Should Religions Be Taught in Schools?

[Katganistan]

I am not denying it.
I am saying that if the metric for excluding a religion from being taught about in school is that the beliefs in it are "too ridiculous", that Christianity has some beliefs that some nonbelievers would say "that is ridiculous!" about.

Well I wouldn’t say that subjective incredulity is a good basis for drafting a U.S. religious education curriculum.

My point exactly.

I didn't suggest that "too ridiculous" be the way it's decided. That was another poster.

[La Xinga]

Indeed, many Jews have yet to accept Jesus Christ as their personal lord and savior.

Mostly because he went against the Torah.

[Neutraligon]

Religious education in the U.S. should be compulsory for everyone. It's unfair for students who don't attend church or faith services in their personal lives to be left out of such a large part of American life, society, culture, history, tradition, etc. Students should learn about religion in the U.S. just like they learn about literature, history, civics, accounting, economics, chemistry, etc.

How about no. There are those who are not religious, an soul not be forced to prepare for anything. Religion is a big part of American life for some people, while for others it is a go to church for Easter maybe.

[Genivaria]

Religious education in the U.S. should be compulsory for everyone. It's unfair for students who don't attend church or faith services in their personal lives to be left out of such a large part of American life, society, culture, history, tradition, etc. Students should learn about religion in the U.S. just like they learn about literature, history, civics, accounting, economics, chemistry, etc.

This is some serious Orwellian thinking, it's 'unfair' that students choose not to go to church or faith services so they must be forced into it? The fuck?

[Neanderthaland]

Religious education in the U.S. should be compulsory for everyone. It's unfair for students who don't attend church or faith services in their personal lives to be left out of such a large part of American life, society, culture, history, tradition, etc. Students should learn about religion in the U.S. just like they learn about literature, history, civics, accounting, economics, chemistry, etc.

This is some serious Orwellian thinking, it's 'unfair' that students choose not to go to church or faith services so they must be forced into it? The fuck?

I don't know if "Orwellian" is the right terms. It's more that this is a clear demonstration of the limits of the Golden Rule.

"Because I enjoy something, you must be MADE to enjoy it as well."

Just pray he's not also a Twilight fan...

[Kernen]

Pretty sure the historical and cultural aspects would be best left to history and social studies classes.

That's how things are done now, and I'd say it's inadequate. People don't even get enough civics education as it is, and cramming religion into an already packed history or social studies curriculum just guarantees it won't make much of an impact. Learning about religion should be considered part of cultural competency, just like learning another language (taking Spanish class) or personal financial literacy (home economics class). Maybe one day you want to open a bank account, school should prepare you for that. Maybe one day you want to join a church, school should also prepare you for that. That's a little different from studying ancient religions in world history or how it's done now.

Schools needn't prepare you for church. Churches can be responsible for orientation without tax money. Religious proselytizing has no educational value.

[Geneviev]

Religious education in the U.S. should be compulsory for everyone. It's unfair for students who don't attend church or faith services in their personal lives to be left out of such a large part of American life, society, culture, history, tradition, etc. Students should learn about religion in the U.S. just like they learn about literature, history, civics, accounting, economics, chemistry, etc.

I don't think anyone would think teaching about the history of religion in the US would be inappropriate. But if they're being taught that it's true, there need to be alternatives for those students.

[Dogmeat]

Religious education in the U.S. should be compulsory for everyone. It's unfair for students who don't attend church or faith services in their personal lives to be left out of such a large part of American life, society, culture, history, tradition, etc. Students should learn about religion in the U.S. just like they learn about literature, history, civics, accounting, economics, chemistry, etc.

I don't think anyone would think teaching about the history of religion in the US would be inappropriate. But if they're being taught that it's true, there need to be alternatives for those students.

No. They don't need alternatives to indoctrination. They need to not be indoctrinated.

[Geneviev]

I don't think anyone would think teaching about the history of religion in the US would be inappropriate. But if they're being taught that it's true, there need to be alternatives for those students.

No. They don't need alternatives to indoctrination. They need to not be indoctrinated.

It's not supposed to be indoctrination. It's meant to help them understand their own religion so they can't be indoctrinated by their church.

[Sicilian Imperial-Capitalist Empire]

What is there to "prepare" for about joining a church? Would your ideal also prepare one to join a mosque, or synagogue, or any other type of place of worship? How is that comparable to personal finance or languages?

Yes, absolutely. People should be able to consider what religion they believe in. Otherwise they don't really have freedom of religion. Religious life is as essential to the United States as personal finance and language.

And that would include freedom to believe in no religion or reject religion correct?

You can't have freedom of religion without the freedom to reject.

[Jedi Council]

Yes, absolutely. People should be able to consider what religion they believe in. Otherwise they don't really have freedom of religion. Religious life is as essential to the United States as personal finance and language.

And that would include freedom to believe in no religion or reject religion correct?

You can't have freedom of religion without the freedom to reject.

Quite so.

If religion is being taught in a historical or critical sense, there should be no harm in discussing atheism, and secular philosophers as well.

[Kernen]

What is there to "prepare" for about joining a church? Would your ideal also prepare one to join a mosque, or synagogue, or any other type of place of worship? How is that comparable to personal finance or languages?

Yes, absolutely. People should be able to consider what religion they believe in. Otherwise they don't really have freedom of religion. Religious life is as essential to the United States as personal finance and language.

No, it isnt.

[New Visayan Islands]

Religious education in the U.S. should be compulsory for everyone. It's unfair for students who don't attend church or faith services in their personal lives to be left out of such a large part of American life, society, culture, history, tradition, etc. Students should learn about religion in the U.S. just like they learn about literature, history, civics, accounting, economics, chemistry, etc.

This is some serious Orwellian thinking, it's 'unfair' that students choose not to go to church or faith services so they must be forced into it? The fuck?

One also has to account for those who go to a different church, after all. Teaching religion on a voluntary basis makes it easier for say, a Christian to understand why his dad's Muslim colleague spends the daylight hours of an entire month with neither food nor drink, a Buddhist to understand why her Jewish neighbor is unavailable during the weekends...you get the point. As I would see it, the intent to ensure that people of varying creeds understand why group A abides by this creed and group B that creed and group C that creed--a means of understanding one another.

[Geneviev]

Yes, absolutely. People should be able to consider what religion they believe in. Otherwise they don't really have freedom of religion. Religious life is as essential to the United States as personal finance and language.

No, it isnt.

To be fair, it is a huge part of the culture here, much more than in Germany.

[Sicilian Imperial-Capitalist Empire]

No, it isnt.

To be fair, it is a huge part of the culture here, much more than in Germany.

But also to be fair, we don't teach things in school based on culture, we teach them based on knowledgeable academic subjects.

Religion might be cultural, but it isn't too useful for the purposes of school, if it's even useful at all.

[Kernen]

No, it isnt.

To be fair, it is a huge part of the culture here, much more than in Germany.

Hardly. One needn't have any religious education to be wildly successful in the US.

[Katganistan]

And that would include freedom to believe in no religion or reject religion correct?

You can't have freedom of religion without the freedom to reject.

Quite so.

If religion is being taught in a historical or critical sense, there should be no harm in discussing atheism, and secular philosophers as well.

Discussion of it in its historical context as well may interest students into pursuing it on their own.

There is no reason to single out any or a few religions to instruct students in, unless a parent has enrolled them in an off-site religious instruction program such as CCD, which I attended during elementary school. At 2 every Wednesday, students enrolled in CCD at my public school were walked across the street to the Catholic school for religious instruction.

[Brunswick-upon-Raritan]

This is some serious Orwellian thinking, it's 'unfair' that students choose not to go to church or faith services so they must be forced into it? The fuck?

One also has to account for those who go to a different church, after all. Teaching religion on a voluntary basis makes it easier for say, a Christian to understand why his dad's Muslim colleague spends the daylight hours of an entire month with neither food nor drink, a Buddhist to understand why her Jewish neighbor is unavailable during the weekends...you get the point. As I would see it, the intent to ensure that people of varying creeds understand why group A abides by this creed and group B that creed and group C that creed--a means of understanding one another.

Teaching religion “voluntarily” means you create a national cultural fabric full of holes, and a bunch of kids fall through those holes and grow up into adults who know nothing about Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, nor their similarities and differences. And what people don’t know, they mistreat. There would be a lot less religious bigotry in America if religion were a required part of everyone’s curriculum.

[Brunswick-upon-Raritan]

Yes, absolutely. People should be able to consider what religion they believe in. Otherwise they don't really have freedom of religion. Religious life is as essential to the United States as personal finance and language.

No, it isnt.

Maybe not to you, but your kids will have to interact with religious people in their lives and I don’t want them to make bigoted arses of themselves.

[Kernen]

No, it isnt.

Maybe not to you, but your kids will have to interact with religious people in their lives and I don’t want them to make bigoted arses of themselves.

I'm not having kids.

Despite that, I was more than capable of not coming across like a bigoted ass to religious folk regardless of a religious education. It is, surprisingly, not that hard to not be an asshole. Children are more than capable of learning this without formal education.

[Brunswick-upon-Raritan]

Maybe not to you, but your kids will have to interact with religious people in their lives and I don’t want them to make bigoted arses of themselves.

I'm not having kids.

Despite that, I was more than capable of not coming across like a bigoted ass to religious folk regardless of a religious education. It is, surprisingly, not that hard to not be an asshole. Children are more than capable of learning this without formal education.

That’s very nice, you grew up with a lucky education and think everyone else can be that lucky too. There are enough Islamophobes in America to know your “trickle down” theory of tolerance education has been a bust.

[Kernen]

I'm not having kids.

Despite that, I was more than capable of not coming across like a bigoted ass to religious folk regardless of a religious education. It is, surprisingly, not that hard to not be an asshole. Children are more than capable of learning this without formal education.

That’s very nice, you grew up with a lucky education and think everyone else can be that lucky too. There are enough Islamophobes in America to know your “trickle down” theory of tolerance education has been a bust.

I didn't get shit from my upbringing on the topic. Again, its not hard to not be an asshole, even when ignorant. I'm not sure how this is complicated. Basic manners transcend specific situations.

[Brunswick-upon-Raritan]

That’s very nice, you grew up with a lucky education and think everyone else can be that lucky too. There are enough Islamophobes in America to know your “trickle down” theory of tolerance education has been a bust.

I didn't get shit from my upbringing on the topic. Again, its not hard to not be an asshole, even when ignorant. I'm not sure how this is complicated. Basic manners transcend specific situations.

That’s not true at all, and if you’ve ever been stereotyped you’d know how naive it is to think “basic manners” can magically end ignorant misconceptions about various religious faiths in America.

[Rojava Free State]

I didn't get shit from my upbringing on the topic. Again, its not hard to not be an asshole, even when ignorant. I'm not sure how this is complicated. Basic manners transcend specific situations.

That’s not true at all, and if you’ve ever been stereotyped you’d know how naive it is to think “basic manners” can magically end ignorant misconceptions about various religious faiths in America.

I mean basic manners can at least keep people from saying stupid shit. Doesn't mean they won't think it.

[Kernen]

I didn't get shit from my upbringing on the topic. Again, its not hard to not be an asshole, even when ignorant. I'm not sure how this is complicated. Basic manners transcend specific situations.

That’s not true at all, and if you’ve ever been stereotyped you’d know how naive it is to think “basic manners” can magically end ignorant misconceptions about various religious faiths in America.

Bigotry is taught. Ignorance is not bigotry.

You can deal with bigotry without teaching religion.