religious education

[Frostbite]

Why don't they teach all religions in highschools? Would it hurt if the kids learned about Islam, Christianity, Judeism, Buddhism and more obscure religions in school? Then at least they'd have a choice; it wouldn't just be about which side of the fence you're born, but more a matter of true choice.

[Andonyx]

Because high-schools, at least public ones, are sort of at the mercy of the worst kind of mob-mentality.

Every parent thinks because they pay for their child's schooling with their tax dollars they can dictate the entirety of that school's curriculum. Parents don't want their children learning about sex, they don't want them learning about violence, they don't want them learning about Vietnam, or communism, or reading Harry Potter or anything.

So if any teacher discusses something even remotely controversial, Boom! The floodgates open and scores of angry easily offended parents come storming in and write letters and thrreaten to sue and have people fired because their daughter learned about the menstrual cycle in sixth grade....(nevermind she's already had two of her own.)

Imagine if you discussed Islam in a public school in say small town Iowa, and mentioned Islamic culture contributions to math and science. They would run you out of town on a rail for being a terrorist.

Then imagine in Manhattan P.S. 36 you discussed the long history of violence and poverty in Islamic nations...there would be an anti-defamation suit.

The interesting thing to note is that even in many Catholic Private schools they do religious survey courses that discuss religion and culture of all types on a broad scale.

People, especially "concerned parents groups," have always thought the best way to shield their children from things they don't like is to pretend it doesn't exist. Just one of the many many problems our schools face.

[T'ai Chi]

Originally posted by Frostbite
Why don't they teach all religions in highschools? Would it hurt if the kids learned about Islam, Christianity, Judeism, Buddhism and more obscure religions in school?

You can in a college/university. :)

I had several classes on eastern religions/philosophies. Fun stuff. :)

[Occasional Chemist]

Originally posted by Frostbite
Why don't they teach all religions in highschools? Would it hurt if the kids learned about Islam, Christianity, Judeism, Buddhism and more obscure religions in school? Then at least they'd have a choice; it wouldn't just be about which side of the fence you're born, but more a matter of true choice.

Andonyx posted the complicated answer. The simplest answer, though, is that there isn't time. Given the amount of information that must be stuffed into Little Johnny's head before he takes the state's acheivement tests and SATs, anything that's not covered on these tests gets thrown by the wayside - especially in these years of lean state budgets.

Also, exactly how many religions are we talking here? "All religions" covers lots of territory!

[Ricomise]

Why don't they teach all religions in highschools? Would it hurt if the kids learned about Islam, Christianity, Judeism, Buddhism and more obscure religions in school?

Actually, when I was in high school in NY, our ninth grade social studies curriculum was called "Afro-Asian Culture Studies." We studied the cultures of Africa and Asia along with the basic precepts of the major religions of those areas. (Hinduism, Buddhism, Toaism, Shinto, Islam, some of the animistic African religions and so on.) Of course we also studied the effects that Christianity had on those areas when it was brought to them by outsiders during colonization by and trade with Europeans.

We studied the history of Christianity in 10th grade as part of European History.

(Edited to remove redundancy)

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by Frostbite
Why don't they teach all religions in highschools? Would it hurt if the kids learned about Islam, Christianity, Judeism, Buddhism and more obscure religions in school? Then at least they'd have a choice; it wouldn't just be about which side of the fence you're born, but more a matter of true choice.
Religions are taught in highschool. The class is called "World Religions", its a single semester, it is worth about the same as any other World History class.

And obviously, the World Religions class doesnt teach the children how or what to worship, it doesnt teach that any religion is any more truthful than another...

(To be honest, few of the kids take the class seriously, its more of a "Help, I dont have enough credits" class... or even worse an "I heard this class was easy" class...)

[LW]

Originally posted by Frostbite
Why don't they teach all religions in highschools? Would it hurt if the kids learned about Islam, Christianity, Judeism, Buddhism and more obscure religions in school?

We have courses on different world religions here (as well as courses on Christianity, but this is sidestepping) both in high school and in grade school (grade 9, if I remember correctly). They cover the major religions: several variants of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, Tao, and basic animism.

I personally think it is a good idea to have some comparative religion in curriculum.

[rachaella]

Originally posted by LW


We have courses on different world religions here (as well as courses on Christianity, but this is sidestepping) both in high school and in grade school (grade 9, if I remember correctly). They cover the major religions: several variants of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, Tao, and basic animism.

I personally think it is a good idea to have some comparative religion in curriculum.

A section of my World History class in 9th grade was dedicated to world religions, we covered the relgions "of the book" as well as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. We also did a bit about Animism when we studied Africa.

[Tony]

I dont know where some of you went to high school, but we learned about the world's major religions in 11th grade world history. In fact, the first time I learned about the Kuran, the Bagadva Vida (sp?) was in high school.

[triadboy]

Originally posted by LW

I personally think it is a good idea to have some comparative religion in curriculum.

It would be a GREAT idea! It would expose narrow-minded xian children to the world. It would open their eyes. They would catch themselves laughing at Hinduism...laughing at Buddhism...laughing at Islam...then they would study Xianity and - POSSIBLY - see how ridiculous IT is too!

I think fundamentalist would hate to see xianity taught next to the other religions - as if it is just another religion.

[fishbait]

What good does it do to teach a lot of contradictory material to students who have never been taught critical thinking skills?

It took me years to realize that all during my school years I was taught what to think and not how to think. Sure, some math classes teach some of the skills but not nearly enough.

Perhaps more focus is needed on critical thinking skills in order to prepare students for the endless series of questions and decisions that confront them as they mature.