Why do Christians think they should have preferential treatment?

Question

In regards the teaching of their religion in public schools?

If any religion is taught it should be all, and not one. If that was to happen then a vast majority of the timetable would be taken up just on teaching the different religions.

If you want religious tuition then go to your relevant religious organisations, or teach them yourself at home.Don"t expect public schools to provide the servise. You pay like any other specialised subject you want to learn.

If for example I wanted to learn poker I wouldnt expect it to be taught in public school because it is a choice, just as religion is!

Oh i have read it, and do not want any children of mine teaching any religion in school, unless i specifically sent them to a private school, which would be my decision.

It has no place in society today. If you want to it them by your own choice and not forced.

Answer 1

I absolutly agree with this. What I have a problem with is that in many school systems children are taught tolerance of every religion except Christianity.
I used to live near Toronto where there are many different races, cultures and religions. In the school they are allowed to learn about Kwanza (sp?) Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah etc etc...I personally think this is great and would be happy to have my son learn about these and to be knowledgable about other's religions. What I am angry about is that in these same schools you are not allowed to talk about Christianity in any way. You can not even say Christmas over the announcements. (My Mom, Sister and Father all work in this school system)
You also can not display a cross, but you can display the Menorah....this doesn't seem right to me.
Like you said, you either teach and tolerate all or none.

Answer 2

From the time America was founded until 1963 the Bible was taught in every public school. Why did we have to stop in the first place? You are right when you say that teaching ALL religions in would take too much time and nothing else would be taught. However, there is one aspect of religion that I believe SHOULD be taught. That is the issue of Creation science. Before you accuse me of suggesting preferential treatment, let me say this. The theory of Evolution is just as much a religion as Creation because it cannot be observed or experimented with. Until you can repeatedly observe experimentation's that prove it to be true in a lab with consonant results, it can not accepted as fact. With this being said, I believe that Evolution and Creation should BOTH be taught in our public schools; anything less is a one sided education that caters to specific other groups.

On the subject of religious preferential treatment, just look at how many schools teach Islam. Muslims carry their swords to school because that is their traditional Muslim dress, while anyone else carries so much as a pocket knife would be kicked out of school for the entire year. Let a Christian carry a Bible to school, and he will be made fun of, ridiculed, and sometimes even sent home or punished. Who wants preferential treatment? That's the real question. Don't take my word for it, do the research your self.

Answer 3

Well, first let me say that the public schools are not the "state" as in separation of Church and state. Public schools are all locally funded and locally operated. And run by locally elected school boards. But no one says that Christianity alone should be taught or even taught at all, but we already teach about Muslims, Jews, Hindus, etc.

Christianity should be taught in those schools where a majority of the voters, vote for at a local level. Why should people who pay the taxes to operate the public schools be forced to send their children to private school? So, most of our population is Christian, so most of the tax payers are Christian, so Christians fund public schools that exclude our religion yet teach the basics of many others, makes no sense.
The Christian Bible should be viewed as any other history book is now. It is history, isn't it? To teach about Iran, one teaches about Islam, same for Iraq, Saudi Arabia, etc. To teach about Israel, one teaches about the Jewish faith.

The Amish have a public school system, that they pay for and teach Amish ideals and religion, fundamental Christianity only. All public schools now have off on Christian holidays. And they always have. Let the people who pay the taxes for the schools vote on what will be taught and how it is taught. Why should some liberal, left wing, idiots decide for us?

Answer 4

It is difficult to answer this because I'm not sure to what specifically you are referring.

Is this about recent decisions in some school districts to offer a class on the Bible as an elective? Well, this is not teaching religion. They are offering instruction on the historical and literary functions of the Bible and its impact on history, literature, art, music and life in general. The Bible has had tremendous influence, for good and for ill, on western society and teachers were finding that their students lack of biblical knowledge was hindering their understanding of the course material. Since we live in the west, it stands to reason that more time would be devoted to influences of western culture, as oppose to eastern culture. And the Bible, the Church and Christianity have had the most influences on the west.

If students were studying about the middle east, it would make sense for them to have a working knowledge of Islam and the Koran-but since middle eastern studies are only a fraction of what students learn and since Eastern traditions have only recently begun having an influence in our society-not as much time and energy will be devoted to it (or Hinduism or Buddhism, or even Atheism, etc.)

Is this about the evolution-creationism-intelligent design debate? First of all, the supporters of bringing intelligent design into the classroom are not exclusively Christian. Secondly, no one is proposing to actually teach it-simply inform students that there are dissenting views to evolution and to recognize and teach the scientific aspect of those views. Evolutionary dogma has had a monopoly in our public schools for far too long and it's time to start introducing material that scientifically refutes some of the tenets of evolution theory instead of asking (demanding) our students to buy into the whole argument, hook, line and sinker.

I'm a Christian and I know of no Christian or church that endorses teaching religion in public schools. Believe me...that is the last thing they want!!!! But teaching about something in a historical and cultural context is not endorsing or indoctrinating.

I will concede the fact that there are probably some who want to teach religion in public schools, but they are the minority-but unfortunately, they are probably the loudest and the only ones getting press coverage. The squeaky wheel gets the oil!

Answer 5

I was a Scripture teacher for 15 years at my local school, I taught for half an hour each week, unpaid and I only taught Catholic Children because I am Catholic, we have different denominations teach their own religion at the public Schools in Australia, for the same amount of time as volunteers at the same time each week

Answer 6

What most Christians, myself included want in their schools, is God brought back. Say the pledge of allegiance, you know with one nation under God without atheists getting upset about it. Our country was founded for the purpose of religious freedom (Christian Freedom). This country was not settled by people who wanted to worship the devil or who ever but to worship God and the Savior of mankind, Jesus. I would like to see prayer brought back before lunch like we used to do everyday. Prayer asking God to protect the children of this school from all harm and evil. A class on religion should not be taught in elementary school except in history class where all religions are in the text book. Science is what everyone is so upset about. Creation Theory of the universe is in the science textbooks of Middle School children along with all other theories. Because that is all we have in science is theories about how the universe was started. There is no proof on any theory. That is why they are still theories.

Answer 7

I'm a Christian and I actually agree with you. The problem is that the theory of evolution is simply a theory, yet it's being taught as a fact. There is even a lot of evidence for a quite a bit of faulty research on evolution, yet evolution is still being taught as a scientific fact. I believe that this is quite irresponsible of both the scientific and academic communities. As far as paying for a specialized service, we all pay for evolution to be taught but not everyone believes it, at least not the way it's taught as a fact.

Answer 8

Where do you live? Christianity is not taught in the public school system. Not in the 41 years that I've been there has it ever been taught.

Answer 9

Our country was basically founded on Religion. (Note; EVERY country has a religion. Ours happens to be Christianity.) Now the problem seems to stem from people who 1) who weren't taught it from their parents, or 2) they simply abandon it so they can do the things they know is wrong, but see every day as normal. And years pass, they "Label" Christianity and use that as an excuse to attack their faith. "Oh, why should THEY get preferential treatment?"

Answer 10

I agree, that under the "separation of church and state" there should be no preferential treatment, teach one, teach all.
HOWEVER, most Christians don't want preferential treatment, we just want fair treatment. We are allowed to discuss other religions, but heaven forbid someone says something about Jesus. In History, I was actually taught that Jesus was a prophet, and NOTHING ELSE. You cannot teach that! It should be taught that some believe him to be the son of God.
I actually had to do a project on religions...we could chose any five religions from a list, that included Buddhism, Muslim, Jewish.... but Christianity was not allowed.

Besides, America was founded on Christianity...and we want people to remember that.