Sound Off: Religion in the Classroom

I think it is important to COVER different religions and what their history, traditions and customs consist of, however this must be without bias. It should be covered so that we can understand the beliefs of other people, especially in a multicultural society. For example, many do not understand what some Muslim women choose to wear a burqua, why Christians celebrate certain holidays, why Hindu's worship a variety of idols, and why Sikh's wear turbans. This lack of education can lead to ignorance, so I do feel it is important to cover religion so we can understand more about the people around us. However, IF religion is taught in schools it should only be from an objective point of view, because I do feel that religion tears people apart. In my city, many youth get in fights with their peers over which religion is better, and it is almost turning into a war. No religion is better than another, and no religion should be given superiority. If a school wishes to touch this topic with students, ALL religions should be covered, not just some.

I am an atheist but everyone has the right to their own opinion. In Canada, we have to right to freedom of expression. Therefore, people should be allowed to debate about religion in the class. It is important to know other people's opinions. If you disagree, then do not join in the conversation. Furthermore, it is totally cool for religion to be taught in class. People need to learn about different cultures. This is Canada. We are an extremely diverse nation and with that comes responsibility. The responsibility to educate and understand.

This definitely depends on the book you are reading for sure! And what class you are in. If you are in social studies, you're most likely going to have to talk about religion, whether it is Judaism, Christianity or Sikh.
I, personally, am a Christian, and I do believe that you should tell people about God, but I also believe that in public schools, teaching that is not okay. It depends if the whole class would like to hear you, or if you're doing it for your own self enjoyment. I assure you, if someone wants to know more about your religion, they will come up to you and ask.
Public schools have all sorts of people in them, and everyone has their own opinion. Some parents may not want their children learning about other religions other than theirs.

As a christian, I believe that it is my duty to share my religion. It may start fights, but what is that compared to 2 or 3 people seeing the glory of god? I am not taking the offensive, like the last two sound offs i read, but i am still standing my ground. Religion SHOULD be discussed OFTEN, even in PUBLIC classrooms.

Public schools are open to all students, regardless of race or religious beliefs. Lessons on Christianity or any other religion have no place in the public school classroom. If students or their parents feel strongly about religion being taught while in school, there are many religious private schools that they can chose to attend.
Canada is multi-cultural country where the freedom to practice your religion is ingrained in our Charter of Rights; however, no one should be forced to listen and learn about religious views in the classroom if they aren't being taught for educational purposes. Although classes such as Literature 12 involve the analysis of religious writing, beliefs should never be forced on anyone, especially not in a public space for learning.

I attend a catholic high school where we have religion class. I think it is very unfair to put high school students in the situation where they have to defend their faith. It is adding more stress to an already high stress situation (as all high schools are) While I do have problems with some parts of catholic school (for example teachers claim that uniforms are for our safety when honestly they just draw more negative attention) I am a strong believer in religion class. Now this does not necessarily mean that you are being taught about one particular religion. In my religion class I have learnt about the Jewish and Islamic faiths as well as the main branches of the protestant faith (with nothing negative being said). We are told aspects and the beliefs of these faiths then have a discussion on how it relates to our faith. This CAN be put into a public school if all faiths are covered and can be. I believe that it is awkward for many people because they do not fully understand their and others faiths. I also feel sorry for the heated debaters, I can see a great difficulty in defending their faith. I have be taught how to do so (by bring up a major issue people have with out faith. For example: Creationism vs Evolution and Darwinism and explaining the catholic churches view on the issue). I think people are scared of the religious variety which is why it is awkward and unfair to bring it up in classrooms that have little to nothing to do with the subject. However I believe that if we are taught about each others faith and we develop a respect for all religions. Time is also a factor. It took time for the world to nearly eliminate racism, and now it is a topic freely discussed. Religion now is a sensitive topic, but I know that Canada and a multicultural society can moved past that. We just have to make the effort.

I think religion is a very controversial issue, because it can be integrated in so many parts of society nowadays. I have some friends at school who are Hindu and Muslim, and they tell me that they are always uncomfortable whenever teachers make Christian references when they are teaching.
Although religion makes up a big part of society today, I think it is also important to recognize the fact that some people choose to be agnostic or atheist, and we, as a society, need to recognize and respect that fact, and take it into account for the things we choose to teach in our classrooms and the way we choose to teach the material as well.

I think this is an excellent point you're bringing up, and I agree, religion is a crucial part of history and often literature, but I think you have missed a few points.

I'm curious which book you were studying in class that your teacher related to christianity so much. In a book like The Color Purple, Celie's attitudes towards God and Christianity in general are major themes. I don't understand how a teacher telling you her interpertation versus letting you make up your own mind relates to religion.