I see where you’re coming from, and I also disapprove of beliefs and ideologies which demand ignorance. However, there’s no impartial principle which can determine who is ignorant and who isn’t - I have, for example, been called ignorant because I refuse to read the books that vaccine conspiracy theorists suggest to me. If their views became mainstream (and if I had children) I would want the option of withdrawing my children from a class teaching those views, even if technically the class would not be forcing them to believe that vaccines are harmful.
Ultimately I don’t want to wield any power against my ideological enemies which they would then be one election away from wielding against me.
There is an impartial principle and it’s science. Is it perfect, no, but it’s there and there’s a large community that is able to come to a consensus.
If they had your kids read a book where someone gets a vaccine and dies due to complications or where they don’t get a vaccine and get the disease and live, would you have them not read that book? Because the fact is there is no class on being gay and there’s no class on vaccines. No book they’re reading is saying “God loves gay people”. They’re saying “gay people exist”. That is true. People also die of diseases they’re vaccinated against. That’s also true. If they’re having them read a book that says not to vaccinate, they’re pushing an ideology, not spreading awareness. That’s the distinction.
Maybe you’re unaware, but if your ideological enemies are on the right, they will wield power that they were never granted against you. Conceding the truth to them is preemptive defeat. I will continue to push for facts to be taught in schools and the fact is that gay people exist, evolution is real, and some vaccinated people die anyway. None of that is ideological, it’s factual, and if you don’t want your kids to believe the facts then you’re going to have to hope your “ideology” is as convincing as the science.
I see where you’re coming from, and I also disapprove of beliefs and ideologies which demand ignorance. However, there’s no impartial principle which can determine who is ignorant and who isn’t - I have, for example, been called ignorant because I refuse to read the books that vaccine conspiracy theorists suggest to me. If their views became mainstream (and if I had children) I would want the option of withdrawing my children from a class teaching those views, even if technically the class would not be forcing them to believe that vaccines are harmful.
Ultimately I don’t want to wield any power against my ideological enemies which they would then be one election away from wielding against me.
There is an impartial principle and it’s science. Is it perfect, no, but it’s there and there’s a large community that is able to come to a consensus.
If they had your kids read a book where someone gets a vaccine and dies due to complications or where they don’t get a vaccine and get the disease and live, would you have them not read that book? Because the fact is there is no class on being gay and there’s no class on vaccines. No book they’re reading is saying “God loves gay people”. They’re saying “gay people exist”. That is true. People also die of diseases they’re vaccinated against. That’s also true. If they’re having them read a book that says not to vaccinate, they’re pushing an ideology, not spreading awareness. That’s the distinction.
Maybe you’re unaware, but if your ideological enemies are on the right, they will wield power that they were never granted against you. Conceding the truth to them is preemptive defeat. I will continue to push for facts to be taught in schools and the fact is that gay people exist, evolution is real, and some vaccinated people die anyway. None of that is ideological, it’s factual, and if you don’t want your kids to believe the facts then you’re going to have to hope your “ideology” is as convincing as the science.