Should religion be in public schools?

Answer 1

A very dangerous idea...........WHat is the point in brainwashing the children? We can teach them morals without talking about a God who pisses on himself as he is omnipresent..

Answer 2

Well, that's far too broad a question.

Public schools are actually given a great deal of latitude for free religious expression. Whenever this issue comes up I direct people to where they can get the *facts* rather than anyone's opinion:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html

(Scroll down to "Applying the Governing Principles in Particular Contexts ")

Also, many public (state or local) colleges and universities offer classes in religions of the world or comparative religion and such, and I think that's not only appropriate, but vital.

All that aside, it's unconstitutional for any public agency to promote any specific religion.

Answer 3

I honestly don't think it should be due to the diverse structure of our society. Which religion would be taught? Different people have different faiths and even Christians have huge differences depending upon their sect. If religion was to be brought to public schools then I would suggest a certain number or hours be given to any religion who would want to come and talk to the students about what their beliefs are. For example Judism and Islam would have equal time with Christians to visit a school during the school year and talk about their beliefs in a cultural sense thus exposing students to the differing ideas of faith without forcing them to accept one faith or any faith. We could give any religion an hour each month for example to do a presentation to a school.
Other than that religion should be kept to home and church if someone feels that deeply about religious education then I suggest sending their kids to a religious private school

Answer 4

I teach a ninth grade World Geography class at a public High School and we teach a section on World Religions. We examine the history and tenets of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. We do so in a balanced and objective way.
I think it is very important to teach religion because it is such an important part of billions of lives throughout the world. Young people need education on what these religions are about (theology), where is primarily practiced and their history.
I am a Christian but I certainly respect the beliefs of my students and their families, and my hope is that they will as well and have better understanding.

Answer 5

Religion already in the public schools.

Any student can pray or meditate or read holy texts or practice any religious practice during free times. They can talk about their faith to other students as long as they do not intimidate or harrass them (i.e. accuse them of being with Satan, continue to talk when the second person tells them they are not interested). A few weeks ago someone on Y!A R&S gave an example of their child being punished for singing a hymn during a test as an example of anti-Christian prejudice, and they were proud of their children. Well, no duh, lady - singing anything while others are trying to take a test is rude, invasive, and should be punished. It has nothing to do with religion.

In the isolated incidents where students have been deprived of these rights, the ACLU (yes, the supposed anti-Christian organization) has taken up their cases and won.

Frequently, confused individuals hear about the restrictions placed on teachers and believe they are placed on students.

But public school teachers are government employees and therefore acting for the state in the classroom. That is why we cannot promote one religion above another in the classroom, and integrating talk about our own faith is considered to be promoting one religion (no one says you can't exemplify the principles of your religion through your actions!). This restriction makes sense - it gives parents the right to regulate their children's exposure to religions.

Students themselves can have all the religion they want.

~ Lib

Answer 6

I think this is a very difficult question. There are problems with taking religion out of schools. For example, how far out do you take it? Teachers, students, janitors, parents, coaches, and bus drivers are all going to have their own opinions on religion, which is going to affect how they do almost everything. It is going to be their basis for doing "the right thing." How can you teach any kind of morals without bringing some sort of a religious perspective into it? Trying to teach morals without religion gets very sticky. On what basis do you say something is wrong? For example, Nazi Germany used the Jews to test medical procedures. Those medical tests have been used since then to save thousands of lives. Does that justify Nazi Germany? Any Christian, Buddhist, Moslem, Hindu, or run of the mill atheist would say "NO!" but some neo-Nazis say that it does justify it, that someone has to die to test these things, that testing on animals is not precise, and "the loss of life is tragic, but necessary to further technology." They'll say it's the same as if you brought two people in with failing hearts, both the same blood type and everything, but only had one heart to transplant. You'd have to choose one, so you'd make a choice based on who has the best chance of surviving and who is going to be the most benefit to society. Some people would use the same justification to wipe out poor people. But how do you argue against that? It's you said, they said. You need some kind of moral code, and that moral code needs to come from somewhere. As a Christian, I don't believe in experimenting on people and I don't believe in killing people because of social status. But that is as a Christian. I base my believe that the Nazi's were wrong on my Christian beliefs.

Ask an atheist what he bases it on. Ask him how he deals with the medical data gathered. Does it help justify it? Then ask him why or why not. You'll get a lot of "hmm"s and "In my opinion"s but nothing that's based on anything other than what he thinks. Here's the problem: what he thinks is no better or worse than what anyone else thinks.

On the other hand, not everyone has the same religious beliefs. How do we choose what to teach in schools? Is it a majority rules kind of thing? What about the minority? Are they forced to be proselytized by the government? Surely that goes against church/state separation. What if a religious group has anti-governmental views? Can the government use schools to put pressure on those religious groups by not allowing them to be represented in the class room? For example, with the current war on terrorism, could the government exclude Moslem groups that support the taliban on theological or sociological issues?

Some schools allow students to have a free period and an ungraded class taught by a local church which meets either on or just off school grounds. I think this is a good solution.

Answer 7

What a great question.

I'd say "No" but this also includes teaching of specific moral beliefs that some religions believe are wrong. For example, my school board has recently included teaching Sexual Diversity in the curriculum. I personally don't want my young kids learning that Gay is OK from their teachers when we are teaching them that it isn't - from the standpoint of our religious beliefs.

In terms of religion, specific religious beliefs, I'd say No as well. With the "Holiday" season coming up, schools are introducing Ramadan, Hannukah, Kwaanza, and of course there may be a mention of Christmas as well somewhere in there. A quote from our school newsletter received yesterday:

"A note on 'Christmas'. Christmas is treated as a cultural event at [our school] and an opportunity for new vocabulary. It's fine to acknowledge this celebration, however we do not teach religious beliefs. We are happy to acknowledge any other religious/cultural holidays..."

But how do you expose kids to religious holidays without also including some religious instruction? I'm certain that the coverage of Christmas will be limited to Santa Claus and his merry little elves, with no mention of Jesus in the manger - the whole reason for the holiday to begin with! For the other seasonal celebrations there isn't really a non-religious component... so how is this covered apart from "religious instruction"?

I'm troubled by this and am not sure how to proceed. Thanks for your question. It's a good one.

Answer 8

It depends on what you mean by "be." We already teach about the religion of certain cultures as "mythology." As an atheist I have no problem with "religion" as an academic subject, as long as it's treated in a scholarly and serious manner, not as indoctrination. A good course might be "Comparative Religion - A Survey Of The Tenets Of Existing Religions".

Answer 9

No Way, Never.

Children have the right to decide what religion they want to follow. It is wrong to teach certain religions in schools, simply because young children believe that what they are being taught is fact, not opinion.

Leave religion in religious schools.

Answer 10

I don't think religion should be practiced but I think books on religion should be available in the library. Knowledge produces understanding. People can practice whatever religion they want (or not practice at all), but they should be able recognize the differences in religion and culture and be open minded enough not to be threatened by it. Ignorance is a huge factor in hatred.

Answer 11

Yes. A student does not give up his/her individual religious freedom because they go into a public school. As long as religion is not endorsed or taught by the school officials or teachers as part of the curriculum.