Should religion be taught in schools?

Niles

There's been talk in this thread about having students learn about different religions, which is a good idea. I remember being thought about Islam during third year religion class, so it's probably there to some extent already. I was under the impression that the Religious Education exam subject (as opposed to ordinary religion class) thought students about various religions, my school didn't offer this subject but I know someone who did it and had to submit a research project on another religion (similar to the reports done in History and Geography).

Quandary

Im currently finishing a HDip to become a primary school teacher.

As it stands, according to the Irish primary school curriculum, teachers are expected to spend a specific amount of time each week teaching various subjects. Just to give people an idea of the breakdown....

English - 4 hours
Maths - 3 hours
Religion - 2 hrs 30mins
Geography - 45mins
History - 45mins
Science - 45mins

Any parent who is interested in providing their child with the best education possible should be outraged at the emphasis placed upon religion.

If Catholic parents really want their children to learn about Catholicism then perhaps some type of Sunday school would be an option. The parents could attend mass while their children learn about God/The Bible/Catholicism under the tutelage of a priest.

But of course as we all know, only a very small percentage of "Catholics" actually attend mass.

To answer the original question posed by the OP - no, religion should most definitely not be taught in schools.

Mickeroo

youngmagee wrote: »

The idea is to keep an open mind. Many for the thing that were once considered impossible have been proven to be possible. Even some species that were once believed to mythical turned out to exist (although its common for the myth to be more impressive than the reality). I know there I a point at where we have to be realistic but if you are to look at religion scientifically you can only say that you have no proof that god dose exist but we have no proof that he doesn't.

Could you please name a mythical creature that turned out to be real? Genuinely haven't heard of any.

I am open to the possibility of there being a god(I think its extremely, actually the most unlikely possibility but open nonetheless), it's just the thousands of gods people have made up, be it the christian gods, the norse gods, the greek gods, the roman gods, the pagan gods, the muslim god, the jewish god on and on ad infinitum. All these gods are clearly human manifestations, why? Because there's not one of them that isn't pretty much a human being with fantastical powers, considering how complex the universe is whatever created it is highly unlikely to have such human characteristics. To think any of those gods are possibly real requires someone to ignore a mountain of evidence to the contrary.

Just to set one thing straight, science by definition requires an open mind because someone could prove you wrong tomorrow.

youngmagee wrote: »

The first evolution lecture we had i was in collage are lectures told us

we need to keep an open mind, It is possible that if god exists we could of all been created seven seconds ago, we were just give the memories of a full life and that the universe was created in a way that we would never know. Everything we say that we can prove is just the best fit to the for the evidence we have.

that was three years ago so it is not a perfect quote.

If a god like that existed he obviously didn't want people believing in him/starting wars because of him/ killing people in his name or making up doctrines and saying they're his words.

crucamim

Quandary wrote: »

Any parent who is interested in providing their child with the best education possible should be outraged at the emphasis placed upon religion.

Who gave you the right to dictate how other people should feel?

RichieC

Quandary wrote: »

English - 4 hours
Maths - 3 hours
Religion - 2 hrs 30mins
Geography - 45mins
History - 45mins
Science - 45mins

That would make you sick..

RichieC

crucamim wrote: »

Who gave you the right to dictate how other people should feel?

learn to read, seriously, learn to read.

Mickeroo

crucamim wrote: »

Who gave you the right to dictate how other people should feel?

The same person who gave you the right to make ridiculous accusations like that!!

crucamim

Quandary wrote: »

If Catholic parents really want their children to learn about Catholicism then perhaps some type of Sunday school would be an option.

Please leave it to Catholics to decide what is taught in a Catholic school. Thank you.

crucamim

Quandary wrote: »

To answer the original question posed by the OP - no, religion should most definitely not be taught in schools.

Please do not look for a job in a Catholic school.

Mickeroo

crucamim wrote: »

Please do not look for a job in a Catholic school.

Nobody is talking about schools that only enrole catholics, they're talking about irish national schools, and some cases secondary schools possibly. These are not catholic schools, they are the only schools many areas have.

Tipsy McSwagger

Be a better world altogether if there was no religion taught anywhere.

crucamim

Mickeroo wrote: »

But the behaviour was speaking out against a belief?

The behaviour about which I complain went a lot further than merely disagreeing with a belief. It was a hate rant against the Catholic Church.

philologos

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Be a better world altogether if there was no religion taught anywhere.

I really doubt it somehow. Faith has an overwhelmingly positive role in the majority of peoples lives. This is testified again and again by research and studies that are done into it.

The idea that the world would be better if we were all atheists seems a little difficult to swallow.

RichieC

Imagine that two and a half hours was put to teaching children logic and critical thinking! within 20 years there wouldn't be a a current mainstream political party left in the country!

crucamim

Mickeroo wrote: »

Nobody is talking about schools that only enrole catholics, they're talking about irish national schools, and some cases secondary schools possibly. These are not catholic schools, they are the only schools many areas have.

If a school owned by the Catholic Church is the only school in a locality, it is still a Catholic school.

Mickeroo

crucamim wrote: »

The behaviour about which I complain went a lot further than merely disagreeing with a belief. It was a hate rant against the Catholic Church.

It's perfectly acceptable to hate an institiution.

Mickeroo

crucamim wrote: »

If a school owned by the Catholic Church is the only school in a locality, it is still a Catholic school.

Oh bloody hell.

crucamim

Mickeroo wrote: »

Oh bloody hell.

The truth shall set ye free, now you are free.

RichieC

crucamim wrote: »

The truth shall set ye free, now you are free.

indeed... the truth, it would set you free (no more boring as f**k mass on a sunday)... and, it would make your children safer.

Mickeroo

crucamim wrote: »

The truth shall set ye free, now you are free.

Very good. But I wasn't realising what you said was true I was realising how far your head is up your arse.

You just told someone studying to be a primary school teacher in ireland not to apply to any catholic schools, then you acknowledged that pretty much 99% of the schools in ireland are technically catholic schools. They're the only schools we have, people who aren't catholic have no choice but to send their kids to these cools in many cases. THAT IS WRONG.

I have no problem with catholic schools or any other denominational schools. The days of Ireland being a catholic country are long gone it's time the schools caught up with the rest of us.

MOSSAD

If you want your kids taught within a particular "ethos", pay full fees and accept no government subvention. I would no more pay for the continuation of a male-dominated, women-hating, men-in -drag-and -jewelery organisation than I will pay for one that advocates stoning women and knocking walls on homosexuals. A plague on all your gobbledlygook nonsense of choirs of angels and virgins ready to pleasure me.
By the way, those who advocate the bible, please specify which version/edition.
At times I wonder if all I have in common with some of you people is a damned rain sodden island!

Mickeroo

philologos wrote: »

I really doubt it somehow. Faith has an overwhelmingly positive role in the majority of peoples lives. This is testified again and again by research and studies that are done into it.

The idea that the world would be better if we were all atheists seems a little difficult to swallow.

TBH I think the world would be more less the same as it is now with or without religion.

youngmagee

Mickeroo wrote: »

Could you please name a mythical creature that turned out to be real? Genuinely haven't heard of any.

The Giant squid

Mickeroo wrote: »

If a god like that existed he obviously didn't want people believing in him/starting wars because of him/ killing people in his name or making up doctrines and saying they're his words.

I totally agree

Freddie59

saatana wrote: »

Poor Freddie59!

It beats me how religious nutters, who would happily burn people like me at the stake if they only could, can accuse atheists of "venom". Ugliness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, of course.

You are wrong in just about everything else as well. For example, I did not send my children to a faith school. Nor were they even baptised. Now they are adults, well-educated and successful, and free of superstition and a need or the kind of crutch/drug that religion is. By all means, thump your craw until it's raw. Why should I care? But allow Ireland to come out of the dark ages of its theocratic past and give every child what is actually its right: a realistic choice of a school without religious indoctrination.

Actually, I'm not thumping my craw. And believe me - unless you experience a deep faith and the love of God, well, you're not really in a position to comment on it. The amount of idiots (you are the exception) who constantly argue against God and religion who toe the line so the 'kids won't feel left out' is staggering. FWIW I admire you for adhering to your principles. It would be nice if it were reciprocated.

I have friends who are atheists. None argue as vociferously and as venomously as a minority of atheists do. I am content. They are content. Happy out. Give it a try sometime.;)

Mickeroo

youngmagee wrote: »

The Giant squid

Yea you're dead right, I suppose it was technically mythical, there's even a type thought to be bigger iirc. Hows about one that has any kind of supernatural element to it though?

crucamim

Mickeroo wrote: »

I have no problem with catholic schools or any other denominational schools. The days of Ireland being a catholic country are long gone it's time the schools caught up with the rest of us.

No, sir, you have it all wrong. It is not up to Catholic schools to change in order to cater for heretics. The onus is on you heretics to establish your own schools - just as Catholics did for themselves.

You have a right to refuse to pray alongside Catholics. At the same time, Catholics have a right to refuse to allow their dear children to be taught by you or by any other anti-Catholic. They also have a right to refise to allow their defenceless, little children to share a classroom or playground with your aggressive, anti-Catholic children.

crucamim

MOSSAD wrote: »

If you want your kids taught within a particular "ethos", pay full fees and accept no government subvention.

Do the same yourself. Why should I pay tax to help you to feed, clothe or educate your off-spring? Babies do not happen, they are caused.

Needler

Why the fack was my thread about satanism locked and this snoregasm still open? Gah..

Mickeroo

crucamim wrote: »

No, sir, you have it all wrong. It is not up to Catholic schools to change in order to cater for heretics. The onus is on you heretics to establish your own schools - just as Catholics did for themselves.

You have a right to refuse to pray alongside Catholics. At the same time, Catholics have a right to refuse to allow their dear children to be taught by you or any other anti-Catholic. They also have a right to refise to allow their defenceless, little children to share a classroom or playground with your aggressive, anti-Catholic children.

That is the most twisted, bigotted, closed minded downright delusional post I have ever read. You're so out of touch with reality it's not even funny. I've never been called a heretic before, that's a good one, a heretic for thinking that everyone should be treated equally. denceless children? aggressive anti-catholic children? What the hell are you talking about?

1. I don't have kids

2. If I did how the fcuk would you know if they're aggressive?

3. If I did they wouldn't be anti-anything, except maybe anti-bigottry.

4. You suck

And just for the record, I technically am bloody catholic!!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

crucamim wrote: »

Leave it to Catholics to decide what is taught in Catholic schools. Thank you.

But they are also state-funded schools, so the state decides.

crucamim wrote: »

No, sir, you have it all wrong. It is not up to Catholic schools to change in order to cater for heretics. The onus is on you heretics to establish your own schools - just as Catholics did for themselves.

Again, state schools. The catholic church can change as much or as little as it likes or needs to survive, but the schools are state run and state funded.

You have a right to refuse to pray alongside Catholics. At the same time, Catholics have a right to refuse to allow their dear children to be taught by you or by any other anti-Catholic. They also have a right to refise to allow their defenceless, little children to share a classroom or playground with your aggressive, anti-Catholic children.

I thought I sorted this out ages ago? Very simple.

If a school wishes to accept state money, then it accepts the state's curriculum, not the church's. Not all the kids in the school are going to be Catholics

If a school wishes to have a religious ethos, fine. But if the reject the state curriculum, then they cease to be funded by the state.

Catholics schools spend as much time as the like on religion, and the role the state has is to bring the exam papers on exam day. Catholic kids are not educated alongside apparently aggressive(...?) non-catholic children
The State uses the money no longer being given to denominational schools and build multi-denominational schools, where religious customs and histories are thought, without any cathecism or dogma, for the heretics.

Everybody wins! Now that that's sorted, who wants a drink?