SHOULD we be teaching religion in schools?

[JustSleepAlready]

In light of recent events. I don’t think teaching about different religions is a negative thing per say- it promotes knowledge, understanding, and CHOICE. I’m not sure if I agree with specific schools for specific religions tho, perhaps this is mind blocking kids to other possibilities /beliefs in life?? Like I say, I’m not sure. I’m not religious, have never practiced religion. I have nothing against anyone because of their religion. I guess I would have something against you if you mean harm to me or my family ( despite your religion. Although if it’s BECAUSE of your religion I guess in a way I am against it?). What do others think? I’m in no way skating or referring to any single religion. As a ND person, just wondering what others think?

And rejected, or openly imposed by force / social pressure alone

Mmm... we can open a whole other can of worms here. Is social pressure an appropriate driver for ethics? Think of Twitter mobs, 'forces' behind major SM platforms and how public opinion appears to be so easily manipulated (from all sides). Who can dictate what's right and what's wrong. Very tricky.

Now adding alcohol to nice spring day - err yes, that is why I put it next to force. We have some lovely instances of it going around at the moment, fundamental islam, trans debate and destruction of women’s sports, sexism and relations of the sexes generally throughout history, etc etc. It’s how cultures are passed on and what we invented (we as in humans) debating fora, the UN and Parliament itself for. When they are allowed to discuss # no debate.

@1Morewineplease just that. Being born into a Muslim family, for example, is one of the reasons why you follow that religion. We are taught about biases, so why not religion?

I’m white, therefore x. I’m a male, therefore X

What's your developmental disorder got to do with the price of cheese?

Forgot you can’t make any reasonable suggestions regarding religion because people are too phobic

I think there’s a lot of merit in teaching them academically and emphasising it’s about individual choice what you choose to believe - these are the major religions, here are where they stem from, these are their key beliefs etc. You can use it as a springboard to discuss how they shape morality for many people, their historical/cultural significance etc - and also how faith can be weaponised negatively. It also might encourage conversations about respecting each other’s beliefs and differences.

@tangerinelollipop

And rejected, or openly imposed by force / social pressure alone

Mmm... we can open a whole other can of worms here. Is social pressure an appropriate driver for ethics? Think of Twitter mobs, 'forces' behind major SM platforms and how public opinion appears to be so easily manipulated (from all sides). Who can dictate what's right and what's wrong. Very tricky.

I don't see why that's worse than religion dictating what's right and wrong.

The problem with schools teaching about religions is they they are not allowed to teach the truth about them. As this recent 'incident' demonstrates they are only allowed to teach a sanitised perfection of what religious leaders want people to think their religion is like.

In light of that it would be better it wasn't taught at all.

While that neatly underlines what @tangerinelollipop picked up on, I think it shows up the need for urgent questions and discussions about the nature of social relations in a country with so many contrasting and conflicting customs and moral structures brought in - starting with the need to simply acknowledge that there are and always will be conflicts. Start to think about how we choose which customs dominate. Rather than trying to brush them under the carpet and pretending they don’t exist, abandoning women’s rights and free speech in the process.

I was thinking the Roman equivalent when Christianity started was the Senate and the Republic, and is the current existence of Cicero really a good reason to jack it all in and accept rule by Imperial Edict for the next two millennia, and the likes of Nero, Caligula and Elagabalus, instead.

[quote Jipterjames]@1Morewineplease just that. Being born into a Muslim family, for example, is one of the reasons why you follow that religion. We are taught about biases, so why not religion?

I’m white, therefore x. I’m a male, therefore X[/quote]
I'm still having trouble following you. Apologies. But when you say 'we are taught biases' such as 'I'm white, therefore X', I have to disagree. Having worked in the classroom for two decades, I've seen how much progress state schools have made to pursue an ethos of inclusion, sense of self, and the celebration of difference. With regards to religion in schools, my original point was that religion should be taught objectively and to foster understanding of other people's ways of life. Religion-exclusive schools do not to this, therefore if you want your child to be educated within a 'bias' ideology, you should pay for it.

To what extent did the medieval burning of Christians, and other persecutions, who had slightly different ideas than the version of Christianity mandated in different states, resemble human sacrifice to gods

This is also interesting. If we think about the current 'cancel culture' today, there is a striking resemblance. The aim is to 'annihilate' whoever dares not toe the line (effectively ensuring they lose their jobs and become pariahs). Is the ideological persecution justified because it's underpinned by a (sometimes) minority of vocal groups exerting 'social pressure'? Who has endowed these pressure groups with the right to dictate morality (which at times also appears to be very whimsical and fickle)?

Still some find all of this acceptable but would complain about any form of religion being taught at schools (even teaching 'about' religion is frowned upon). Frankly, I think most major religions have taken it down a notch or two lately and are focusing on the essential (largely) positive principles and encouraging tolerance. It's puzzling.

I don't think 'cancel culture's can be compared to literally burning people at the stake.

And plenty religions still preach the opposite of tolerance.

I don't think 'cancel culture's can be compared to literally burning people at the stake

It's frighteningly close, though.

At least when they’re not being justified by faith and belief they can be held up for discussion and examination

I don't mean to pick on your posts MayYouLive, but they are meaty

Honestly it seems as if fewer and fewer ideas are held up for examination nowadays. In fact, it's the opposite. It appears as if people are scared of being ostracised by the mob, and desperately try to get more topics under the perceived umbrella of 'untouchableness' adding them to the 'no debate' list.

So, again, in the grand scheme of things, kids being taught about religions in schools is the least of my worries

@tangerinelollipop

I don't think 'cancel culture's can be compared to literally burning people at the stake

It's frighteningly close, though.

It's really not.

@tangerinelollipop

And rejected, or openly imposed by force / social pressure alone

Mmm... we can open a whole other can of worms here. Is social pressure an appropriate driver for ethics? Think of Twitter mobs, 'forces' behind major SM platforms and how public opinion appears to be so easily manipulated (from all sides). Who can dictate what's right and what's wrong. Very tricky.

Better than religion

Of course kicking someone off twitter isn't the same as burning them alive, don't be absurd.

I definitely thing that "belief systems" should be taught in schools.
How did they come about?
What are the main precepts?
What are the common beliefs, where do the religions differ?

trhfxbtht The family of Samuel Paty might think that it has gone a bit further than being kicked off Twitter....

RE teachers are trained to teach about religions, not to proselytise. The best RE teachers I have worked with have been agnostics or atheists. The key things to hit are 'learning about' and ' learning from' a religion; so teaching about Kosher or Halal for example and why this is done ( no refrigeration centuries ago).

It's a really great subject to teach, and sparks fantastic debates from abortion and euthansia through to the nuclear deterrent and the death penalty. I resigned to move abroad in 2006, and kept my hand in by examining for a decade. I thought long and hard about returning, but decided I was too old at 55 to go back to 60 hour weeks, and as my lad is mid 20s, I no longer need the school holidays for childcare; plus my tolerance and patience for dealing with teenagers on a daily basis is long gone.

@thegcatsmother

trhfxbtht The family of Samuel Paty might think that it has gone a bit further than being kicked off Twitter....

RE teachers are trained to teach about religions, not to proselytise. The best RE teachers I have worked with have been agnostics or atheists. The key things to hit are 'learning about' and ' learning from' a religion; so teaching about Kosher or Halal for example and why this is done ( no refrigeration centuries ago).

It's a really great subject to teach, and sparks fantastic debates from abortion and euthansia through to the nuclear deterrent and the death penalty. I resigned to move abroad in 2006, and kept my hand in by examining for a decade. I thought long and hard about returning, but decided I was too old at 55 to go back to 60 hour weeks, and as my lad is mid 20s, I no longer need the school holidays for childcare; plus my tolerance and patience for dealing with teenagers on a daily basis is long gone.

But still not the same as the government burning people at the stake for having the wrong views.

And I don't see how what happened to him was a result of so called cancel culture either.

I think all state schools should be secular with no collective acts of worship, and that all students should learn about different religions as part of the curriculum.
At the moment I support parents having the option to withdraw from religious things because some faith schools teach 'their' religion and have worship as a key part of school life, but if every school had to offer RE and a range of world religions and philosophies then I'd be be happy for the exemption to close.

In my opinion people who are secure in their faith should have no issues with their children hearing that other people believe different things. A parent who has a problem with their child hearing about other people's beliefs should be a red flag for extremism in my opinion.

My sons say its an easy lesson but we don't believe in god so it's a bit..... bit of a waste of time, but I suppose it's nice to learn about other peoples beliefs.

Religions and spirituality around the globe (in the plural and not only the monotheistic faiths but pantheism, etc), ask some of the 'big' questions about life, the point of our existence, and the way in which numerous civilisations around the globe have tackled those questions. The persecution that's arisen from some of them is also intrinsic to our history. So yes, they should certainly be taught. Even more importantly is that any such teaching should bring home the notion that there are no absolutes, and that a belief system without room for debate or questioning is a dangerous thing. This idea will go down better among some faith systems than others.

I'd like to see a separation between state/politics and church - they don't belong together - with the freedom for any citizen to practice whatever faith they choose ('alternative' or otherwise). Faith schools are less insular by law than they used to be so I certainly wouldn't take the Humanist stance on this. I've seen no evidence that secular schools have done a better job, and suspect that in many cases the reverse is true.