State compulsory community service has nothing to do with academic progress. And it is not Christian, just like coerced social program participation.
It is good when the suffering and the poor are helped. Sometimes they are exploited and the help turns out to be superficial, but showing good to our neighbor is always good. I don't see it as government's responsibility, I see it as my responsibility. But I also don't worry about a government program that is effective to do good to those in need. I regret deeply that we borrow money to do it- this speaks of bad priorities, and the general public not stepping up. MadMax had that $5 hot dog video, find it on You Tube this illustrates we are all responsible to help others. I prefer less government action and more citizen action, I fully support helping our neighbors in every community. I wonder if taxes to support social programs were voluntary taxes how many people would still pay those taxes to help the poor?
Community service is one of the things that I am glad our schools are teaching our children. Why is it a bad thing to expose our kids to community service?
That is the problem. When we relied on charities rather than the government to help (as an example) the elderly (before Social Security), the elderly were a permanent underclass and many lived in poverty because it was not compulsory to make sure that they were taken care of. Social Security may have its problems, but it does allow many old folks to live out their lives in a much more dignified manner than they would have in the absence of the program. I guess some people (shovel face, et. al.) would be just fine if their grandparents were forced to basically beg for their living from a church, but I am happier knowing that there is a safety net out there that DRAMATICALLY lowers the poverty rate among the elderly. http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1867
It does in that school. If she didn't want to do it, she could have attended another school that did not have that requirement.
Forced community service cheapens the act. It is insulting to those who give without being coerced. Mandatory volunteerism is a oxymoron and plain wrong. You are only exposing the kids to the power of the government to diminish individual freedom.
I think God can use those things for His purposes, too. But I'm with you that the change of heart is what is vital. And compulsory community service doesn't necessarily lead to that.
And yet is prevalent in many areas in our society. Criminals are forced to do community service as part of their sentence, doctors are forced to work at a qualifying community hospital for a time after graduation, and other students are forced to do internships of all kinds, some having nothing to do with their area of expertise. Many kids might not even be aware of what community service is if they were not exposed to it in school. Insulting, really? You are way, WAY off base here. I have never in my life heard of someone being insulted because someone else was forced to do community service. Which is the reason they don't use the word "volunteerism," they are doing "community service," which says nothing about whether they are doing it because they chose to or because it was required by someone else. It is service done to benefit the community and there is nothing whatsoever wrong about it, required or volunteered. A power which the government has for very good reason. I am glad that companies aren't free to dump PCBs in our water. I am THRILLED that people are screened before boarding an airplane. I am very near ecstatic that it is illegal for someone to murder my child. All of these are things that "diminish individual freedom" and yet NOBODY out there is b****ing about them. Mandatory community service should be EXPANDED in my opinion, people could learn a lot if they were required to serve their fellow man rather than themselves sometimes. Out of curiosity, what was the last community service in which you engaged? I passed out meals to the less fortunate at Thanksgiving, not because I was required to, but because I believed in it. By the way, there were at least 3 people there who were required, but non of the actual volunteers were insulted by this in any way, we were happy to have the help. I also recently spent a day at my son's (public) school helping out where I could. It was a lot of fun and I plan to do it again next year.
If she attended a public school, that is even MORE reason that she should be exposed to community service. That institution exists for the good of the community and should be teaching our children that community service is a good thing.
Maybe if we, as the Church, did that job, the government wouldn't have to. "For it is disgraceful when no Jew is a beggar and the impious Galileans [the name given by Julian to Christians] support our poor in addition to their own." - Emperor Julian the Apostate
I would love it is the church did these things, but historically, that has not been the case, which is the reason that these programs are necessary.
Criminals are also forced to say in prison, perfect comparison. It is insulting. The girl I referenced was very insulted, but then again she inst a statist. Of course you think mandatory community service should be expanded, you are a truly sick individual who believes in involuntary servitude.
You are right, it is regretful that we cannot help one another effectively. And government has helped many people. Let good be done to all when possible and be glad that people are helped and be involved to spread the gift.
We must lead in this one thing- loving others especially the disadvantaged We all cannot give equal amounts but every Christian can make an equal sacrifice I believe this strongly I wish to change my thinking and every Christian to think of a Mother Teresa, Franklin Graham, LifeWater International, Cross International etc. as the norm simply put - love your neighbor as much as you love yourself- including the needs of your neighborhood, city, nation and the world Let us love in deed and truth
AMEN!!!! I'm convicted by that. (i got to "preach" in an African-American church this week, by the way. we'll have to have lunch so i can tell you about it....but suffice it to say, it sure is nice to get loud "amens" when what you say resonates with people! [also looking forward to the day when the Church isn't the most segregated institution in the country, by the way!!!])
School is compulsory, public school is not. There are plenty of private school options as well as home schooling, which is becoming pretty commonplace. Her parents chose to put her in public school, if she wants the diploma, she must do ALL of the work that is necessary, she doesn't get to pick and choose what she believes is necessary.
I note that you ignored the other comparisons, which were also pretty apt and much more "perfect" a comparison to school than prison. Of course, the big difference is that prisoners are where they are due to the choices they made where this girl was in that school because of the choices that her parents made. Still, if she wanted to graduate, all she had to do was to provide documentation of the purely volunteer community service that she had already completed. That documentation would not have "cheapened" her service, but it would have allowed her to receive her diploma. So on second thought, the girl you referenced WAS in her situation because of the choices she made. She chose not to document her service and as such, chose not to receive a diploma. Statism has nothing to do with volunteer work or community service. stat·ism The practice or doctrine of giving a centralized government control over economic planning and policy. It doesn't make any sense at all why someone would be "insulted" that another person was required to do community service that they chose to do themselves. You simply aren't being logical at all. Another example of the hyperbole I mentioned before. You are comparing the plight of slaves, who labored for years or decades under the yoke and chain to a high school student who is required to do *gasp* 40 hours or so of community service. Arguments like this paint you in the same light as the boy who cried wolf.
