Wanting my money back if I opt out of some service is not a reward. It's a refund, and obtaining such refund would be completely just.
"Do people with no children get a break on their property tax because they have no children using the public school resource?"
They should get such break.
Now, to sum up my participation in this discussion. There are two interwoven aspects here.
1. It is totalitarian to force people to accept either an atheist or religious curriculum. The best solution (from the point of view of individual freedom) is to let people teach their kids, at their schools, whatever they want. Private education serves this purpose, and tuition-related tax breaks facilitate this model of education. If certain people want their kids to learn idiocy, so be it. Actually, don't you find it strange that the proponents of "diversity" are so rigid when it comes to diverse views, incompatible with their own?
2. I must state, however, that the "young Earth creationism" is not a scientifically valid view. While I recognize the right of people to teach their children that the Earth was created in 6 days, 6,000 years ago, I must also warn that certain occupations require understanding evolutionism. Creationists should be aware that their educational choice may later compromise their kids' chances to choose careers associated with biomedical research, for example.
Oh, I think scientists THEMSELVES have more than proven that the science, such as biomedical research, can get along just fine without evolution.
www.dissentfromdarwin.org
Meanwhile, we have evidence that education, indeed society in general, suffers when people demand not to be offended by a Judeo-Christian God to the point He’s removed from any and all public school discussion, religious displays in town squares, crosses too offensive in cemeteries and have to be therefore removed (never thought I’d see moonbat liberals become this unhinged, but here we are!!!!!!) etc. etc. etc.
btw...when they come for the crosses in Arlington, like the movie says, ‘there will be blood’.
“Creationists should be aware that their educational choice may later compromise their kids’ chances to choose careers associated with biomedical research, for example”
Who gave you the idea that creationists don’t teach their children the mechanics of evolution? My children know what evolution is and how is supposed to work. And what jobs would that be, by the way?
Likewise, we studied evolution along with creation in our homeschool.
For that matter, Abeka curriculum addresses evolution alongside creation, and does a good job of it.
Their curriculum is used nationwide in private schools and it must contain the correct treatment of the ToE for the kids in NY to pass that section of the NY Biology Regents exam.
When my oldest daughter took the Biology regents, she got a 90% on the evolution section based on the Abeka curriculum.
It's a complete fallacy that creationist homeschoolers and private Christian schools don't teach evolution properly.
Matter of fact, knowing homeschoolers as well as I do, I'd have to say that your average homeschool student has a better grasp of what the ToE teaches than you average public school student.
Christians and creationists understand the ideological war going on and the use of the ToE in that conflict. They study it to be well informed and be able to debate the evolutionists.
Public school kids, OTOH, if the teachers even teach it correctly, or the textbooks present if correctly, have no reason to pay attention during the few days that it's addressed in class. Just because they are physically in the classroom is no guarantee that they understood it, stayed awake for it, weren't doing homework for the next class in it, or were even there instead of being out sick.
The idea that just because the ToE is legally required to be covered in class means that it was taught and taught well and learned is a presumption of a a high degree.