Well as I've been out of school a while, only time I remember God coming up was during the Pledge of Allegiance which was done every morning. I now have teenagers who I've asked them if they still do the Pledge of Allegiance and they do. But they aren't required to say it as I was when I was in school. So I guess my geographical location must be different from rest of people on here that are getting upset about the Pledge of Allegiance. Is there really more teaching of religion during school outside of the Pledge of Allegiance? So the difference in 20 years I've noticed from my school experiences to present day based on what my own kids are experiencing are this: 1. Cell Phones-why kids need these in a learning environment, I have no idea. Most teenagers can't hold a face to face conversation anymore. The simple art of communication being done verbally is becoming extinct. 2. Discipline. A student has all the rights and the teacher has very little. Seems backwards but many a parent now a days would rather their perfect child be held unaccountable for their behavior or actions during school hours. 3. Respect. I was raised to respect my elders. Yeah some old folks are grouchy, but being respectful goes along ways. It's funny how the youth today don't realize what sacrifices their elders gave for this country to have all the liberties and freedoms they have today. All generations will be marked by their respective impacts on society at the time. But I'm not seeing where saying the Pledge of Allegiance has led us to where we are at today. From my humble observations religion is "uncool" in this new generation and most kids today aren't pushing it to be an agenda. But if religion makes people have a little more common decency towards their fellow citizens, I wish more practiced it in one form or fashion. At the end of the day religions are based on good moral and values with the fanatical branches being the ones giving religion a bad taste in our mouths.
Didn't read all replies in thread. Learning history in school would be nice if it was the true and correct history, not edited or revised or biased in any way. I wonder about the gods part though, there's lots of stuff out there, lots of crazy truths and a whole bunch of stuff to believe in... have an experience with Jesus, I'm not 100% sure but I Think the word "love" has a whole lot to do with whatever absolute truth there is sitting out there and waiting for us to discover it hiding right under out noses.
Personally my school children are not forced to do the pledge of allegiance but it was encouraged and it was put on during the announcements. Personally I believe that religion should be taught about religions and children should be able to preview their own religions in school, but religion should not be pushed into anyone in any situation.
Similar thing to this is Scouts in the UK. I don't know whether they have Scouts in other countries - it's basically an activity youth group thing. When you become a member you used to have to say something along the lines of 'i swear to serve my country, queen and god'. They got rid of the god bit, it's optional now. I think that's how it should be - kids aren't educated about atheism or even agnosticism. They either have a family religion hammered into them, or they're just left to figure it out for themselves - I think this is the best approach, give a completely objective education to your child (no matter your own beliefs) and let them decide what's best for them. Some children get so brainwashed it can work the other way. I have a friend who's parents are pretty religious - he goes to church every sunday and does social events with the church as well. He's an atheist, and he's sick of it. But unfortunately he doesn't want to tell them because he fears they'll be disappointed. Also, the school I go to used to be a boarding school for sons of missionaries, so we have our own chapel and so on. It's just a normal school now - but every morning we're preached at and have to sing hymns and so on... It was pretty funny because students give lectures every so often. One girl did her's on existentialism and asked people who would consider themselves existentialist, about 80% of the school put their hand up. The look on the chaplain's face was priceless.
Pick your God/Gods you would like in school. Would you prefer traditional God, or gods? Or would you rather have our current self-god system, or idolatry to a national god/Flag/patriotic duty/president Kids today use pleasure as their god. Music is their god. Their iphones/internet is their god. They have no concept of morality because they do not know anything but what they read on the internet. They think they can murder unborn children because their god-government says it's ok and legal. Man made laws are their god. They think they can love whomever or whatever they want because they worship self-pleasure as their god. They spend money into debt because their culture is their god. They would fight over historic flags because pieces of cotton are their gods. What have their gods taught them, other than sins of the world?
It might be wrong, but it does raise a good point. There really is no reason for mobile phones in schools, like at all. On the religious topic.. I was raised Christian, I went to a Church of England primary school and went to church every week for the first 13 years of my life. I only turned away from it when my questions weren't answered sufficiently, no one could tell me why my all loving merciful forgivin god let's all those poor children in Africa die every day, why he allowed the wars to happen, world destroying technology to be created etc. I've been far less confused since then, possibly due to educating myself in another 3 religions. Religion is needed for the people whom need it, it should be taught about it's basic beliefs of all the main religions an anti religions, as well as all the 'old' religions, but it shouldn't be practised in schools, ever. I'm English, and I didn't actually know you guys have to do the pledge every day, seems a bit silly to me. A persons religion and relationship with their god should be theirs, there's nothing wrong with giving people a thorough base of religious knowledge and letting them decide on their own.
Is thread is making me lose my faith in humanity. The world is going down fast. Where's my parachute? *bang*
My public high school offered a lit class, the Bible as Literature. It wasn't a religion class. It was just lit. I think senior year HS school should require a comparative religion class, teaching the 5 majors, and briefly the others. Might teach a bit of understanding and tolerance.
And then when people who didn't agree with the other religions didn't want to go? Suspended for intolerance like Christians who have refused to go along with Gay Pride celebrations, perhaps?
There's a difference between forcing thought and teaching children to love their country. I assume Hilary Clinton threw a hissy fit over saying the pledge too. Also, indivisible under God, has been thrown out of most public schools, particularly in the states like California. In the name of tolerance and diversity, our diverse opinion will not be tolerated.
In America, you can go to a public or a private school. Many private schools are run by churches, so, clearly they will push their religious doctrines and they should be allowed to do so. Go to a Lutheran school and you should expect to learn the small catechism as part of the curriculum. Go to a catholic school and you should expect to lean about the catholic saints right along with all the other school stuff (the Catholic Church supports the theory of evolution BTW, so they aren't "anti science") Public schools are a different matter, however. I think they can teach religious awareness classes as a cultural thing, but no, public schools cannot be expected to teach a religious curriculum. How could they? Which religion do they teach? What interpretation would they push? It just wouldn't work. If Americans want religion in school, it's easily provided by seeking out your nearest private church run school. If Americans don't want religion, then the nearest "free" public school will suffice
In America, where is religion being taught in our public schools? Is it just during the Pledge of Allegiance "one nation under God"? Can someone explain?
As moose said, religious schools should (and obviously will) offer religious education. Public schools should not have any of that. But I do believe a non-mandatory course that studies world religions would be beneficial in both secular and non-secular schools.
Religion is just basically people's way to understand the unknown or what they can not imagine. That is why people thought gods of the old brought the rain and light. It is why people think God created the earth in 6 days And it is why people turn to God on their death beds But if you're asking weather we should learn a religion in our schools? I say no, only places that should teach religion is religious countries with a official religion. But England and America? No, half the time it's forcing a believe upon kids and the other half the time is nothing to do with religion. Hence why my class back in the day called it common sense lesson instead of "RE" The typically topics in my "RE" class was of the following, crime and punishment, moral issues different situations. It was so pointless, me being me. Stood up in class asking what is the point in all this, after a debate between me and teacher it was finally concluded that it was just "pointless another grade"