[justshutupandtakeit]

Are you trying to be an idiot?

Of course, your statement has no bearing on what I said. It is foolish to expect those who do not believe that mankind is primarily spiritual to understand those concepts which point beyond material or physical existence. People for whom faith in a higher being is important don't have to justify doing something for the future generations and can see beyond their individual existence. Whereas the materialist would just ask "Who cares? How will this affect me?"

Thus, spiritually inclined people understand that the establishment of school systems to train the citizens of the future is very important and cannot be entirely done by private endeavors. At one point in human history knowledge was hoarded and restricted to small groups as within the Mysteries. Teaching was thru individual Masters and not for the uninitiated.

Later it was restricted (not on pain of death for dissemination as in the Mysteries) and only spread amidst the wealthy or those sponsored by the wealthy. As the concept of equality (only spiritual equality makes any sense since obviously men are unequal in virtually every other respect), freedom (once again only comprehensible as spiritual freedom) and democracy spread so did the understanding that there would have to be wide public knowledge spread through public schools or our Republic would never succeed.

Those with no belief in a spiritual world have great difficulty in understanding much about how this world has developed. They cannot understand either freedom or equality. How can one explain events such as 9/11 without an understanding of the role of Evil in the affairs of mankind? And one cannot understand Evil unless he understands the concept of God.

[OWK]

Are you trying to be an idiot?

I keep trying, but it never seems to happen for me.

Got any pointers?

[OWK]

Thus, spiritually inclined people understand that the establishment of school systems to train the citizens of the future is very important and cannot be entirely done by private endeavors.

And God said "let there be public schools, so that the majority may rob the minority of their property, to promote ideas they do not support".

[OWK]

Those with no belief in a spiritual world have great difficulty in understanding much about how this world has developed. They cannot understand either freedom or equality.

You mean like the freedom to rob your neighbors, to advance ideas your neighbors oppose?

[Spallenzani]

Thus, spiritually inclined people understand that the establishment of school systems to train the citizens of the future is very important and cannot be entirely done by private endeavors.

I consider myself "spiritually inclined" (I'm an Observant Jew) and I do not understand how the establishment of school systems cannot be entirely done by private endeavors. How does confiscating wealth from unwilling donors jive with The Eight Commandment, "Thou shalt not steal"?

Perhaps a personal story will help explain my position. My father lost his job when I was very young and our family struggled financially as a result. However, my parents valued a religious education that could not be provided by the public school system. Unfortunately, they did not have the financial ability to send my sister and I to private religious school. Yet because of the altruism of strangers, my sister and I never stepped foot in public school. You can read about the program we participated in here.