Should Sisko had stepped in clash between Winn & Keiko

[Tosk]

When it comes down to it, Keiko is trying to teach. She is not, and never does tell anyone else what they can or cannot teach. And the school is not mandatory. Anyone can stop attending at any point.

Even Winn herself knows the argument is basically bullshit. It's just a means to her ends.

Keiko considers the Bajoran faith to be superstitions

When does she state that in the episode?

Yes, which feels like something you'd wait until you'd actually understand it.

Science is ever-evolving, based on the current knowledge. She teaches them (or at least attempts to) the current understanding.

 

[Ragitsu]

WINN: Do you believe the Celestial Temple of the Prophets exists within the passage?
KEIKO: I respect that the Bajoran people believe that it does.
WINN: But that's not what you teach.
KEIKO: No, I don't teach Bajoran spiritual beliefs. That's your job. Mine is to open the children's minds to history, to literature, to mathematics, to science.

 

[Trekker09]

Wasn't Galileo mentioned?

Keiko did teach about Galileo as an example of religious intolerance, when she had only 5 students left.
She never got shrill or used the word superstition about the Bajorans’ beliefs.
Sisko had to act as a diplomatic mediator, but it seems that inwardly he sided with Keiko – and he objected to being called Emissary at that point. The station had a temple / shrine for those who wanted a religious education.
Near the end, Kira finds out that Winn was behind the whole scheme against the school in an attempt to get Bareil killed, so she’d likely become Kai. The series repeatedly shows two versions - the corrupt, ambitious hijacking of religion by extremists like Winn, vs the humble, humanitarian faith that Kira embodies and Sisko later adopts.
Ira Behr said the story was based on Inherit the Wind (about the Scopes trial).

 

[Takeru]

Maybe a better question is why doesn't Keiko teach bajoran spiritual beliefs? She can't really make the argument that it's not her job, as a botanist teaching history, mathematics, literature and every science that isn't botany isn't technically her job either but she made it her job despite having no formal qualifications. She doesn't have to believe it to teach it and she could make it optional with everyone who's not interested simply going home early. And if she doesn't want to do it personally she could simply ask a vedek to teach the bajoran children for two hours per week or whatever.

Religious education does have a place in schools and I'm not even sure it should be Keiko's choice, she's living on a bajoran station in bajoran space teaching mostly bajoran children, so she should suck it up and offer it in her school. She moved to a different country outside of the federation but insists on doing things the federation way, that's pretty arrogant.

 

[Ragitsu]

The key difference is that those fields of study rely on the scientific method/empirical data whereas religion does not. Also, yes, History as a subject is going to include the rise and fall of various religious movements the same as any other social phenomenon, but it doesn't delve into belief itself nor does it include the more intimate context inherent to a course dedicated to religion.

 

[Velocity]

I think Keiko and the Federation could have been a little more understanding of the Bajorans since they just came out of a war where they were under an occupation of Bajor and their religion was suppressed. No wonder the Bajorans were pretty touchy about the Prophets.

 

[Ragitsu]

I think Keiko and the Federation could have been a little more understanding of the Bajorans

How do you imagine this understanding being expressed?

 

[Oddish]

The series repeatedly shows two versions - the corrupt, ambitious hijacking of religion by extremists like Winn, vs the humble, humanitarian faith that Kira embodies and Sisko later adopts.

Beautifully stated. Bareil was like that as well. I think it was no accident that Sisko's triumphant return to the station was so similar to Bareil's initial entrance.

In one of the books ("Fallen Heroes", I think), it's revealed that after this conflict, Bajoran religious classes spring up on the station, taught by a Vedek in training, which makes sense. Keiko is not expert in the Bajoran faith, after all.

 

[Tosk]

Maybe a better question is why doesn't Keiko teach bajoran spiritual beliefs?

Why is that a better question?

She can't really make the argument that it's not her job

Yes she can. It's not her chosen job.

she could make it optional with everyone who's not interested simply going home early.

Just as anyone not interested in science can leave.

I'm not even sure it should be Keiko's choice

A volunteer teacher in a school completely of her own making should be forced to teach dogma? You must be joking.

Religious education does have a place in schools

There's a very good chance Keiko's classes would indeed touch on religion at some point. But there's a big difference between learning the facts surrounding various religions and indoctrination.

 

[kkt]

Maybe a better question is why doesn't Keiko teach bajoran spiritual beliefs? She can't really make the argument that it's not her job, as a botanist teaching history, mathematics, literature and every science that isn't botany isn't technically her job either but she made it her job despite having no formal qualifications. She doesn't have to believe it to teach it and she could make it optional with everyone who's not interested simply going home early. And if she doesn't want to do it personally she could simply ask a vedek to teach the bajoran children for two hours per week or whatever.

Religious education does have a place in schools and I'm not even sure it should be Keiko's choice, she's living on a bajoran station in bajoran space teaching mostly bajoran children, so she should suck it up and offer it in her school. She moved to a different country outside of the federation but insists on doing things the federation way, that's pretty arrogant.

I don't agree. As a person college educated in the Federation she'll know enough history and literature to teach it at a grade school level, and as a scientist she could probably teach most nonmajors' college science classes. But she would be almost completely ignorant about Bajoran spiritual beliefs. Much better to let the Bajorans teach that.

 

[dupersuper]

Maybe a better question is why doesn't Keiko teach bajoran spiritual beliefs?

Why would she? She's a Federation scientist not a Bajoran religious scholar.

Religious education does have a place in schools

Sure, in Sunday School or a religious studies course, not in a science class.

I think Keiko and the Federation could have been a little more understanding of the Bajorans since they just came out of a war where they were under an occupation of Bajor and their religion was suppressed. No wonder the Bajorans were pretty touchy about the Prophets.

Except they only got "touchy" after Winn riled them up in an attempt to assassinate her rival.

 

[Oddish]

Sure, in Sunday School or a religious studies course, not in a science class

Which it would be a simple matter for the station to offer. And, anyone who chooses can attend, Bajoran, Federation, or other. In the book I mentioned, Jake is among the students (Sisko figures that sending his own son to the classes is a simple way to show support for them, and Jake might benefit from having his horizons broadened a little).

 

[Ragitsu]

Jake is among the students (Sisko figures that sending his own son to the classes is a simple way to show support for them, and Jake might benefit from having his horizons broadened a little).

The girls are certainly incentive enough.

 

[dupersuper]

Which it would be a simple matter for the station to offer.

I'm sure that the temple on the station does.

 

[Oddish]

In the end, remember that the whole conflict was a smokescreen, regardless of intervention. Winn wasn't defending her beliefs, she was plotting an assassination.

 

[Ragitsu]

 

[Oddish]

Hey, Winn... you ever see this movie called "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"?

 

[Ragitsu]

I'll give the lady this much: she was ready to expel her guts the moment she found out she had slept with Space Hitler.

 

[DonIago]

Didn't stop her from working with him.

 

[kkt]

Which it would be a simple matter for the station to offer. And, anyone who chooses can attend, Bajoran, Federation, or other. In the book I mentioned, Jake is among the students (Sisko figures that sending his own son to the classes is a simple way to show support for them, and Jake might benefit from having his horizons broadened a little).

If it's that simple a matter, why couldn't the Bajorans arrange it? Sisko can arrange space for them if they need it, but they should come up with a teacher or two who's qualified, and what curriculum to teach. They're the main ones who want it. Keiko probably never even heard of The Prophets before "Emissary".

How do the Bajorans on Bajor learn about their religion?