The Importance Of Teaching Religion In Public Schools

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.

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

These students come from homes that religious and philosophical beliefs. Given the incredible diversity of American society, it's important that our public schools respect the beliefs of everyone and protect parental rights. The schools can do this by not sponsoring religious worship principle that America's public schools are welcoming to all children and leaves decisions about religion where they belong to the family. The U.S. Supreme Court has forbidden public schools and other government to interfere with the constitutional right to follow their own when it comes to religion decision is widely misunderstood today they ruled that official prayer had no place in public education.

Issues involving public schools and religion have been topics involving intense debate. It is difficult for the government to elucidate the appropriate boundaries of religion in the public schools. It is true that teaching about religion is permitted in the public education systems, but the real question is where the margin should be set between teaching religion and simply teaching about religion. It is almost impossible to teach about the history of the United States without teaching that religious beliefs associated with the history, artwork, and literature. More than the public is lead to believe, The Constitution permits religious activities in and around public school buildings. It is unfortunate that the

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

To counteract the changes that America is experiencing, as the framers of the constitution foresaw, certain laws such as the first amendment are able to be applied differently in special situations like towards the public school system. Banning religion in public schools is such an important issue, because the school curriculum is unable to accommodate every child’s religious needs or offer the same amount of coverage to each religion represented in America. If parents feel as though the instruction of religion is such a pivotal aspect that should be in their child’s life then perhaps a private school that is tailormade to teach and interpret religious aspects would be better suitable. The principle of religious neutrality forbids schools to give religious objectors a substitute that is, from a secular perspective, superior to what other children get. The material instructed in public schools should enable “the minds of school children to be open to various possibilities [in which allowing] that both creationism and evolution be introduced, without religious applications” (Phy-Olsen 98). Modifying the school curriculum for any such child or group creates not only isolation but also negatively emphasizes the differences between students. Students are unable to achieve their full potential with religion in schools, because they will be lacking the sense of

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

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

However, teachers who in the classrooms have not been adequately prepared to take on such a sensitive and sometimes controversial issue. It is important that the educational system employs teachings that are able to fairly and effectively teach students about religion (Passe & Wilcox, 2009, page 104). This is where the change in the source of religion in schools needs to begin. Passe and Wilcox state, “teachers can be leaders in demonstrating how to do it well” (2009, page 106). In this quote, Passe and Wilcox are referencing the kind of impact that teachers can have on others and society by correctly leading in a way that shows that religion can be taught in a way that is acceptable. The problem lies within the curriculum. Passe and Wilcox’s focus on the changes that are occurring in the curriculum in our educational system and how there has been changes and the focus has move away from where religion should be taught and what content it should be taught with. Passe and Wilcox state that “social studies … is gradually disappearing from the … curriculum in favor of literacy and mathematics (2009, page 104). Within our schools, there is the less focus on social studies because of it does not hold the same value as other subjects because of their importance on standardized tests. Passe and Wilcox makes a firm point by state that “we cannot teach history without teaching about religion”

"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

Another argument against faith-based schools is that they do not provide an objective social and moral education for young generation. All religious philosophies have biased views on issues such as abortion or homosexualism. Therefore, children from faith-based schools have conservative views on modern society. For example, the Church of England forbids to do an abortion, Muslim institutions are against of sex before marriage, Jewish religion seem to be strongly in opposition of homosexualism. All these cases proves that in religious schools children raised in biased way and they are not adapted for modern world challenges(Gardner, Cairns, Lawton, 2005). Moreover, MacMullen(2008) states that children

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,

Does having a faith-based education have an influence on the way people cope with their own individual experiences?

There is no other topic as sensitive and controversial as religion. It can be very awkward for people to have a conversation about religion; some people, including myself, do not feel comfortable when religion is discussed outside its normal setting. Yet the question still remains; Should Religion be Taught in Schools?

The subject of religion in public schools is one that has been debated vigorously and passionately. The warriors from the Right and Left fail to appreciate the facts because they are caught up in the rhetoric and have difficulty viewing this emotional topic dispassionately (Haynes, 2011). Both sides are right about one thing: this is an important subject.