Theology in the public schools

Hi everyone,

When I was in public middle school Theology was obligatory class. Orthodox priest would teach us about Christianity once a week and only way to get grade A or 5 (A-F=5-1) was to attend church service every Sunday. Focus was more on teaching us about Christian moral values rather than extensive study of Bible, however, we had to know many prayers.
My child was born in the US and I would love to see him taking classes where they teach about Christian values when he starts attending school in 2019.
What do you think about this concept? This can be an elective rather than mandatory class covering main teachings and dogmas.

 

I think many of the concepts that Christians often think of as Christian moral values should be taught. I'm less convinced that they should be linked to Christianity to the extent that you seem to suggest.

Faith in God can be lost, if you link morality to that, you risk losing morality along the way. If you link morality to a respect for others, I think that is sturdier.

 

Not in public school education. I fully support school voucher programs that would allow parents to send their children to schools of their choice. That would include schools were Christian values were part of the curriculum.

Outside of that, teaching any form of religion in public schools should be forbidden. The separation of church and state must be adhered to. No classes on world religions. No discussions on Christianity versus other religions.

The Pandora's Box that opens is not worth the effort.

 

Yes, you are correct. However, think about what respect for others means. For every kid it is different and it depends on what they saw at home. When the kid is part of the large group that is taught universal Christian principles we can see full benefits. In case of our class of 30 kids not a single drug addict or jail bird. Otherwise, sign of respect taught at many homes in America is to earn your respect while robbing and killing, beating your wife so she can respect you.

You say that any form or religion taught in public schools should be forbidden but really offer no explanation? No classes on world religions means limiting not only your spiritual growth but limiting your ability to understand historical events, traditions, languages, various ethnic groups and many other segments of everyday life. I will say again, I am not for obligatory religious classes (my case) but I am for an option where a parent, not just Christian, but Muslim & Jewish &Buddhist & Hindu & Others can have this option for his/her children to learn basic religious values and principles in public school. I am sure this would not cost anything because many volunteers would teach for free. Now again, I started with mandatory classes about Christianity (Orthodox in my case), to having option for my kid to have some sort of Christian religious education in public school, + this same option to be given to other religious groups because we surly live in multicultural society (unlike environment where I grew up) but I honestly think this can be done with little bit of planning. Unless someone prove me wrong I can't see any negative aspect to this because it is voluntarily and would cost probably next to nothing.

 

Good grief! What state do you or did you live in???

I oppose religion in schools unless it is 1) elective, and 2) includes Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and every other religion represented by even one student in the school in question.

 

Notice I mentioned Public Schools. No State should adopt any form of State religion. Religion should either be exclusive to private schools created for that purpose, or it should be taught at home. Either way, it would outside public education.

As with every program attempted by the State, the teaching of religion would in time warp into preference and disfavor.

There is a reason the Founding Fathers of the US made provision in the Constitution on the subject.

 

So a jewish or muslim or hindu kid or Buddhist attending a public school should be forced to take a class in "theology" which as you describe is how to be a christian?

I am all for having comparative religion courses, but to teach a course in one religions practices has no place in a public school.

Besides which if you want your children to learn "christian values", that starts in the home and in the church, not in the public school system.

 

Yes, I would love for my kid to have this opportunity to learn about his Christian faith and values in public school. I ask again, what is bad about this? My opinion about other faiths is stated above, no reason to repeat myself.

 

Study about Religions is an elective at almost every public university. So this is already implemented in practice. My idea is to have this opportunity in lower division school programs. I stated positive things I have personally witnessed and I could not read any strong argument why this would be bad? Two ideas are at works here: one is simple about studies about religions and the second one is about study of religion of student’s choice-voluntary of course.

 

And I reiterate my position which is that religious values are best taught by parents and by their "church/mosque/temple/etc".

The state should not involve itself in religion in public education unless it is a philosophy course that uses doctrine for comparative purposes.

It is a parental responsibility in the end. Not a government one.

 

The only thing you need to teach your rugrat from the Bible is Proverbs 1:8-19. Everything else is useless for a child.

 

Why shouldn't religion be taught in public schools? Because the first time a Mormon started teaching the class about Christianity, the Baptist parents would have a coronary. That's why.

 

In America the Protestants, especially the Baptists, were the ones who wanted to teach the Bible in schools. The Catholics were generally against it. They had some big fights about it in the late 19th Century.

 

Americans today is a lot more religiously diverse than they used to be so you aren't going to get Orthodox priests teaching religion anymore in public schools. Your options are: Find a private school, take your child to church and get him involved in active religious groups, or teach these values yourself.

 

I have much admiration for the US attitude to religion in education, in the UK I pay for children to be taught the "morals" of some very dubious religions and all the separation that entails.

 

Because a PUBLC school is funded by the PUBLIC which is not all Christian and not all (even Christians) want religion forced on kids in a PUBLIC school.

If you want your kids indoctrinated in Christianity, put up the money(your own) and send them to a private religious school.....


I do NOT want my taxes used to teach religion.

 

Thanks everyone on your replies. Public schools already teach religion but at college level. Private religious school operate outside of government controlled programs and my experience is that in private religious school academic standards are weak. Tax arguments do not hold water because they are enough volunteers to teach about religions in every community. Only expenses are associated with scheduling this ELECTIVE class.

Second, this class would put kids from different backgrounds together and teach about moral values backed by faith. Good luck recruiting those kids into gangs or illegal activity later in life.

Third, this would make country stronger not just because kids would be more educated about the world around them but less crime definitely mean more available government resources for scientific research for example.

 

If religions were taught in schools the kids would learn such useful things like when they get sick magic oil and prayer will cure them and that they should offer some birds and sheep as sacrifices when they get cured.

 

Teach a comparative religion class in 7th and 11th grades.

 

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Fine, then these volunteers can buy land, build a building, pay the utility bills, pay the taxes, and teach anyone who wants to come to their classes.

That only works if the classes are voluntary....and then they aren't 100% certain of producing model citizens just because they learned about religion....many criminals know about religion and claim they're religious.

In this country people are already FREE to learn about religion IF they choose to.

Knowing about religion does not mean a person will never commit a crime .


If you want a stronger country teach kids about the real world and how much it costs and how to get an education so they can make enough money to pay their bills.

 

An elective class on comparative religion and beliefs would be great.

 

Outside of the south, who often teach outright religious classes, such as "creationism", most theological classes in schools are taught in an academic sense, such as biblical history or literature. Most schools do not teach religious dogma, and that's how it should be. The the OP got their wish, then we may as well throw out religious freedom as right all together. Forcing religious dogma upon children as part of education is really no different than declaring that religion as the official religion.

 

Most people don't even know what the real Ten Commandments are. How can ignorant school teachers teach classes on religion?

 

Exactly what respect for others means is of course one of the things that go into teaching this.

The school I attended was fully secular and taught no principles as religious, and produces 180-190 students per year with, to the best of my knowledge, no drug addicts or jail birds. I agree that this probably has many factors, including family relationships etc., but I think it shows that the religious aspect doesn't add very much to the equation.

However, I think the religious aspect takes away, in that it introduces a way of losing one's morality. Take for instance Stalin, he was in his youth devoutly Christian, studying to be a priest. I would suggest that his religious background taught him that morality has to come from God, and when he lost faith in God, there was no longer a justification for morality. Communist torturers have been quoted saying "There is no God, no hereafter, no punishment for evil. We can do what we wish", clearly, this shows that they linked their morality to God and then lost the faith in God. If they had learned their morality the way modern secularists do, their line of logic is simply not open.

 

Hasty generalization, above.

The man who gave his life to God and wrote "Amazing Grace," but was a slaver captain in his earlier years.

So by the logic of #24, living an immoral life will lead man to religion.