Religion in Education

[Brian Lesser]

I'll put it like this...

If you're able to be mature about and respect other people's opinion's regarding religion, then yes...

If you want to learn about other religions so that you can gain a higher level of respect and tollerance, then yes...

[Shu Song]

No faith should be forced upon someone. There isn't a clear line between religious references in class and down right preaching. My english teachers would make references to the bible all the time, in context, of course. None of that bothers me.

Now, what does bother me is if your history teacher, in teaching religions is obvious biased(to say the least) towards one religion. Like saying that anything other than Christianity is heathanism. Given that school trains us all to think a certain way, I'd rather that way be the open minded way.

Thankfully, I've never had or known of a teacher who did, because my town is a very open town, very accepting of everyone's differences.

[Adam Y.]

In her computer class, she had to do this worksheet for her daily assignment. One part of the worksheet said "Who were the first couple on Earth?" After reading this, she stood up & fought with the teacher because she (and I) feel that it shouldn't of been put on the worksheet...and to no suprise she lost (the people in class are rather ignorant and such...so she just kind of didn't do it instead).

No.... Bad move on her part. You have to about in a completely differnt way. I would have put in a sarcastic and completly correct way.

The idea of the first couple raises many scientific and mathematical questions. Whether you believe in creation or evolution, most likely there was one original human. The entire human race must have decended from one original person. It is interesting to calculate, based on our knowledge of population growth, how many years ago that person existed.

Ummmm.... is it person or person's?? Also it would probably be pretty hard to figure out when the first humans started popping up just by using a mathematical model of growth. There is pretty good evidence that suggests that human beings came really close to extinction on one occasion.

[bombadier337]

I don't mind christianity being taught, but I'm probably a little biased. What did make me horribly mad was a history teacher who basically tried to disprove religion the entire year. I don't mind learning about other religions objectively, but I do mind having a teacher trying to force his or her beliefs (or lack thereof) upon me.

Also, as far as evolution is concerned, I believe in both the Christian beliefs and evolution. If you look at a day (as in "On the first day...") as a figurative term, everything still follows the same order. I don't think it is wrong to teach the theory of evolution in schools.

[nehalita]

It's alright as long as other religions are acknowledged. according to my religion, the first couple on the earth was not Adam and Eve, so i don't feel i should be marked points off of it.

don't get me wrong, i love learning about other religions. but when one is given precedence over the other, i feel out of place and i just don't belong. i have run into incidences where i have been told that because i am not Christian, i will not go to heaven. of course this is their opinion but i don't like being told this as if it were their decision.

as for that extra credit question, if it had to do with knowing background information, then it's not fair; i don't even know that story and i should be given an equal opportunity to get extra credit. but if it was just using the people/objects as examples, then i feel there is nothing wrong with bringing it up.

[Raven_Writer]

Originally Posted by nehalita

It's alright as long as other religions are acknowledged. according to my religion, the first couple on the earth was not Adam and Eve, so i don't feel i should be marked points off of it.
...
as for that extra credit question, if it had to do with knowing background information, then it's not fair; i don't even know that story and i should be given an equal opportunity to get extra credit. but if it was just using the people/objects as examples, then i feel there is nothing wrong with bringing it up.

For the first statement, that's how I've always felt. I'm okay with religion topics in school, as long as you more than one side to the story...but that never happens. I've read that A & E weren't the first people either, so which would I say? [I'm just supporting this claim].

I can't remember so much on the extra credit question, but I had to do the worksheet one, and I didn't do that. My friend didn't leave it blank though, what she did was put something like "This shouldn't be here because there shouldn't be religion brought into school" (something along the lines of that).

And to Brian Lesser, please to explain to me how you have to be mature to respect other people's opinions, and also you have to respect other people's opinions to be mature (I worded it like this because of the fact that w/ "and", both have to be true; correct me if I'm wrong though and I'll edit this).

[KenWittlief]

so what was the right answer to the question and what did the 'first couple' have to do with computer science (on the test) ?

was it really some odd computer science question? is some syntax called a 'couple' in the language you were useing?

did it mean the first humans or the first couple, as in romeo and juliete? Celopatra and Marc Anthony? Ben and Jaylo? Ben and Jerry?

[JoeXIII'007]

Touchy issue, very touchy. As far as religion in the classroom or anywhere in the public arena is concerned, you will not get anyone to join your faith/religion if you're going to be biased, closed-minded, or absolutely unknowing with what you're dealing with or with what else is going on in the outside world.

As a Christain myself, I get fairly terrified when another christain comes to me or I see him or her being arrogant and a bit beyond defensive of his or her position and is not in the know. It is this sort of stuff that I see destroying religion. It isn't just Christains, it is the Islamic terrorist extremists, and others.

Raven, it is the sort of stuff you experienced that give religion a bad rep, something that could've easily been avoided.

-Joe

I did not mean to offend anyone in the posting of this. If I did, I apologize.

[KenWittlief]

Id be interested in knowing what the teacher was saying that upset RavenWriter when discussing Crime and punishment. Religious and biblical themes are an intergral part of the novels plot/story. I dont know how you could discuss the book and ignore that part of it?

[evulish]

I think it's fine to discuss the Bible in school. I'm not saying that because I'm Christian, I'm saying that because it's a great piece of literature. Whether you believe in it or not, it's a powerful book just like many other works. It just happens to be a religious text. I guess it was not the best idea to have that question in extra credit unless it said something like "In the Christian religion" or something similar. And like Ken said, Dostoevsky was very Christian, and it's reflected in his writing.. so it's a hard thing to avoid if you're discussing the book. I can understand being offended by someone trying to push their Christian views on you, but if they're just being discussed, what's the big deal?

[Raven_Writer]

I do have respect for other religions, I have friends that are of many religions. It's not that I think what I believe is better than theirs, and that I can't have a conversation about religion with someone because me and my best friend do that a bit. In my view though, I don't see why my english teacher should bring up Christianity, and that only and make it seem like a church. No, she is not telling us to become a christian and all that, but I don't see how it's actually right to only show one side of things. As I've said before, there's also similarities between C&P and Satanism (I've read the Satanic Bible, and the Christian Bible, and I can make the similarities and such just by what the teacher says). I really hoped this wouldn't turn into an attack on me (which is what it's turning into), I just wanted peoples opinions.

The same goes with my friend (since her situation was the same in some ways). She also has respect for other religions...it isn't like she thinks her beliefs are superior to others.

[DarkJedi613]

First, no one's trying to "flame" you, we're just trying to understand what you're saying, but you don't seem to want to be specific, leaving me to believe that you're not sure what you think about what happened.

Anyway, from what you said, do you think it'd be ok if she talked about the references to Satanism and no Christianity?

How exactly is she making it seem like church? Discussing religion is very different from preaching it. And since "she is not telling us to become a christian and all that" then she isn't preaching it. I don't see how you can complain about her talking about the references to religion and things, when you didn't even read the book to know if it truly has a significance or not.

[Raven_Writer]

Originally Posted by DarkJedi613

First, no one's trying to "flame" you, we're just trying to understand what you're saying, but you don't seem to want to be specific, leaving me to believe that you're not sure what you think about what happened.

Anyway, from what you said, do you think it'd be ok if she talked about the references to Satanism and no Christianity?

How exactly is she making it seem like church? Discussing religion is very different from preaching it. And since "she is not telling us to become a christian and all that" then she isn't preaching it. I don't see how you can complain about her talking about the references to religion and things, when you didn't even read the book to know if it truly has a significance or not.

You're right, and I'm sorry. The reason why it seems vague is that no one is really asking questions that goes beyond what I've already said (to my knowledge...if there is any questions like that, let me know and I'll be glad to answer them).

I don't think it'd be okay if she only made refrences to Satanism. I don't think her teaching should be one sided though, when there are two sides (and yes...I do know that not everyone will read the Satanic Bible and such).

The way that I know (to my own knowledge) that it does have reference to Christianity, is that she kept saying that C&P has a lot of illusions to the bible.

Honestly, I never did say she was preaching it. And when I said about her making it feel like church, it is because in church [christian], all the priest talks about is Jesus this and Jesus that...which is what she was doing.

Lets forget about the C&P topic though, for a second. What about the other cases?

[Andrew Y.]

I think its ok for teachers to bring up religion in some topics.

History and Lit are good places to use the Bible and whatnot

I am a Christian, but i do think it was wrong for the math teacher to do that, it gives a select group of students an advantage on the test. Dont understand how that fits in with math.....unless it was like, count the apple

[Raven_Writer]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

Id be interested in knowing what the teacher was saying that upset RavenWriter when discussing Crime and punishment. Religious and biblical themes are an intergral part of the novels plot/story. I dont know how you could discuss the book and ignore that part of it?

It was the fact that she kept referencing the bible, and not making any other comparisons. There was no references to other religions that she made.

I just personally feel strongly that there shouldn't be religion brought into education...and having to sit there and listen to her talk about all this got me really upset.