Should Religion Be Taught in Public Schools?

  • Lyzzla

    Lyzzla (100)

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    I think if all schools aren't willing to teach about all religions [or at least the 6 biggest ones] then there is no point of teaching it.
    If you're sending your child to a Jewish school or a Christian school or all that jazz then fine, but at public schools where there are people from different religious backgrounds then that shouldn't be the case.
    I personally think religion is a pointless subject anyway, but that's besides the point. If you're going to teach religion it shouldn't be just Christianity.
    Religion is extremely important in my eyes. It controls the decions making process of what I'm estimating as at least 90% of all people. That includes power postion...ESPECIALLY power positions.
    June 30th, 2008 at 12:51am
  • MyQueenVampy!

    MyQueenVampy! (100)

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    ^
    It is that way for alot of people, but that doesn't mean they should preach it during school. If it's a class, its different, but some schools, like mine, don't have a class, so i think it should be kept out of MY school, unless they plan on adding a new class.
    June 30th, 2008 at 01:01am
  • Lyzzla

    Lyzzla (100)

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    xpunkprincessx:
    ^
    It is that way for alot of people, but that doesn't mean they should preach it during school. If it's a class, its different, but some schools, like mine, don't have a class, so i think it should be kept out of MY school, unless they plan on adding a new class.
    We're talking teaching...not preaching. Opening people's eyes to all of the faiths and religions is something we shouldn't do? Allowing kids to see logic behind things is something we shouldn't do? Even if you don't believe kids should see all their faith options, which is another thing teaching religion in schools would do, shouldn't they understand why most things are the way they are? Whether we like to admit it or not...most laws and morals are religiously based. Religion is a VERY big part of society, and therefore a VERY big reason for laws and such. We should be ab;le to understand everything, right? We shouldn't be ignorant because someone else decided we should be?

    [playing devil's advocate here. I still think it's impossible to cover the amounts of religion we should in the time we have in school.]
    June 30th, 2008 at 01:10am
  • MyQueenVampy!

    MyQueenVampy! (100)

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    Ok, i already said that teaching is ok, if you want to be taught. Like someone said earlier in the thread it should be a elective, not a requirement. Not all people want to learn about religion, and i don't think they should be forced to take it. Also, we should be able to understand everything, but we should also be given the option to do so, instead of having to be forced to do it.
    June 30th, 2008 at 02:38am
  • wx12

    wx12 (10125)

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    xpunkprincessx:
    Not all people want to learn about religion, and i don't think they should be forced to take it.
    Not all people want to learn how to read or do math either but they have to.
    June 30th, 2008 at 03:53am
  • Spanish Lullaby

    Spanish Lullaby (100)

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    ^She's got a point there.
    June 30th, 2008 at 03:54am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    Kurtni Monroe:
    xpunkprincessx:
    Not all people want to learn about religion, and i don't think they should be forced to take it.
    Not all people want to learn how to read or do math either but they have to.
    We have a freedom from religion.
    We don't have a freedom from mathematics.
    June 30th, 2008 at 05:21am
  • wx12

    wx12 (10125)

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    druscilla; and burn.:
    Kurtni Monroe:
    xpunkprincessx:
    Not all people want to learn about religion, and i don't think they should be forced to take it.
    Not all people want to learn how to read or do math either but they have to.
    We have a freedom from religion.
    We don't have a freedom from mathematics.
    Don't distort the first amendment. :mrgreen:

    "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

    Teaching about religions in school does not establish a religion or prevent the exercise of religion, it makes you culturally educated which is an objective of school.
    June 30th, 2008 at 05:32am
  • MyQueenVampy!

    MyQueenVampy! (100)

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    Kurtni Monroe:
    xpunkprincessx:
    Not all people want to learn about religion, and i don't think they should be forced to take it.
    Not all people want to learn how to read or do math either but they have to.
    Quite a few jobs require knowing some mathmatics. But few require the knowledge of religion.
    They have math in school because you NEED math. people use math in every day lives, as well as reading. But alot of people don't use religion everyday.

    The reason i think a religions class should be an elective is because i KNOW i won't use it for any job i will have, and yes, it is good to know, and if we did have one, i would probably take it, but unless your going to become a person who studies religion, or you become a religious figure, you won't really NEED it. I just don't see the absolute need for it to be required.
    June 30th, 2008 at 05:51am
  • wx12

    wx12 (10125)

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    xpunkprincessx:
    They have math in school because you NEED math. people use math in every day lives, as well as reading. But alot of people don't use religion everyday.
    Most people don't need to know how photosynthesis works, how many protons Beryllium has or what happened during the French and Indian War, but you're exposed to that knowledge in school anyways because that's what school does. I consider formal education such as math just as important as cultural. If you're ignorant and oblivious as to what goes on around you and the beliefs of other people, you'll be the one suffering because you'll be uninformed. You're going to be surrounded by people who do things differently and believe different things than you do. Understanding peoples religions is vital to coexisting with different cultures.
    June 30th, 2008 at 05:59am
  • MyQueenVampy!

    MyQueenVampy! (100)

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    But that doesn't mean that it needs to be required.
    June 30th, 2008 at 07:40am
  • ChemicallyImbalanced

    ChemicallyImbalanced (1365)

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    Kurtni Monroe:
    Understanding peoples religions is vital to coexisting with different cultures.
    That's a valid point. The school that I go to has a religious studies class as an elective. I take it because I don't want to be oblivious to other people's beliefs and disrespect them if I accidently do or say something wrong.
    If everyone took it at my school, we probably wouldn't have as much misunderstanding between the different religions of people there.
    June 30th, 2008 at 07:58am
  • chrissie.

    chrissie. (250)

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    At my primary school, we had the option to do RE.
    We were given these forms for our parents to do, and they were about religion, and what they would be teaching us in class, yada yada yada.
    I think that system worked really well, because the athiests didn't have to take it, and then the people who were interested in religion, could if they wanted.

    My mother made me take it so that I understood that everyone believes something different, and no one is right or wrong
    June 30th, 2008 at 12:58pm
  • Lyzzla

    Lyzzla (100)

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    xpunkprincessx:
    But that doesn't mean that it needs to be required.
    I don't know about you, but the mission statement of my school reads:

    "The mission of the [School District Here], in concert with family and community, is to provide students with the opportunity to reach their maximum potential in order to function successfully in a changing world."

    I'm pretty sure functioning successfully means understanding people. Understanding people, means understanding their culture. Thus that would be why it is required. High School is meant for us to get a well-rounded, strongly based education to set us up for a lifetime if we choose to leave, or to set us up for a college then the lifetime afterward. High School is meant to be the foundation of our education, and they can't just cop out because we don't nessecarily need to know that information, even if we do. I think making this world a little bit better would start with understanding the reasons behind people decision-making processes. By understanding, we may not be so freaking apt to, oh I donno'...kill eachother for what we believe in. It may be a far stretch, but I think it's worth a try.

    Understanding removes illknowledge, and may help with the ignorant extremists in our world (That's a description of a kind of extremist, not all). I think we can deal with the people who continue to kill if we at least tried to teach them differently.

    Not to mention, if you don't care about the greater good crap, it helps us to not screw up in the ways we already have. There is a lot of history in religion. It also allows us to understand eachother so as to no go around insulting eachother and acting like morons. I'm pretty sure both were mentioned earlier and need to be reiterated.
    June 30th, 2008 at 02:39pm
  • veronika

    veronika (130)

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    I was never taught religion in school, so I don't know much about what a Religious Studies curriculum would entail... tell me; in a Religious Studies class, what religion do you get taught about? Or do you get taught about religion in general? Because there are a few people in this thread going on about there needing to be an "understanding" about religion, but if it's from the view point of only one religion, then that can't be very understanding, can it? Only understanding toward one particular religion.
    June 30th, 2008 at 02:51pm
  • wx12

    wx12 (10125)

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    Hellraiser:
    but if it's from the view point of only one religion, then that can't be very understanding, can it?
    Why would you think its from only one religions perspective? :shifty

    I didn't even have to take an elective class, we studied religion in geography when we learned about different regions of the world.And if I wanted to take an elective class, I'd take contemporary issues. It's not solely about religion, but religion comes up in it frequently.
    xpunkprincessx:
    But that doesn't mean that it needs to be required.
    What do you think qualifies as a reason to make something required in school?
    June 30th, 2008 at 03:48pm
  • The Master

    The Master (15)

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    Hellraiser:
    I was never taught religion in school, so I don't know much about what a Religious Studies curriculum would entail... tell me; in a Religious Studies class, what religion do you get taught about? Or do you get taught about religion in general? Because there are a few people in this thread going on about there needing to be an "understanding" about religion, but if it's from the view point of only one religion, then that can't be very understanding, can it? Only understanding toward one particular religion.
    In my school, we learnt about the basic 5: Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judism. We were also taught briefly on cults, Satanism and Atheism.

    I believe knowing at least the basics of religions is very important if you want to have a job that deals with multicultured people. Even with an overwheling majority of people on this site being one of two (Atheist or Christian), it doesn't mean you solely learn either all or nothing. Saying that you have to go to a special school or pick that especially when many see it as a dead horse subject is just stupid. Having an hour a week in school - not nessecerily thinking about religion by itself but moral and philosophical issues which we will all have an opinion on and will have to think about in our lifetimes (drugs, capital punishment etc). To say that you will never need religion is just being silly and short-minded.
    June 30th, 2008 at 04:24pm
  • kafka.

    kafka. (150)

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    Hellraiser:
    I was never taught religion in school, so I don't know much about what a Religious Studies curriculum would entail... tell me; in a Religious Studies class, what religion do you get taught about? Or do you get taught about religion in general? Because there are a few people in this thread going on about there needing to be an "understanding" about religion, but if it's from the view point of only one religion, then that can't be very understanding, can it? Only understanding toward one particular religion.
    Here you attend a class for your religion/denomination. You usually learn about the other religions too but in smaller amounts. No-one claims it is a course on understanding all religions and beliefs. It's just one hour a week when you talk about your faith. And if you don't want to go, you don't have to go.
    History of religions is covered in the universal history.
    Still want details on the curriculum? Overall -I think you do 6 years- or just what I did last year for example?
    June 30th, 2008 at 04:37pm
  • veronika

    veronika (130)

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    Kurtni Monroe:
    Hellraiser:
    but if it's from the view point of only one religion, then that can't be very understanding, can it?
    Why would you think its from only one religions perspective? :shifty
    ...because as I clearly stated, I had never taken Religion Studies when I was at school and I was merely wondering about it out loud....
    June 30th, 2008 at 04:39pm
  • Dino Dezzaraii

    Dino Dezzaraii (100)

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    I think that there should be a Religious elective for those who want to learn about God and Religion and stuff... :D
    July 9th, 2008 at 02:13am