Teaching religion in school

[vorlon13]

I beseech you all, let the Baneemyites (Conjespresites), members of the One True Faith, come unto all the schools of the land, that the children not perish in their ignorance !!!

[tantric]

You can begin studying applied ethics and morality in kindergarten. Isn't that the age when all that develops? Teaching sharing and all that? Ever played the board game 'Pandemic'? Either everyone wins, or everyone looses. What if your 1st grade pop quiz works that way? If taught correctly, children that age can understand the Hawk-Dove game and begin learning about mutualism.

Although I admit I was picturing adolescent kids in my head...

Frankly, I don't have a problem with learning how to pray and other mental exercises, including meditation, so long as there's no object, but that would never fly.

[Lucanus]

In Italy, there are "Catholic Religion" courses in all schools from primary to high school. The teachers are chosen by the local bishops, but are paid by the government.

The courses themselves are a joke, and are practically non-existent, and don't count towards your general marks, so they have no value except for some more Vatican butt-licking.

You can opt out of it, but that means you're most likely going to spend an hour on your own outside the classroom, even though the law says there should be "alternative activities" if you do opt out.

Philosophy is taught independently and (most of the times) really well in all licei , which are the 'better' kind of high school.

[Minimalist]

Too many 'Murrican kids would spell philosophy with an "f".

[Jenny A]

I think teaching comparative religion would be a grand idea if only we could get the schools to actually do that fairly. What ought to be taught is: the history of each religion, its myths/scriptures, its central tenants, its religious practices, and its governance. Ancient religions should be given exactly the same treatment as extant ones. At a minimum Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Mormonism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism should be given a proper airing. A dip into what various ancient groups believed wouldn't hurt either, particularly the secret knowledge cults and the Egyptians and Babylonians. That ought to be enough to inoculate anyone particularly the history of and myths believed by parts.

But I'm not holding my breath.

[Chad32]

I will agree that it would be a nice elective if done properly. I enjoy mythological stories as much as the next guy, and learning about the cultures and origins of biblical stories makes a lot of the things in the bible easier to understand. Like the aforementioned resentment towards sex. It's just that I know it won't be that way. As much as they hate that the government is taking religion out of schools, they certainly won't stand for it being ut in only under the condition that it's treated like any other set of mythologies. Even if you put the bible on a shelf beside the texts of all other active religions, christians won't be happy unless it's made clear that the bible is the super special source of Truth.

[tantric]

I think teaching comparative religion would be a grand idea if only we could get the schools to actually do that fairly. What ought to be taught is: the history of each religion, its myths/scriptures, its central tenants, its religious practices, and its governance. Ancient religions should be given exactly the same treatment as extant ones. At a minimum Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Mormonism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism should be given a proper airing. A dip into what various ancient groups believed wouldn't hurt either, particularly the secret knowledge cults and the Egyptians and Babylonians. That ought to be enough to inoculate anyone particularly the history of and myths believed by parts.

But I'm not holding my breath.

You can inoculate people against religious memes. Your need frequent exposure to a variety of weakened (ie contextualized) strains. The internet is already doing this, but a horrifying amount of parental indoctrination still goes on. This is how to address the tyranny of Theism, not by prohibiting Nativities and editing our language.


FYI, for all the haters - the school of Engaged Buddhism actively prohibits such indoctrination - 'Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrow-mindedness.' Buddhism started as an anti-religion, but over time the very weaken strain used by the Buddha revivified and became...we'll not *that* bad.

[robvalue]

What I find hilarious is that if an objective and factual assessment of Christianity was taught in schools, christian parents would complain. Especially because their kids would start educating them too.

I'm all for religious education as long as it's impartial, factual and covers all of the major religions at least. Oh, oh, and FSM! We need enough pastafarians so that they have to also teach about FSM. I think that could help our cause. They have to teach it just as objectively, at which point it will seem on the same playing field. Possibly higher :p

[Minimalist]

Indeed, Rob. The last thing jesus freaks want to see taught are facts.

[Crossless2.0]

While I support the idea, in principle, of comparative religion being taught to secondary students, I think of my own high school history teachers and can't think of one who would have had the background necessary to present such material objectively. I'm not comfortable with local school districts choosing which of the Texas-based textbook providers would supply the material to be used in such a class, and I'm less comfortable with the curriculum being designed by the dipshits who tend to hold positions on school boards.

Furthermore, suppose there was a teacher adequately versed in the subject and able to teach it properly. As others have pointed out, the parents would have a collective meltdown: "The government continues to undermine our God-given right to indoctrinate our children as we see fit . . . blah, blah, blah." Just imagine such a class, in which one section is devoted to -- oh, let's say -- ancient resurrected savior figures. They'd go after the teacher with a gelding knife -- in the name of religious liberty, of course.

Sadly, I don't think it can work to treat our students like the near-adults they are simply because too many of them have fucking children for parents.