Balance for Staying Fat

Religion is important. I've even heard that some scholars define one's "religion" as whatever is important to them (e.g. making money can be a religion). So attempting to prevent public schools from teaching about religion is odd and probably unstable.

Chris Crutcher wrote an award winning book of teen-fiction that is taught in many public schools, despite its apparent religious bias (see Cap City Liberty: Breaking News: Belleville School Board Votes Unanimously to Keep Challenged Book in English Curriculum). As a parent, I want my kids to appreciate the perspectives of people with diverse religious biases, so I like the fact that Crutcher broke the rules. However, I also see something valuable in the rules he broke, and to salvage that value, I think we need parents to write their own versions that present other biases. Here's mine (conservative evangelical).

Crutcher couldn't be expected to teach teenagers to appreciate every religious view, and we can't expect my one story to completely balance his. But wouldn't it be great if Wikipedia had links to a full range of versions of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes? Crutcher linked his site to my story, and said he'd like to know about many more. Please start writing!

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