People who are against religion being taught in schools....?

Question

Would you be oppose to it, if religion was taught in school as an ELECTIVE class, which means that the kids decide if they want to take it or not? And as long as the class teaches all the world religions? Would you still be oppose to it?
I use to think that it was ridiculous to put religion in schools. But shouldn't that be the kids' decision on whether or not they want to learn about it?

I'm an atheist, by the way....Just so people don't think I'm some fundie-theist trying to get religion in school.

In that case, if the class were to be allowed as an elective......would the school board have to elect a teacher without religious preference? That way he/she doesn't put more "emphasis" on his/her own religion....

Faeriewhings: I would agree with you accept, there are millions of kids who don't go to college. I didn't go to college because I didn't think it was right for me. So, I learn about religion from the bookstores and the internet.

Sorry, typo..... except*

LamontCranston: To quote from a previous answerer, "Religion is such a big part of the world, to ignore it or ban it encourages ignorance". How do you know that you are an atheist if you have never studied religion? Where would your atheistic beliefs come from? I am an atheist, because I have studied many many religions and I believe none of them have enough evidence to be factual. My apologies to theists, if my beliefs offend you.

Answer 1

you bring up a very good point. Religion is such a big part of the world, to ignore it or ban it encourages ignorance. When people don't take the time to learn about other peoples religions, like actually learn about it, there is more acceptance of others. Bringing it in as an elective class would be a very good idea. I am taking a world history class, which includes ancient history, so we learned a fair amount about the beginings of religions, which has more to do with historical facts than myths and stories. my friend, who is hindu, filled me in on the stuff our teacher left out on hinduism, and i shared some stuff about christianity and judiaism. The fact is, from all religions there is some real history, and there is some myth, or at least some grey areas. Maybe if people started learning about other people's beliefs instead of closing their minds to it, they would be more accepting of others.

Answer 2

This class would have a huge burden to take on, teaching ALL the religions of the world, past and present in an unbiased way. Better left for a college course then in public HS.

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As long as the course was 100% elective, taught by someone who will teach facts and the religions were taught completely unbiased I guess not. But what happens when children who don't take the course get ridiculed by children who do? How can we be sure that the course is taught as factual rather then religious?

I think that parents should just be more responsible in their teaching of world religions. But there are lots of resources available to people that a course isn't necessary, just the desire to learn and the ability to read. You and I are both examples of that.

I'm honestly not sure if I would be ok with it. I'm not totally against it though.

How can lamont think that Darwins theories stem from a religios belief, Paganism, when Pagans believe in not only one God but many Gods. That's an oxymoron.

Answer 3

Well - as you state it, high school age students usually are over the age of reason, thereby by definition making decisions already - so introducing religion at that age could be helpful...
But it's the ADULTS, not the kids, that would cause the most harm to any program like this. There would always be an adult that would poop in the pool, sometimes just for fun, so unless the adults were removed from this idea - it will never work. Children parrot the hate that their family radiates daily, until shown that whatever hate they know is WRONG - which then means explaining 14-15 years of living with hateful parents, and dealing with the foundation of their lives being uprooted. Many high schoolers would freak out learning their family are haters.
Any child under 12 ? would benefit from no religion in schools they are too young.

Answer 4

In California, teaching of the major religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism) is part of sixth grade social studies curriculum. Although it is rather superficial--more of a survey course-- students do get a general idea of the different religions in the world. It is taught (I would hope) without any bias toward one or the other.

I think it should be a required course in high school. Learning about other religions is a necessity in this world where people stereotype each other's religions based on a few extremist wackos. The more people are educated about different religions, the less they will be manipulated by greedy politicians and fanatical religious leaders.

Answer 5

I'd be opposed to it. Kids are really too young to make that type of decision by themselves. The parents or teachers would end up deciding, or worse yet, it would be culturally expected of the kids to take the religion class. I suppose a non-religious class about world religions from a neutral perspective would be okay, but it would never work in practice. There would be too much interference from religious people on the PTA.

Answer 6

I too am an Atheist but I think a short course covering the history and belief elements of the major religions from an objective perspective should be mandatory. This gives children the opportunity to weigh the merits (or lack, thereof) of religion relative to the rest of their education. Outside of the school setting, they will only be exposed to the skewed and biased versions of individual self-promoting religious organizations.

Answer 7

If it were an academic course that gave equal emphasis on several of the world's religions, as well as some information on the sociological issues that the differences entail, I think it'd be a great course for an elective. Maybe in the last couple of years in high school.

Answer 8

If it happens like you said. If it was an elective class, and taught about all the worlds religions, then I wouldn't have a problem with it. That is pretty much the same thing as teaching culture or history.

Answer 9

I wouldn't mind it... But that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. You would most likely have only 1 religion taught, and the other religions would think their religion was being descriminated against. If it was an elective about the history of religion, not just one, it would be acceptable.

Answer 10

Most european countries have world religions as an elective. As I mentioned earlier, it's in our schools as an elective.

To be a good citizen, you really have to know "how other people think." Not to understand only your country, but the world. I don't know how you can do that without understanding the religions of the world.