Atheists would you rather people only learnt about Religion in Churches?

Question

I often see a comment "if you want your children to learn about Religion take them to a Church" or words to that affect.

So the question is in all honesty would you rather have your child learn about comparative religion, and its history or only have them learn about one religion?

And people that are adamant Religion should not be mentioned in Schools, should it be unmentionable in History classes?

Please tell me does Religion have any place being mentioned in Education?

Answer 1

Sure, in history, comparative religion classes, and mythology.

Answer 2

I think it's important for people to be taught about all religions because understanding other people's beliefs is an important skill and can help prevent some racism. Learning about religion and being told what to believe about religion are completely different things mind, and if R.E is taught in the form of having a specific religion "shoved down throughts" is wrong and it should just be taught as a neutral thing. Maybe aswell as religion, atheism and agnosism should be taught aswell as it seems from some questions on here that some people are not educated enough on this topic.

History-wise, I think it definately should be mentioned as it is a key point in history. Religion exists now and existed then, there is no denying that and it would be ridiculous if religion wasn't mentioned, it would be distorting history completely.

Hope I helped :-)

Answer 3

Even as a strong atheist I would say that because religions have played such a major part in world history the historical aspects of the major religions, non belief systems, humanism and atheism should be taught in schools.
More in-depth education should be conducted as part of a higher education syllabus in which students may elect to enroll.
However, the practice of religious rites and indoctrinations should be confined to appropriate designated places such as churches. For example you would swim in a pool or the sea, you would manufacture goods in a factory, not the other way around.

Answer 4

I'd be happy to have my kids be offered a chance to take a comparative religion class at school, as long as there was no preferential treatment given to any particular religion. Unfortunately, most public schools in the US don't offer a class like this, and from what I've seen, parents at many schools would go ballistic if such classes were offered, because they would think that such classes would "corrupt" their children, or some such tripe. I've done my best to teach them comparative religion at home (and as unbiased as I can make it), and let them make their own conclusions.

What I object to is when religion is dressed up as science (intelligent design, or creation science) and schools attempt to pack that into the curriculum. It's not science, and no semantic twisting in the world will make it so.

Answer 5

Religion does have some place in a history class to learn about the world and how religion has affected it. However if you want your children to learn more than that, respect that their are others that don't believe in teaching children about this huge topic at such a young age..send your kid to private school.

Answer 6

Yes it can be part of general education if it is categorized correctly and that is not in the science classroom and it should only be mentioned in a History class when there is solid evidence it can be cross-referenced with. Really, it should be part of a social sciences/humanities/liberal arts curriculum and it should not be mandatory - leave it as an elective.

I do not think that it should be for children under the age of 16 though as they should be learning the basics before expanding their horizons. Upper levels of high school and college is plenty soon enough. I took my classes in comparative religions in college.

Answer 7

i think we should be taught about religions in school to open up our minds to other cultures so as not to end up with a generation of xenophobes and racists. it is also good however to teach people about the damage religion has caused throughout the centuries, to try and find a happy medium where people are respectful and tolerant towards religions, and neither the religious or non-religious take anything to extremes which could result in harming others. i am an atheist and am just about to start R.S GCSE at school and i am really looking forward to learning more about Hinduism as up till now most of the time spent in R.S lessons has been focused on Christianity.

Answer 8

I don't think any of us have a problem with a comparative religion course, or religion being part of history and art history courses. When I teach art history if I don't cover islamic art, christian art, greek art, etc...I am missing a huge part of art history and that is not providing good education. That does *not* mean I am saying that one is right or wrong, or that there is a deity, I am simply teaching why that art was created and the purposes it had for the people at the time (and it's importance in history, of course.)

Answer 9

I believe in the Separation of Church and State.

I do not want to see Religion classes mandatory in public schools, they should be optional.

However, I understand the relevance of some religious events that impact the world's general history and I don't have a personal problem with this type of discussion in school.

If anybody is uncomfortable in a school environment when something religious comes up in class conversation, I believe that person should have the right to be excused from class.

I resent the fact that when my daughter was in high school, she was expelled because she refused to say the line "One Nation Under God" during the Pledge of Allegiance because it did not conform with her personal religious beliefs.

Answer 10

I am an atheist. Almost an antitheist (opposed to the worship of a god). And I would prefer it if religion died out, but I think as long as so many people believe in it it should be taught in schools. If it were only in churches or places of worship then children would only learn about one religion, from biased people. Whereas in school they can learn about lots of different cultures, from an outside perspective, with neutral teachers whose job it is to remain neutral to such things.

Answer 11

Comparative religion should take place in history classes. Religious study should take place in Church. Comparative religion should be designed to teach the children about other peoples' beliefs so that they can understand, and tolerate them from a distance.
Church should be a place where zealots go to be zealous with other zealots with zeal for the Lord. Far far far away from where society can see them.