Should religion be allowed into our school systems?

Sanctum

There's a group at my highschool, calling themselves "God Squad". They basically just go around the school preaching. Everybody who isn't christian really dislikes them, as they're always trying to convert people. They pick fights with people of the muslim community, and are generally distasteful.
My friends and I draw pentagrams on our palms and shove our hand close to their faces and growl whenever they start preaching to us.

This leads me to another question for you guys to debated over. Do you believe that religious practices should be allowed in school?

I for one, believe that if one wants to go about in the public school system preaching about their beliefs, they should enroll in a private school catering specifically to their religious views, not pressuring people in their peer group to conform to their ideals.

Agreed. This is why there are Filipino Catholic Schools in my community, you're right. Religion is always best in Private Schools than in public where things do get fucked up.

Carly

Not religion per se but some sort of mandatory theology class might be good. You know, so that people actually know what the hell their religion is about.

CosmicDebris

@Sanctum:

There's a group at my highschool, calling themselves "God Squad". They basically just go around the school preaching. Everybody who isn't christian really dislikes them, as they're always trying to convert people. They pick fights with people of the muslim community, and are generally distasteful.
My friends and I draw pentagrams on our palms and shove our hand close to their faces and growl whenever they start preaching to us.

This leads me to another question for you guys to debated over. Do you believe that religious practices should be allowed in school?

I for one, believe that if one wants to go about in the public school system preaching about their beliefs, they should enroll in a private school catering specifically to their religious views, not pressuring people in their peer group to conform to their ideals.

If they're in a private religious school, wouldn't that be, "preaching to the choir?"
I don't like people who go around picking fights with people and preaching at them. Even though I'm a Christian, I don't like dealing with those kinds of people. They should really read the bible more and look at how Jesus and the early Christians spread the gospel - it certainly wasn't getting in people's faces and picking fights.
However…outlawing people from expressing their beliefs isn't good either.
You could say the same of political rallying.

At my college campus we have an area that we call "the free speech walkway" or something like that...anyone from any political group or religious faith can express whatever they want, hold up signs, have booths, hand out flyers, as long as it's kept peaceful.

Perhaps your school should step in and give these kids (and anyone else) a space to organize within a certain area, so that they aren't being restricted to express a personal belief, but they aren't treading on other's personal space either.

Taleran

Public = Constitution Rules Over everything and it clearly states no

Private = Who cares its private

Pants-eater

I think the current system is good enough, let it be optional for students to have a scripture class depending on what the child thinks and what the parents think. Though it's kinda fuzzy whent the parents are religious nutjobs.

I also believe people have the right to be free of religious harrassment.

Envy

Schools should not teach religion.

However I feel that it is the right of the students to express their religion… as long as they don't try to convert me back. XD

CosmicDebris

You guys aren't reading the original post. Sactum isn't talking about schools teaching religion or supporting any particular religion, he/she is talking about whether kids should be allowed to express their faith during their on time on school campus.

Deblas

@Envy:

Schools should not teach religion.

Meh, I don't know. Back in 8th grade we studied it in history class. It wasn't an in depth theology class of course, but we did get around to learning the basic beliefs and such.

Anyway, I find that its okay as long as it doesn't get out of hand. My college's christian groups for example just hand out flyers for activities they do (usually a dinner) and tell you to go if you're interested in joining. No "eternal damnation if you don't become part of us now".

These guys on the other hand reminds me of the hippie dread locked socialists group we have.

KamenRiderNeko

Nothing wrong with expressing your faith in school, but rubbing it in people's faces or picking fights tends to go against what Christianity is all about. I really don't like those type of so-called 'Christians' that think they know everything when in fact they are just hypocritical judgemental douchebags.

Someone needs to inform those guys that trying to shove religion down peoples' throats is NOT the way to go. It makes people hate that reiigion moreso.

And as for teaching, since it was sorta brought up. I don't see a problem with Christianity being taught in public schools. We learned about Buddhism, and all sorts of other religions… so why not? Learning more about it may help people see that its not just a religion full of narrow-minded biggots.

Local-chan

The best thing to do, instead of making RE a mandatory subject, is to make it a choice, instead of forcing it down people's throats like they do.

Mister_Anbu

I'd classify myself as an athiest more then anything, considering my parents are Bhuddist, but we haven't visited a temple in more than 10 years. Couple that with the fact that I have very liberal idealogies, the idea of a mandatory religion class in school is a load of shit to me. Just had to get that out the way before I asnwer the topic creator's question. As for that, I don't have anyone in my school that runs around trying to shove their ideals down other people's throats. I'd personally tell them to fuck off.

I disagree with allowing people to practice their faith in school, there is a distinct seperation of church and state that should be upheld. Give way to something, and boom, they start asking for more. It's best to stear clear of it, seeing as religion often causes problems and would thus create more unecessary cliques in schools. Stealing student's rights? Screw you, go to a private school. Harsh!

Roronoa Zolo

I think that it is wrong that they are preaching to people in the middle of school but I do not believe that it is wrong to have religion in our school system.

I think that if you want to go and discuss your religion with fellow students, start a club or something of that nature where you can do it without trying to shove your religion down somebody else's throat.

CosmicDebris

@Mister_Anbu:

I disagree with allowing people to practice their faith in school, there is a distinct seperation of church and state that should be upheld.

Except, the idea of "seperation of church and state" doesn't mean "you can't practice your faith in public property". I recall that the first amendment says congress shall make no law establishing or prohibiting the free excercise thereof. If you make it a law that people can't practice their religion, that's going against the first amendment. People forget that the idea of seperation of church and state is to prevent the state from creating a state-wide religion at the exclusion of others, not "freedom from having to deal with people's religion".

Give way to something, and boom, they start asking for more.

And it's the same for taking away religious freedom. Let a little be taken away a little here, a little more gets taken away.

It's best to stear clear of it, seeing as religion often causes problems and would thus create more unecessary cliques in schools. Stealing student's rights? Screw you, go to a private school. Harsh!

Both highschools that I went to had various different kind of faith groups that met on campus, they never caused any problems. Don't let a couple of jerks in some schools ruin it for everyone.

Kazu-kun

My veiw point in this issue is the exact same as my old Social Studies teacher, which is that relgion should be taught, but only in reference to that period in history. Stuff like christianity should be taught in the context of the Middle Ages and such.

Pants-eater

I actually feel kind of offended that the school Christian group gets to go to beaches and all sorts of cool places and gets fish and chips and all sorts of goodies for simply being Christian.

And that is a crock of shit.

Invader Pichu

People should be allowed to express their religious beliefs anywhere in this country. And I mean ANY religious beliefs. I remember when I went to high school, some kids would be sent to the office for having pentagram necklaces or writing a pentagram on their hand. :\

mr_bushido

@Invader:

I remember when I went to high school, some kids would be sent to the office for having pentagram necklaces or writing a pentagram on their hand. :\

Those bastards made me turn my Slayer t-shirt inside out… THAT'S UNAMERICAN!!!

=P

Well i have nothing against religion in school/college as i find it quite intereting~ but when different religions try the 'converting-you-to-them' i think is quite wrong u should chose wether you want to join not be pressured into it -_-'

COWMAKAZE

My history teacher once told our class that, in Massachusetts at least, you can do pretty much anything as a student so long as it does not distract/harm other students or retract from their learning experience. He told us as an example that one time a kid came in wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a nun masturbating on it, and, although the school tried to punish him, they legally couldn't do anything because it was entirely within his rights to wear whatever shirt he wished, so long as it was not a major distraction or detracted from other students learning.

This is my basic opinion on people practicing religion in schools. If you want to do it, that's fine, I don't really care. But if you are going to do it, it had better be in a not-so-overt way as to distract other people, like doing what Sanctum said in the first post. Practice it to yourself, don't try to convert those around you; the very fact that it is a public school means that they have the right to their religion and can not be persecuted as a result of it within a public place. Just because you have the right to practice religion in school does not mean you can encroach on other people's rights.

And, although this isn't really what the topic is about, I am all for religion being taught in schools in class form. Not a Christianity class or a Judaism class, mind you, but a Theology class in general would be very useful - provided it was treated in the same way that a Mythology class is. Please, please, please, please do not interpret that statement as meaning that I think all religion is a myth. I just mean that teaching it in such a manner would allow for an impartial teaching of each religion that is within the curriculum, with no one getting special treatment by the teacher and the point of the class being to understand religion, not neessarily to convert anyone to it.

Den Den

hey hey, does that mean in america you don't have religion classes in school?
we have them in germany! you can choose between catholic christianity class, evangelic christianity class(hell, i don't know how you name those religions properly), ethnics(for those who aren't christians) and in some schools you have turkish class.
it's a good thing, that never made problems or something. we have those classes from first grade till graduation. it's only annoying that it is at times such a waste of time because some topics are repeated and stuff. but very interesting nevertheless. I've tried ethnics and catholic classes and you practically learn about all the religions existing. so i've learned about the bible, about ethnical differences and even about sects (and drugs)and we talked about life and universe and death and everything that has to do with society, mentality and so forth. it's a good preparation for your life and it opens your mind. there's no propaganda or something, no one forces beliefs on you.

sugarlevi

Yeah it kinda surprises me as well.
In the Netherlands even religious schools are funded by the government. So there are a lot of christian schools. I went to a very christian primary school, being from a village in the middle of the bible belt, I even went through this whole crap of sunday school, bible club, catechisation etc. just because all my friends did. ;)
And I'm really glad I did, if I hadn't I would be clueless about a whole lot of common knowledge. Like where Sodom and Gomorra comes from, who Judas is, what believing in a god means etc.. And I also got told a lot about jews and muslims as, all should know, they are very much related to each other.

At the non religious schools, there are religion classes sometimes. But mostly they aren't. I've never had any at high school or up. Only a project about the Islam, but that was all long before this world conflict came into existence as big as it is now. And when it did, I was flabbergasted about the knowledge of most people about the Islam, because is sucked!

But learning about religion is really important to understanding why some things are as they are. And being able to understand the people from different religions. I can't emphasize that too much.

But nobody ever forced their believes on me, I just listened to their stories nodded and kept quiet after expressing my doubts about it all.
Never came across weird highschoolgangs that wanted to make me believe in their god. If they would have, I'd turn my back at them and ignore them. And would be happy when someone would make them stop. They'd better leave other people alone. Wouldn't that be harassment?

Pants-eater

I believe schools should stay the fuck away from Narconon.

Zephos