Religion in schools, part 2

[Green Gaia]

Should religion be taught in schools? Are children who go to religion based schools taught better overall? Were you taught religion in school?

 

[Runt]

I think kids should be taught comparative religion. It will teach them much not only about each other, but about their culture. But I do not think they should be indoctrinated in school; I think they should be taught religion much as they would be taught world history. "This group believed this. This group believes that. Here is where they match up. Here is where they differ. Here is how their respective religions influenced history and helped determine their culture."

"This group believes God is..." vs "God IS"

 

[Ceridwen018]

Private schools seem to have better reputations overall vs. public schools, but I don't think this is because of religion being taught or not.

I actually disagree with religion-based schools. I've been going to them my entire life and can report that they are quite stoneage. They focus on one religion as the ultimate truth, and don't even talk about other religions. A religious/cultural class like Runt mentioned would be a fabulous idea.

 

[Lightkeeper]

Can children make Christmas cards in school? Or, is that considered religion in school?

 

[Runt]

It is considered religion, but I don't think it should be. In our modern society, the meaning of Christmas has changed dramatically from what it was originally supposed to represent. For the most part it has been stripped of religious meaning, though it can still have a good community meaning.

 

[LeaderNotFollower]

I believe that the problem with religious schools is that they close off the minds of the students to any other ideas aside from the ones the school is founded on. If you go to a catholic school, you will be taught that catholicism is the one and only. If you go to a yesheva, judaism is the only correct religion. Childhood is the worst time to teach an idea so far from the truth. I truly believe that if schools were fashioned in a way similar to Runt's suggestion, children would grow up to be the kind of tolerant adults the world needs more of.

My belief remains that religiously affiliated private schools are, in the end, harmful to a child's development.

In reguards to the christmas cards, a very simple solution would be to have holiday card-making time. The christians would not be discouraged from making christmas cards, the jews can make channukah cards, the atheists can make winter cards, etc. Seeing as how I went through public schools, I was never presented with a situation like this. But I can imagine the confusion a jew or muslim would feel if their teacher exclaimed: "Time to make christmas cards."

 

[Mr Spinkles]

My belief remains that religiously affiliated private schools are, in the end, harmful to a child's development.

I can't speak for all religious private schools, but I can say that I really liked my Catholic high school.

Ceridwen--I didn't think our school was stoneage at all! In English class alone, we read works of Plato like Socrates' Apology, we read some existentialist stuff, we read Siddhartha, we studied Buddhism and the Four Noble Truths, and we read a bunch of Transcendentalist works by Emerson and Henry David Thoreau (sp?). In biology we learned about genetics, alleles, and evolution. We studied World History and learned about the origins of Islam, Christianity, Protestantism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and much more.

In theology we studied the Old and New Testaments, the early Christians, Church history, and Church social teaching. I honestly never felt like this stuff was being forced on me....I found it all very fascinating, but I never felt like I was being brainwashed. In fact, we often had debates in theology, and almost everyone at my school disagreed with at least some Catholic teachings or practices.

When I went to public schools, on the other hand....I don't remember learning much in the way of different religions, at all. I learned way more about other religions at my Catholic school than I ever did at a public school.

 

[Ceridwen018]

Spinkles, I agree that our Catholic HS does a fabulous job--I do feel like I've learned a lot. I also don't feel like I've had religion shoved down my throat here (unlike in grade school). It is still the truth, however, that our school teaches Catholocism as the 'way the truth and the light'...which would make sense because it's a Catholic school...all I'm saying is that I wouldn't necessarily want to send my kids to a school that teaches and exclusive religion like that. Then again, given the education benefits, maybe I would...aw hell, quit confusing me would ya?

 

[dolly]

I second Runt.

 

[Irenicas]

Well, I went to a public school that was supposedly religiously unbiased. We were taught Religious Studies until A level, and it was meant to be a comparative religion course. However, the way it was taught, and the national curriculum meant that it was very Christian central, and actually only recognised the 6 "major" religions. I still remember with distaste being failed by my teacher for writing a paper on Wiccan beliefs when asked for "a religion's views" on a subject. I was told that it wasn't a "real" religion. I also have another awaful memory of being told during a RS class that homosexuality and bisexuality was wrong. Not as an idea, but as fact.

 

[Ceridwen018]

Irenicas that's awful! I know how you feel--stuff like that can be so frustrating! I remember back in 8th grade, I'd turn into such a spitfire with my poor religion teacher on pretty much every two-sided issue. In my opinion, schools should be run like little miniature versions of our countries' governments, meaning that they should do more to recognize the laws and ideals of equality, freedom of speech, etc., instead of taking the easy way out and cutting corners. I got kicked out of religion class more than once...I don't it would've improved my case if I'd told my teacher she was infringing on my Constitutional rights!

 

[Irenicas]

That would be nice, but as most UK citizen will have realised by now, we don't have a constitution! That means that it's illegal to say bad things about minorities, but (I suppose wierdly enough) it's also illegal to say GOOD things about minorities in many situations. I draw your attention to section 28. If you want to know what this is, I suggest reading this article:
http://www.datalounge.com/datalounge/issues/?storyline=371

Section 28 was at last repealed last year, but it was too little too late for me and hundreds of thousands of others like me.

Oh! For those that haven't realised this, I'm bisexual! Probably should have mentioned that.

 

[Ceridwen018]

Well I certainly learned something today...I thought UK's speech laws were pretty much identical to the US's.