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The Importance Of Religious Education In Public Schools

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Incorporating religious education into the public school curriculum was once a main staple of American education. School days started with prayer and students were taught about religious influences as it pertains to American history. The constitutional views on the separation of church and state and the 1962 court case where the United States Supreme Court decided that teaching religion in public schools violated the First Amendment by constituting an establishment of religion caused Americans thoughts on including religion in public schools to change. Without religious education comes religious ignorance and with religious ignorance comes religious intolerance. Religious intolerance is a huge problem in the United States right now with prejudice and misunderstandings, sometimes leading to violence, happening between U.S citizens of different religions. Religious education should be taught in public schools because it will allow for a positive impact on religious tolerance. This essay will explore the ways in which religious education will impact religious tolerance. I am hoping to prove that incorporating religious teaching into public schools appropriately doesn’t force religion onto kids, but rather educates. I will explore how learning about different religions and beliefs with instows a comradery between citizens of different religious backgrounds. I will also go into how religious tolerance between citizens can cause a decline in violent acts promoted by prejudice. I

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