Posted on 07/27/2005 7:34:32 AM PDT by kharaku
Ukraine
Faith, morals will be taught at schools
KIEV -- Ukrainian public schools will begin teaching about morals and faith under a curriculum being developed in part by Orthodox church leaders.
The voluntary classes will be introduced throughout this predominantly Orthodox nation of 48 million starting Sept. 1, said Patriarch Filaret, who heads the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kiev Patriarchate.
President Viktor Yushchenko, who is Orthodox, backed the project in a private meeting with religious leaders June 15, but his office said the curriculum must "satisfy all Ukrainians."
Filaret said leaders from all Christian churches in the former Soviet republic will work together to help develop a curriculum, which will include lessons about morality as well as information such as creationism, the belief that God created the universe as explained in the Bible.
Filaret said Darwin's theory of evolution should still be taught, but that it was important for children to hear another view.
Vasilyev said much work must still be done to develop the curriculum and noted that the issue was sensitive since the country is religiously diverse.
Good for the Ukraine! The problem is that crime is higher than during Soviet times while the number and strength of Christians is no higher. The communist government did not have much success with its official atheism. But today "gangsta" rap music is popular along with the usual problems of the West with cascades of Hollywood culture.
Can't hurt.
Hey, didn't we used to do that here?
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