Should religion be outlawed from schools?

Yes. Here's why: It would be exceedingly difficult to allow religion into schools. There are innumerable religions and each has it's own practices, some of which would require special provisions by the schools to address their needs. These provisions are not feasible, not for the extra time, energy, and expense they would require to implement. Think of it in terms of say, 1000 students in a school, each needing a specific type of provision because their religion demands it. This is an extreme version of what you meant but my point is still valid. There are some private religious schools that are available to (some) people if their faith has enough paying members to support it, but public schools shouldn't allow it. Ever.

 

Well yeah, if you are trying to be fair about it by having everyone's religion accounted for, instead of the one "true" religion. LOL

But in all seriousness, you're correct... and that's one of the main reasons for having the separation of church and state. Not keeping the church out of public institutions risks marginalizing a minority group (or many). It's all about equality and fairness.

 

Yeah, I feel like I was a bit harsh, but I was taking laws into account also. Once a precedent is set, lawyers go ape, and it's that much more difficult then.

 

What pk_boomer said. I know this is kind of lame for my first post but what can I say?

 

It's fine. Mine was probably "Me. No. Understand?" ...and a series of low-grunts

 

Oh, and welcome to the site! It can be entertaining at times... but if you're a bit squeamish, it can feel like someone's forcing an enema on you... bruuuutally...

 

Whoa. If that had been made clear before I signed up I wouldn't have waited so long. Be that as it may, thanks for the welcome!

 

Hey Takjii, coming to this website gives you an opportunity to voice whatever you want to voice. If people like it great. If people disagree=hey that may be interesting and if someone gets rude=who cares, just be yourself and enjoy.

 

Religion should not be allowed in schools. Not everyone believes in the same one or believes at all. If religion is so important to your family that you don't want your child to go without it for 8 hours, then you need to find a religious school to send them to or homeschool them. Schools are for education and everyone should have an equal opportunity for that without feeling uncomfortable. Relgion is already not allowed in public schools anyway.

 

Well, not allowed in public schools officially, but there are public schools, even here in Canada, that violate the law by having prayers and such. But I totally agree with your sentiment.

 

I don't know about outlawed; I just think that teachers and others in authority shouldn't try to influence the religious views of students.

 

No they shouldn't, it's in the constitution. I don't think anything short of the law will be effective when you are talking about some people (not all theists, but many) who consider it their moral obligation to proselytize. In fact as I mentioned before, even the fact that it is the law isn't enough to dissuade some educators.

 

No, the Founding Fathers never intended for the nation to be free of religion, even in its government and schools. I don't necessarily think that the school should teach religion, but I do think that religion should be allowed to be present in schools and school activities. Even religious schools aren't necessarily in your face about it at all times-- go to a Baptist university, but religion is not smeared all over the place.

 

Why do you think they left England in the first place?!?! The whole point of the American Revolution was to break free of the British Empire and its religious oligarchy (Church of England). Look up the "American Enlightenment".

 

And I should clarify - it depends on what you mean by "free of religion". The founding fathers didn't necessarily want to eliminate religion, but the concept of freedom of religion was fundamental to the movement. Which is why they understood that religion should not be within the domain of government.

 

I agree pk_boomer: the founding fathers were definitely in favor of freedom to practice one's all religion. However, that freedom falls upon all of us, in any area, as long as the government is not imposing the practice of an official religion on the nation. Banning any instance of religious discussion in any forum that is politically connected is not freedom--it is restriction and ties the hands of anyone in that forum. I don't celebrate "winter" and should not be expected to celebrate the "winter holidays." Then again, I think it's insulting that we have Presidents' Day and not the original Washington and Lincoln's birthday celebrations--but we do have MLK's birthday on the calendar. Why one and not the other?

 

If we allow the lord's prayer to start the day at a public school, what does that do to the "religious freedom" of non-christian students?

 

No one is saying that the Lord's Prayer should be said at the start of the school day, but in my opinion there is nothing wrong with saying the Pledge of Allegiance. I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian. Sometimes I visit a Catholic church. When EOCs say the Profession of Faith, we state that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father. When Catholics say that same prayer, they say the Spirit comes from the Father and the Son. I just omit the phrase "and the Son." If people are offended by the phrase, "under God," why can they not just omit the phrase in their personal statement, instead of forcing the Pledge to be eliminated entirely? It is not just Christians that believe in God.

 

HollysMom, there is no infringement of rights on individuals holding public positions since they are not required to abandon their religious beliefs, only to not officially sanction or promote any particular religious belief. That means no Lord's Prayer in schools or before city counsel meetings. No Ten Commandments in courthouses.

Think of it this way. What if instead of a Lord's Prayer each morning in a public school it was an affirmation that god does not exist? How would you feel if your child were made to recite that? If you would be offended by that, why on earth would you not think that official prayer in school would not offend the parents of children that follow Islam? Or Judaism? Or no religion at all? No, the only way to keep a level playing field where no child has special status based on belief is to keep sectarianism completely out of public schools. Secularism is the only way in which people of diverse beliefs can expect to be treated fairly by government. Public offices must remain blind to religious belief.

 

Shamelessly Atheist, why should your religion be any more special than mine? If atheists want God-free schools, why not create them themselves?