-culture may satisfactorily combine state/religion because that's who they are! But in larger communities this doesn't work well. Most are multicultural and need to accommodate differences, something that many narrow-focused religious groups cannot accept. When those gated religious communities interact with the broader world, conflicts, sometimes violent, occur.

When national governments embrace a narrow religious orthodoxy (or a disrespectful reaction to it) we get today's news in Turkey and Sweden. Not to forget ongoing serious issues in India, Indiana, Iran, and Israel.

The quest for purity of thought and expression leads to suppression. Looking at you... China, Florida, Russia...

— 300 words

* Which do you think is more important to explore and why: outer space (objects in the universe) or under water (life and objects in the water environment)? Which would you choose to explore if you could?

* What is more important to teach children and teenagers and why: life skills such as healthy lifestyle and finance, or history/civics/politics and sciences/maths? Who should determine what they get taught (teachers, school system, government, parents. etc.)?

* Is there truly a way to keep separate church and state (i.e. religion and government) especially in law/rule making for society? Explain and how would you recommend that be done or not done?

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