Is it proper to teach religion in public schools?

Religion does not belong in public school, unless you want to included elective theology classes at a public university... As for teaching children religion in school, no thanks. You can still teach principles without the god stories, and to be honest most religions share common sets of principles. Being kind, honest, etc are not exclusive traits owned or invented by any single faith. On that matter too though, I feel that it is the family's responsibility to instill values in a child...

I think all religions and their beliefs should be taught, in general, to kids so there is a better understanding. I do not believe kids should be forced to do any customs or celebrations from any specific religion, even in the name of education. Right now, most religion in school is taboo but there are many teachers and school boards jumping on the political correctness bandwagon and teaching and forcing students to participate (during class) in Islam to "understand it better". I think its pretty ironic and very hypocritical.

The priest in my local church said that parents should be taking a more active role in educating children about religion, and not leaving it up to the schools. I think if your child doesn't follow the religion being taught and doesn't want to be in that class, than they should have the option to be somewhere else while that class is in progress.

If schools WANT to teach religions, they need to offer the case as optional. It should not be a requirement like math or the native language of the country in question. Schools should teach whatever religion (or lack there of) they choose, as long as they don't force the students to participate in the class. If they are going to teach religion they need to outline how they are going to teach it, so people will know better what they are getting into. Christianity to me might not be the same as to a Southern Baptist. I am a Presbyterian. Know what I mean? It can be done, but there are a lot of considerations to make. I personally think the best place to "teach" religion is in the appropriate chuch, mosque or synnagogue.

Oh no! Religion has nothing to do with the basics the children should be learning at school. Some say it could fit into history, but I beg to differ. Religion HAS a history, but it's not history IMO. Families carry the responsibility of Religion, not the schools. Besides as you pointed out, if they taught about one, they should teach about them all. Many people would have a cow over the thought of it. In addition, do you know how many different Religions are out there? When would they have time to fit in reading, writing and math?

it is okay. i studied in a public school and we had religion in our elementary days.. our teacher does not push us to attend class, although she encourages us.. if a student is not, say a Muslim and dont want to attend to Christian teachings, its okay.. just dont push your student to attend the class or push him to believe in your religion.. also, do not mock the religion where he belong.. after all, we have all but ONE GOD...^^

i think it's just fine, if they discuss different religion (e.g. what hindus & buddhist believe, orthodox's practises, etc.), not to force their students with different religion than theirs to do what they do... i mean, i was also a student and there was a currculum called Christian Living, i'm a Christian but my teachers religion was different and they were mocking me because i don't signed the cross, i don't pray to images and stuff and felt discriminated that time. so sometimes they are being bias and don't know what they're doing. if they're trying to convert those kids to their religion, then they must explain WHY it should be believed, & if a student decline or didn't wnat to be converted or do what their customs then they have no reason to mockery.

I think it's okay to teach religion in public schools. It was taught when I was in high school. But I also think it should be optional for the kids. They should be able to choose if they want to attend the class or not. This way the students that don't believe in the religion that is being taught don't have to sit through it. And those that want to learn the religion can.

I think if parents want to raise their children in a specific religion, that the public school has no right to teach it. However, if parents want children to learn more religion, then they should go to private schools.

I think its fine and teaches the kid to get to know the othjer religion, I have seen a few schools that teach christanity one that taught hindutva my child learned both of them as we keep shifting places and changing schools. I personally have learned about all major religgions so I don't mind him learnign them too, it reduces rigidity in a person and he reallises that all faiths teach the same thing. I want my son to find his own calling whichever religion it may be. I feel a person should be free to choose his own religion and not just blindly follow the one he/she is born in. At my home we celebrate all festivals even though e and my hubby belong to the same religion jsut so that the true meaning of christmas, gurunanak jayanti and ID or diwali holi is grasped by my kids and not just the rituals.

We should to have the Lord's Prayer and in some cases, they probably read the Ten Commandments, and that was all. That was as far as religion in public schools went. If you lived in Arabia, you probably got readings from the Koran, but it was the religion of the majority. There were no classes in religious studies though. However once they stopped reading the Lord's Prayer, The Ten Commandments, and the Koran, in the case of Middle Eastern Public Schools, then things turned wrong. Now I am Canadian, and we do expect people from India who are Brahmans, and Sikhs to come to North America as well as people from Japan who are Shintoists and Buddhists from Korea, Tibet, and other countries. These are all established religions, but Wicca, Pagan Celtic, the Old Norse religions and possibly the ancient Roman and Greek Religions? These were the beliefs of our ancestors and now they are starting up again, because the Word of the true God is not read in the schools. People need something to fill the void and they are deciding, that is they are Irish, well I will go with the old Celtic beliefs, and if I am Swedish, the Old Norse beliefs,etc. So, depending on the majority, either the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, or in the case of a mostly Muslim area, the Koran should be read and that apples also to quotes from the other major beliefs if that is the majority in that area. Anyone who does not want to can be excuse, maybe to another room and someone can read their religious tenets there.

I think that it is improper to teach religion in public schools. But I do think that teaching what various types of religion believe is ok to teach. In my high school, we had a World Religions class, which was the only class in the school where we could discuss religion and learn about what other religions believe in. However, we never learned one religion and it was never taught to us.

I don't think it will doctrine them as it doens't elevate 1 religion over another. I think in a multi-cultural society it is essential to understand other religions. Understanding is the 1st step to overcoming prejudice. Some of the issues taught aren't even based on 1 religion. For example I come from a christian school where there is a variety of faiths and its compulsory to do religious studies up to the age of 16. We learnt about issues such as abortion and ethuanasia.

Religion should never be "taught" in public schools. It would be near impossible to teach every type of religion that may be needed per classroom. And to teach any, without ALL, would be wrong, and is constitutionally. There are religious schools for those that find religion important in school ciriculumn.

i do not think it is good to teach the religion over the schools. of course it is required that all the schools and colleges are to teach the topics about the god ., the ultimate creator . teaching of a particular religion is not good

No,it is not at all good to teach religion in public schools,all are equal in this world.Firstly,people existed in the world but the religion did not born first then why did they teach those things in the schools.I don't understand.

I think that God should be able to be used in the schools. It would prob' be too hard to address each different religion, that's why it would be good if God's name was allowed in the schools. I think it's ridiculous that we try and keep out the only one that saves us.