Am I allowed to post something about religion?  All I wanted to say was that to stop the arguments from different cultures about whether religion should be included in education, we should just close all public schools and start religious schools.  Schools that would be for free but there you would be able to speak about your own religion and no one else can get offeded by it.  Just a thought.

But if we start all religious schools, there'd be nothing to say. We'd all just agree, or you'd go to the appropriate school.

And then whaddya do with people like me who don't claim one faith to be right?

that idea kind of screws athiests over.

yes, you can post religous topics but they have their own forum. i'm assuming a friendly passing mod will move this topic there shortly.

Agreed. Agnostics are equally helped in the screwing-over.

How come my posts are not being posted?  Or are they and I just cant see them or what?

I am not basically talking about one religion.  I am talking about ALL religions even for those who claim not to have one.  If it is freedom of religion in this country, then why am I being taught evolution?  that is against my religion and also I dont see the schools teaching me about Creation or any other idea on this topic.

Ah, I think she means differently then we thought. She doesn't want exclusively religious schools, just schools where religion can be discussed.

That'd be cool, but not in science class. You're learning SCIENTIFIC theory. RELIGIOUS Theory is a CULTURAL discussion, belonging in a Social Studies class or th' like.

Okay well then lets teach it in the Social Studies room then.  I just think that some sort of religion or cultural thing should be discussed in the schools.

It is, just not in this grade. Next year, we get World Cultures.

And if you want everyone to hear about your faith, tell them about it. But not mid-lecture.

For some people if you talk about religion in public schools that violates the separation of church and state.  It doesn't, but people think it does.  So the best thing is to just not have kids unless you can afford to send them to private school.  Then you don't have to deal with all of that nonsense.

Well i do agree with the separation of state and church, but some schools still discuss which should not be allowed.  i believe that something needs to be changed.

Am I allowed to post something about religion?  All I wanted to say was that to stop the arguments from different cultures about whether religion should be included in education, we should just close all public schools and start religious schools.  Schools that would be for free but there you would be able to speak about your own religion and no one else can get offeded by it.  Just a thought.


That would be a bit foolish.  With non secular schools all religions, creeds, etc go to school together and get to know each other.  If we were all separated then we would be suspicious of each other and that wouldn't do anyone any good. It would foster rivalries in the name of religion, and since there is too much of that causing problems in the world already it would be a bad idea to make it worse.  Separate but equal is a notion that was tried and seen not to work.

When I was a kid there were some kids who went to both.  They would go to public school with us, but every Wednesday they would leave school in the middle of the day to go to their religious classes, most likely held in their places of worship.

They still have that, called "Bible Release" nowadays. But only in, like, the elementary schools.

They still have that, called "Bible Release" nowadays. But only in, like, the elementary schools.


Yeah I think they called it "Release Time" when I was a kid...

Oh, wait, it's also in grades 6-8 I think. And the High Schools may offer it, but it's called "Christos" or something, and there's more paperwork. Meh.

I'm sure Chucky is going to move this thread to the political/religious discussion board.

I think that schools should teach religion-not "You must believe this or you will rot in hell for eternity" type thing. I mean they should teach it like, "Catholics believe this. Hindus believe that" They should ABOUT religions. And they should not say this religion is wrong and this one is right. Each religion should be given the same amount of time, discussion, etc. And let the kids make up their own minds what they believe.





Cat

I'm sure Chucky is going to move this thread to the political/religious discussion board.

I think that schools should teach religion-not "You must believe this or you will rot in hell for eternity" type thing. I mean they should teach it like, "Catholics believe this. Hindus believe that" They should ABOUT religions. And they should not say this religion is wrong and this one is right. Each religion should be given the same amount of time, discussion, etc. And let the kids make up their own minds what they believe.





Cat


I agree, Cat.. if nothing else, at least as an elective class.

Or, CRAZY THOUGT HERE, but hold it in, then talk OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. But that's just me.

I think that a class would be good, but we already have those. World Religions/Cultures classes are mandatory, at least at my school.

Finally moved, eh? Yep.

You know what?  I think strict religious discipline should be imposed upon ALL students in EVERY school.  Let's give those kids something worthwhile to rebel against.  There is too little structural cultural oppression for the young folks to hammer away at these days.  The result is  rampant dull and aimless hedonism.
;)

D_mn straight.

I'd like to see more of your views on this, everyone.

I agree with Cat.  As a subject for a social studies class religion is a legit topic IF the discussion is ABOUT religion, what different sects believe and how religion has helped shape history.  Religion as doctrine (including "creation science" - if ever there was a misnomer) has no place in public education.  On the other hand, evolution, as (not thoroughly understood) scientific FACT does have a place in every science curriculum.

Anyone else?

Anyone else?

I reckon they should teach religion but applying the same standards of proof to religion as to religious texts as is required for historical and scientific theories.  Don't just say "Muslims believe this" or "Christians believe that"; don't even say "Jews believe the other, because..." - but actually analyse the belief systems and try and decide whether there's any kind of valid rationale behind the whole shebang.

Take creationism as an example: not to put too fine a point on it, IMO any school that teaches creationism as being as valid as evolution does not deserve to be called a school.  It's mumbo-jumbo whose only claim to authenticity is because it was written down in a book thousands of years ago, hundreds or thousands of years after those events happened...

I've just been reading "The Salmon of Doubt", by Douglas Adams, and he puts forward the atheist position with an elegance few can match, for example:
What astonished me, however, was the realization that the arguments in favor of religious ideas were so feeble and silly next to the robust arguments of something as interpretative and opinionated as history. In fact they were embarrassingly childish. They were never subject to the kind of outright challenge which was the normal stock in trade of any other area of intellectual endeavour whatsoever. Why not? Because they wouldn’t stand up to it.

Sums it up perfectly: we give way too much credence and weight to beliefs that can't be challenged because "it's blasphemy"... if there really were a Truth (with a capital "T"), we wouldn't have hundreds and thousands of different religions and interpretations of religions - how can a book written by men honestly be described as the word of God when there are thousands of different interpretations of what that word actually means, and pick any two and they'll be contradictory?

"Religious school"?  Oxymoron.

I've never understood how something that can't be proven as fact can be taught in schools.  "Teaching" implies that the content being taught is factual.  Religion - no matter the denomination is based on faith.  Faith in a truth within the religion, Faith that those who recorded these "facts" throughout history were unbiased in their records.  I don't know how much faith I have in thousands, if not more, re-writes of any religion written and recorded by man.  Man is far too flawed, or.. human to be completely without prejudice.

I think religion should also be taught in school.  Maybe in a class in high school that teaches about all religions, not just one.  Also, not a preaching class...just information.  There is so much intolerance towards religions and I think it is because people don't understand them.  If we were taught about them maybe some wouldn't be so intolerant. 

When I used to live in Gloucester, UK, my friends' children both attended a junior school, where the population was around 80% muslim. The christian/ other religion children were given altenative, non-religious activities during the muslim prayer times, but their morning assembly was conducted en masse, drawing influences from many different religions and cultures. As a result, those children can sing songs derived from Islam, Hindu & other religions, as well as the standard christian-related stuff normally taught in UK schools, plus they are now imune to the rising tide of anti-muslim 'racism' currently seen in the UK.

Most secondary (11-16 yrs old) schools in the UK have 1 lesson a week of Religious Education. This is normally christian-based, but seems to vary from school to school as to how much of the content is religious, and how much is more general personal/ lifeskills education. When I was at school, pupils belonging to alternative religions were allowed to spend their lesson in the library, if they wanted.
I think the state should fund schools whose religion is based on the majority religion of the area, with sensible concessions for those of a religious minority, if religion has any place in schools. Minorities who require specific, religion-based schooling should be prepared to fund these themselves, or fit in with the state-funded school's regime.

I think religion should also be taught in school.  Maybe in a class in high school that teaches about all religions, not just one.  Also, not a preaching class...just information.  There is so much intolerance towards religions and I think it is because people don't understand them.  If we were taught about them maybe some wouldn't be so intolerant. 



That's what I was trying to say. You seemed to say it better than I did.





Cat

I think the class is a good idea. But people seem to wanna preach or debate religion, really. So I say this, again: TAKE IT OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.

People ought to learn to debate in the classroom.  Too few learn to discuss ideas intelligently once they leave.

Look, religion is a fact of life.  It has an influance on just about everything.  It can be a force for good or for evil as it is manipulared by imperfect people.  But to take a page from Kevin Costner's version of Robin Hood, maybe God (or the  Godess) made so many is becauser he/she/it loves infinit diversity (that was Morgan Freeman's line, a great actor).  To study religion as a sociological phenomenon is right and proper.  To espouse a reeligious doctrin as "true" is not. 

People ought to learn to debate in the classroom.  Too few learn to discuss ideas intelligently once they leave.


Yeah, the classroom does keep things civil. And civil is usually more intelligentIt'd be okay, as long as it isn't taking time away from something that needs to be done in a certain class. If there were a specified class or class time for it, that'd be different.

Look, religion is a fact of life.  It has an influance on just about everything.  It can be a force for good or for evil as it is manipulared by imperfect people.  But to take a page from Kevin Costner's version of Robin Hood, maybe God (or the  Godess) made so many is becauser he/she/it loves infinit diversity (that was Morgan Freeman's line, a great actor).  To study religion as a sociological phenomenon is right and proper.  To espouse a reeligious doctrin as "true" is not. 


Well, this strikes me as more of the kind of 'manufactured controversy' high-minded people are always accusing 'the media' of perpetuating.  Sure, maybe there are instances of some wacky school districts where some idiot teachers in public schools are preaching to the students that they're going to perish in hellfire if they don't follow Jaysus and be washed in the blood of the lamb, but it's hardly an issue generally speaking.