Religion in the classrooms of the public schools?

Question

Do you that its perfectly ok to have religious activity in public schools ?Yes ?No?Both?
Why?

I don't really know where I stand on this,being that I recently had to listen to my health teacher rant about how "We WILL be judged..and you just MIGHT make it ..."

Answer 1

It's not okay because if a school studies one religion exclusively, they're violating the constitution because the government supports the public school system and they're not allowed to support a specific religion. The US Congress cannot declare an official religion.

Plus, it's not exactly fair. Other religions would be discriminated. If you want your kids to learn about religion put them in a Shul, an Islamic school, a Catholic school, etc.

Answer 2

Ya well that's better than my health teacher talking about how society will shun you if you aren't in shape and healthy.

Anywho, It's my opinion schools would be better off if students were allowed to practice their religion. I know correlation doesn't necessary imply causality but there's been a tremendous rise in school shootings carried out by students public schools have started to restrict religious expression.

I also think we've definitely crossed a few lines when it comes to public schools and freedom of religion. If religious expression isn't condemned in public schools these days it's certainly discriminated against. In history class for example, you will never hear about the good things Christians have done (i.e. build hospitals and basically was the relief for the poor and sick for over a millennium). Also every book you read in school is written by either a critic of the church or an atheist writer. This actually leads students to believe that Christians are stupid and everything cultured and intelligent is atheist by definition. You only have to look at most of the atheists on this cite as proof of that.

I guess the short of what I have to say is that schools have come a long was from encouraging Christianity to encouraging discrimination against the church.

Answer 3

Well, to me it all depends on the sort of religious activity one has in mind.

If it's a student or someone quietly reading a Bible during free time, knock yourself out.

If it's the school saying that students have to believe a certain way, that's completely wrong as not all students share the same beliefs. To force students to pray and believe a certain way is wrong, but to pray on your own free will is just fine.

What your teacher said was very wrong and unprofessional. Kids are required to go to school by law and therefore, you are a captive audience. You had no choice but to listen to your teacher's religiously overzealous rant. No doubt, any kids who didn't believe the same way were highly offended and may have felt unwelcome, out of place, or that they were "wrong" to not share an authority figure's beliefs.

I would certainly hope that somebody in your school reports this person, especially if they have a habit of going on such rants. That sort of thing has no place in a public school. That teacher is there to teach health, not theology. That is what Sunday School teachers are for.

Answer 4

Absolutely not,can you believe that after 200 years we still haven't settled this issue. Of course that's because for a long time after our founding the only thing approaching a public education was provided by the church. And of course we had a lot of religious stuff,such as the altered Pledge creep into our public schools during the 50's when everyone was afraid of the godless communists. And so we had to fight the fight all over again in the 60's and 70's,and just when we thought we had the argument over church and state separation beat along came George W Bush,and so once again we start all over again. I'm not sure how many times we have to explain this to the religious right in the US but we just have to do it one more time every time they try to screw up our schools. Isn't having the church as the largest untaxed business enterprise on Earth enough?

Answer 5

Not religious activity.

It should only be taught in a sociology class, with emphasis on how it has effected historical events. It certainly has no place in a science class and students should not be led into any prayer because there is no fair way to pick.

I do not have problems with peer led clubs (as long as there are alternatives) or moments of silence.

Answer 6

It depends on the context. If it is in the dogmatic and preachy context, no. I don't think that religious values should take a place in public schools. If we speak of it as a survey course (the way there is courses on history and the facts pertaining), I don't find a problem with it as long as there is no emphasis and preaching of a particular religion. If students want to pray or have a Christian/Muslim/Jew club, I think that is their right to do so as long as they don't interfeer with school activity.

What your health teacher was wrong and unconstitutional. You should report him or her to the main office of your school.

Answer 7

Yes, I think religion should be taught in public schools. Not just one particular religion; world religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Confucianism, etc.

World religions is a very fascinating topic to learn about.

Answer 8

I feel a study of certain cultures and their religions in general are good. As long as you are making an equal study of the territory and religion. We studied many religions in public school. Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Greek and Roman mythology, and Native American Lore. It's good to have a general idea of religions and how they are similar, and how they are different... and see how silly all the fighting is when we have so many more important things to do in this life.

Answer 9

Religion is a personal experience that should, under no circumstances, be allowed in the classroom. Public schools are institutions of learning, not places of worship.
I keep my religious views to myself and I would expect that other people should respect that and do the same.

Answer 10

It was accepted until the Feds started supplying money to the schools and once they did that they bought the right to brain wash the whole bunch!!! If you do research most schools included bible reading everyday, as that has disappeared so to have the morals of the pupils and now we have ciaos in the class room>