Religion shouldn't be in schools, period, end of story.

Yes, religion should be in schools. However, it needs to be kept out of the science classroom.

The only acceptable classes that should include religious studies are one's such as world studies, or a class dedicated solely to religion. Additionally, if the teacher is of a certain religion, they need to keep their personal views out of it; all religions also need to be covered equally, with no emphasis on one religion over another.

I always say teach it but don't preach it.

It's fine to teach about all religions including christianity, but no school should push kids towards religion.

Religion should stay out of schools, I am atheist and damn proud of it.

Red Stripe wrote:

Religion should stay out of schools, I am atheist and damn proud of it.

Thanks for that valuable information relating to your theological beliefs. When you have an actual reason as to why religion shouldn't be in schools, let us know.

It should be an option, but you shouldn't be forced to it, i have my own beliefs, and ideas, i don't need someone guiding me through my life, and controlling what i think about, and how.

School is a wonderful opportunity for children to get good, non-biased, factual information about the world. Religion is one of these topics. Even as an atheist, I say that. It should be presented in a detailed and neutral form in a controlled environment so students have background information when they meet it in the outside world, where the information won't be so pristine. Religion ties so deeply into history, I would be disappointed if students grew up without studying the religious ties. Teachers should neither endorse or discourage the belief systems of the religions they teach about.

In the UK, it is common practice for primary schools (ages 4-11) to have a Christian bias, regardless of any religious affliation they may or may not have. This is mainly centred around the assemblies, where pupils sing Christian songs and are taught Christian stories, morals, etc. Whilst Religious Education lessons technically teach children about the world's religions, there is still a Christian bias (certainly when I was that age, 51% legally had to be Christian). I did all these things, and I even remember one of our teachers, a Methodist, running the assembly one day on the birthday of John Wesley.

I'm against this kind of education, but not because it's brainwashing. It's far from brainwashing, because brainwashing, by definition, has to be effective. This wasn't - no kid from a non-religious background was miraculously convinced by it and many in fact, quite bored by what they read through very quickly as crap, ridiculed it. That's the problem, this kind of education, far from poisoning childrens' minds with a belief in God like so many atheists and secularists argue, does the opposite by poisoning childrens' minds with an intolerance and willful ignorance to the world around them. That's why I support balanced teaching of religions from an objective viewpoint in schools.

---------- Post added at 11:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:37 PM ----------

Scorpio_ wrote:

Religion shouldn't be in schools, period, end of story.

To what extent do you mean that?

Round here schools have to respect your religion so even if the teachers are biased they aren't allowed to disrespect it. Religion is also taught as a whole here too. So you learn about Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, as well as other religions are part of a curriculum. But if a teacher were to say something like you said in your earlier post there would be a fair chance that they would be fired/sued. Sexual harassment and disrespect to religion are the only two ways to get a teacher fired around here.

I also think that religion should be taught to students.

Interesting. Were these public schools or private/independent schools?

Private schools can do what they want 'cause some are religion orientated.
But I go to a private school and every monday they have Christian scripture classes for kids. Not everyone wants them and they don't do it for any other religion which I think is very wrong. The scripture people keep telling kids that they MUST be Christian and it irks me to no end. Either have kids to have the option to go to religion classes, and then teach them all or don't teach it at all.

Never. Religion ruins people's lives. It's bad enough it's in our churches, so why start doing it in schools, too? Kids don't need to be brainwashed at that age. That's cruel.

Man what do you mean by religion ruin's peoples lives? If anything, religion helps save more lives than what it helps destroy.

And while kids are not supposed to be brainwashed, they are supposed to be taught morals.
I went to a catholic school and I don't think I was brainwashed... I have morals, and I follow a certain set of rules because I choose to. I don't blindly follow everything I am told, and I try to reason through things always.

With that said, I think religion should be kept out of public schools because you can't promote all the different religions people follow inside 1 building. It would probably be chaotic.

Religion should not be in public schools, If you want religion, go to a school specified for religion.

Trigger93 wrote:

With that said, I think religion should be kept out of public schools because you can't promote all the different religions people follow inside 1 building. It would probably be chaotic.

For starters, it wasn't stated that we should "promote" religion inside schools. There's a difference between promoting a religion as opposed to looking at one from an educational and historical perspective.

Yes, it would definitely be difficult to teach about every religion that has been employed in society. That is why most schools would focus on religion's that have had a prevalent influence on civilization and a potent impact on history. Many religion's still are influential, to the dismay of some.

I didn't read your post because of your lack of basic font and color correspondence on a white background. Regardless, in response to the title of your thread, religion is bullshit. I wouldn't care either way if it was taught or not. Having it forced, however, is not okay, but education on beliefs is generally a good thing.

Religion should be kept out of primary school. However, I have no problem with the philosophical aspects of religion being taught in high school and college... just as long as the teachers aren't preachers.