Would anyone here have a problem with religion taught in public schools in this context?

Question

A comparative religion course, teaching basic beliefs and both the history and the current state of major world religions. It would be taught objectively like everything else (i.e. no emphasis on one religion or any at all being "truth) and offered as an elective. Would anyone actually have a problem with that?

I just read a question that just asked "Do you think religion should be taught in public schools" and everyone pitched a fit in their answers. The question didn't imply teaching Christianity or any other religion as truth, so I don't see why everyone got so worked up. I think offering a class teaching religion along the lines of what I suggested in the first paragraph would be nice.

If there are schools that already do this, I need to seek out those districts if I ever have kids!

Tricia- it is painfully obvious you have not read the details to my question.

Answer 1

i am all for a course like that being taught at a high school level on a voluntary basis (like and elective course)

i just don't think that young people should have to be subjected to it before they can truly comprehend all that's involved

Answer 2

I took just such a course in college as a required part of a degree in social sciences (filled the sociology part of the degree) and found it fantastic and highly enlightening. I suggested it to all my friends and would have taken it as an elective even if it hadn't been required. It opened my eyes to the actual FACTUAL basis behind other religions including my own at the time. I found myself to be much more tolerant of others and open minded since the myths had all been debunked by this knowledge. It's always best to teach tolerance by teaching facts.

I sum it up this way when I talk to kids whenever they ask about what a religion really means. Ask someone who IS of that faith. Don't ask your personal religious leader. While they may have a learned knowledge they still have a preference or bias or they wouldn't be a religious leader. "Don't ask a fish what it is like to be a turtle, he can only tell you what a turtle IS. If you want to know what it is LIKE, then ask the turtle instead." It gets laughs a lot of times, especially if I use amusing animals but I also see a real light go on in their eyes. So learn from an objective teacher who has no particular slant, and then go find your turtle if you want to know more.

Answer 3

If it was offered as an elective in High School (not elementary or Junior High) and the teacher is not a "devout" anything (in regards to religion) then it would be a great class. Although I think parents tend to rely too much on schools to teach their children everything. I've already started educating my kids on the different religions, and once they are a bit older, they'll learn more about each religions history in more detail. I feel it's something that should start at home, but for the school to provide this additional tool for further learning, at the appropriate grade, I would think that would be good for our kids.

I can certainly see where problems could arise if this isn't monitored heavily, due to teachers religious persuasions as well as vocal students beliefs, turning the learning process into debate mode and alienating students that aren't of the most popular belief. But if we are honest about it, high school kids are on the verge of adulthood and the real world isn't going to be much different. They need to learn how to weed out the fanatics and focus on whats relevant. Some kids may not be mature enough for this in High School. In which case, they should not choose the class, or they could have the option to opt-out within a certain time frame. This is also why the "education" should start at home. Unfortunately, many homes are open minded enough to teach all beliefs if they interfere with their own.

Answer 4

That type of course is taught in many public high schools. I have no problems with that.

Since people's religious philosophies affect their actions so very dramatically, I don't think an atheist would object as long as the teachers never say that one religion or another is the truth. After all, atheism is a religious philosophy as much as Christianity or Islam and should be covered in the comparative religions class also.

Answer 5

offered as an elective, as a class that covers many different religious beliefs and how they affected society?

i think that would be a fine class... however

i dont believe it should be taught as a required class, or as a class that emphasises any one religion.

bu then, u got to think about it, the teacher who teaches this class would have to put his/her own biases against religion aside. i can see this being a problem. so at the same time i still think it shouldnt even be bothered with. not to mention people will throw a fit if you dont mention their religion in there. and it could cause upsets with the kids in the class asking questions regarding those religions.

IF the teacher was unbiased, and IF it covered every religion and IF you didnt have kids throwing disrespectful questions towards the religions. then i wouldnt mind i guess. too much trouble otherwise.

Answer 6

When I was in high school I had to take a World Civilizations course and we spent several weeks on World Religions and we even had to make up our own religions that contained all the features of religions. My religion was garbagism.

I also took a course in college called, "Major World Religions" and we also had an elective field trip that visited various religious locations, such as Buddhist temple, Baha'i temple, Hindu temple, Christian church, Jewish temple/service, Muslim temple (mosque), it was quite an experience. Because we not only visited but got to observe firsthand their services/practices and got to sit down and talk and ask questions with the leaders of the "temples" as well.

Answer 7

I agree with you. An objective, (as possible) elective course on world religions in schools might help young people learn about the richness of other cultures. However, picking which religions to emphasize might be a problem.

Answer 8

As an atheist, I would have no problem with such a course. I'd probably take it myself. Comparative religion is interesting and is a vital thing to have at least some knowledge of, if one is to act intelligently in a global community. So long as nothing is ever represented in such a class as "true," it's all good to me.

Answer 9

Evolution is being Taught in school as FACT which is wrong. There is no 100% Proof of Evolution no matter what people say. They just believe what Science tells them. Even Science knows that they don't have the evidence to proof it 100%. They did not see the beginning therefore they can not prove the beginning. They also can not create life out of a rock. It's hard to believe that people believe we got here by accident that our complex bodies were an accident. That's like saying the space shuttle could have evolved out of nothing. Our bodies our even more complex then the space shuttle. I know people don't believe in God because there is no 100% proof and they can't see him but why believe in Evolution then when you didn't see that either. You just assume that science is always 100% truth and it is not.
I think creation should be taught in school right along side of Evolution they both have no 100% proof and they both take Faith to believe in because we did not see the beginning!!!!

Answer 10

I think it is a wonderful idea.

I think it will not happen in our lifetimes. So many parents already object to "the image" that students get of other cultures in Social Studies that teachers are falling over themselves (or being fired) to keep children form learning anything about geography or the world.

Answer 11

This is the way it should be done!
back in school we had "religious studies" altho I think we covered, christianity and judaism... not really a full objective view.
I think that the hardest aspect to this would be finding people objective enough not to centralize one religion as "the best", or to denounce all of them.