The Importance Of Religious Education In Public Schools

Religion is one of the largest controversies in the world, due mainly to different people with different backgrounds and cultures are in America. Religion creates positivity and brings people together, but can also cause arguments and debates. America founded its nation on religion; however, society has slowly pushed it away year by year. Religion is being pushed out of our classrooms, schools, and communities because of the miniscule percentage of people in America who aren’t religious. People are becoming offended easily by religious topics, which is causing the negativity among American citizens. America’s youth are being deprived of an education that includes world religions and culture. There hasn’t been a single successful effort to reinstate religion into schools despite efforts to slowly take away the changes that have been made to take religion out. I propose to reestablish religion into Athens High school because it forms good morals that will help America’s youth become better contributors of society.

However, it would be more beneficial for schools to include religion in their curricula, for it prepares children for their futures. Since there are various religions in the United States, none of which are limited to a certain area, students are bound to come across someone who practices a different faith in their lifetimes. If public schools were to include theology, children would be more open-minded, aware, and tolerant of these religions, thus preventing discrimination, prejudice, and even violence and acts of targeted terrorism in the future because of these differing beliefs. Religious education would benefit children of all ages, religions and cultural backgrounds, as it would provide them with a better understanding of one another, and a sense of companionship and acceptance from their

In schools, the place where Americans first learned critical fundamentals and values of freedom, religion is separated from home life to school life. In the United States, 89% of public school teacher’s cannot lead a class in prayer, 36% can teach a class comparing religions in different countries, and only 23% can read from the Bible for examples of literature (citation). Without religious instruction in schools, students are not granted with the option to display their faith and practice their religion in a school setting. Despite the advantages, some Americans argue that teaching religion in public schools can be dangerous and harmful to students. Schools disapproving of students practicing

Is it ok for students to express religious beliefs in class discussions, or through assignments? If you were Brittany Settle you would probably answer “No”. Settle v. Dickson County School Board, 53 F. 3d 152 (6th Cir. 1995), Brittany’s assignment was a research paper and her topic was drama approved by her teacher, which she later changed, without approval, to “The Life of Jesus”. The teacher refused her paper and Brittany received a zero. The teacher gave six reasons why she refused Brittany’s paper. Court ruled that Brittany’s free speech was not violated, by having to abide by a teacher's curriculum, and the teacher has control over the curriculum and classroom.

Religion in the Public School Curriculum: Questions and Answers, which was issued by a coalition of 17 major religious and educational organizations,...describes the importance of religion in the curriculum through this statement: Because religion plays a significant role in history and society, study about religion is essential to understanding both the nation and the world. Omission of facts about religion can give the students the false impression that the religious life of humankind is insignificant or unimportant (Haynes, 2). Thus showing that religion was a vital part of the foundation of the United States. If we no

Religion, whether we realize it or not, is a major element of American society (and also worldwide history). For many, religion is a significant part of their cultural identity. Religion plays a part in all levels of politics and is often an aspect of community events and organizations. Everyday, we all interact with people who have different religious backgrounds and personal beliefs. Children born into religious families are very connected with their religions from birth and this affects the way they will see the world for the rest of their lives. Even those who later explore other faiths or convert to other religious ideas will be affected in

There are “more than 2,000 complaints a year by members of the public concerned about violations of the separation between church and state”, with many of the violations occurring within educational systems in the United States (Gaylor, 2014). This is an ongoing issue because many Americans honor the separation principle, while a small portion of the population does not. Religious references and moral values are an important aspect of a child’s life, but should not be taught in public schools. Annie Gaylor published a well written article called “The Dangers of Religious Instruction in Public Schools”, which describes what happens when religion is brought into the picture. In earlier times, it was proved that religion creates tension, inconsistency,

Religion in public schooling is a major controversy proven by the fact that Americans have been debating the place of God in schools almost repeatedly since public education got its start in the country nearly two hundred years ago. As the United States becomes more religiously diverse, its shared doubt on this issue becomes more prominent. Not even the Supreme Court, with its muddled and unclear ruling on the establishment

"JESUS in the classroom!" Are you feeling uncomfortable yet? Religion in the public school systems is among the top of the list of controversial topics in American society, We've long been advised to avoid this and other religiously politically intertwined subjects in polite conversation. If you're like most Americans, this topic makes you frustrated, high strung, or at least a little queasy. From the day the 1st amendment right appeared in the U.S. Constitution, to this present day, and surely into our nation's tomorrows, the proper role of religion in public schools has been, is, and will continue to be a subject of great debate. It is important for school officials, parents, and students

In America today we all have choices to make in regards to our religious beliefs. Many young children are brought up today confused about religion and the significance it plays in their lives. There are many sanctions and rules now on what can and can 't be thought or displayed to people on public property, but it wasn 't always like this. In this paper I will be discussing the American religious experience in regards to the impact religion has in the public schools.

“Should we teach religion in public schools? It made me cringe. Why? The United Sates is currently in the unenviable position of being near the bottom of the list of industrialized nations when it comes to teaching religion in public schools” (Gaylor). Devotion and religious discussion are completely different from school and academic discussions. Also not to mention accidentally insulting one's religion and having it look cruel in the media. Both views about religion in public schools are completely accurate, but the most logical and ethical side of the argument is allowing schools to merge in religion with school education. The public needs to make a compromise and agree to disagree. “The rights of non-believers and minority faith observers must also be defended under the system and our constitution, if our state is to thrive in the 21st century as it did at its founding” (Middleton). Disputes over religion in public schools need to be dealt with inside households and not in confrontations at school. Leave decisions about when and how to pray at home. If a student decides to express their religion, then let them express it. Everyone needs to be respectful and careful of the way they deal with religion in public

For a variety of reasons, many educators are understandably reluctant to raise the topic of religion in the classroom. They worry about offending a student, misrepresenting a tradition, or favoring one belief system over another. Because of this and the Segregation of Church and State, we have become very uneducated in the subject area. This raises the heated debate, “Should world religion be taught or introduced in (public) grade schools?” Although the debate is split 50/50, research show that many parents and educators are supportive for unbiased teaching of the world religion in public schools.

Samuel Ayers and Shelly Reid are two educators at schools in Texas and they agree with this statement. They argue constantly in their article that religions are essential in teaching social studies. Reid and Ayers contend that, “[the] very faces of Europe and Africa were changed as Muslims and Christians battled over lands during the Middle Ages” (2). They also state that in other countries, “entire social systems are based on religious beliefs” (2). Consequently, this points to the fact that religion, in its entirety, is immensely important in teaching students the history of nations and many social systems that nations uphold. Reid and Ayers have proven that after receiving the knowledge of religion in some countries and understanding why their respective religions were important to them, “[students] achieved a deeper understanding of many current events, [especially] those involving the Middle East”(Ayers and Reid 2). It is perfectly clear that in many circumstances, knowing the religious background of a nation will help enlighten the students to better understand why some nations hold a particular stance on a given matter (Ayers and Reid 1-3).

It is a through a faith based education that one may discover the constant yearning of oneself and the purpose and meaning of their life. A faith based education mixed with a person’s spirituality can take an individual through a journey of faith and knowledge to a destination of self-actualization. A catholic education guides us to walk with Christ and develop love, hope and joy for God, which then assists an individual through challenges in their life. An Islamic education enables their followers to succeed in a constantly changing world, through the teachings of Allah. Often people come across challenges that question their meaning and purpose to the world, and the meaning and purpose of the world in general and life itself. Religion and spirituality combined guide a person to discover the inner-strength necessary to find oneself and their purpose, through transformative learning and an ever-longing yearning.

In this paper the topic of religious study will be presented. The goal is to get an understanding on the viewpoints or perspectives that many scholars, students, or educators have when it comes to the topic of either learning about religion or teaching about religion.