Religious Holidays in Public Schools

[blush]

Originally Posted by Toughy

I'm not so sure this is a true statement. I remember prayer in public schools.........and for some reason it's my 5th grade year that sticks in my mind......that would be 1961-62. Today we have the Christian creation story, now called Intelligent Design, being taught as science in public schools. It's no wonder folks think Fake (Fox) News is actually journalism and news.
------
I say no religious holidays in public schools unless you recognize ALL religious holidays and you also need a holiday for atheists.

Take week long breaks in the school year. I don't know if this is still true today but when I was in public school in the 60's, we could have an excused absence (for I think up to a week) to go deer hunting.

I would like to see high school kids learn about the different religions around the world. But that would open up a big ole can of worms that would be impossible to deal with.

You're right, Toughy. I'm speaking to the idea that our government entities are religiously neutral. This conflicts with our desire for freedom of worship. Prayer in schools and such is an example of this conflict.

[Corkey]

I'm going to speak from my *me* for a moment. When I was growing up there was no prayer in schools. The pledge of allegiance yes, and that silly phrase of one nation (under god)..., which I skipped over and reverted to the real pledge one nation indivisible.... Now then for me, my parents said I didn't have to follow in their religious backgrounds, they were both different. They said I could learn all of the different theological groups and decide for myself which was a fit for me.
So I did. Now, the school has no business being in the business of religion, it isn't up to the state to teach one religion over another, hense the separation of church and state in the Constitution. I think it is high time we as a society start following that particular clause.

[Glenn]

As founder and designer of the United Gospel Music Center, I included notes in my plans. not to teach classes in Religion, nor to celebrate religious holidays and ceremonies inside, statues, Bibles, etc. It will simply be alive with gospel music all day, along with concerts, and also a music school. There will be only pictures of musicians and composers on the walls.

[Soft*Silver]

I would love to see religion taught in the public school system, not as a form of worship, but as a science or humanities, or even as part of a class in science or humanities or something. Why? Because most kids dont grow up in homes that say "you can pick any religion you like". Instead, they rear their kids to believe their religion is the "IT" religion and dont educate them in alternatives. As a class, they could get introduced to east and west, native and aboriginal, agnostic and aethiest, xtian and jewish.

I dont know about you, but I was in Jr High before I found out not everyone was Catholic...

[Julie]

And I was 20 years old, before I realized that the crosses on the foreheads of people - did not mean they were Manson Followers!

True Story! I was working in a personnel agency at 20 in NYC. I walked out to get my applicant... What I saw terrified me. A room full of people with black crosses on their foreheads. I ran into my bosses office and told him, we had a room filled with Manson Followers. Now how is that for ignorance?!? My first experience with Ash Wednesday.

Point - I agree... My first year of college, I took a world religion course. I always felt it should be taught in primary school.

Originally Posted by softness

I would love to see religion taught in the public school system, not as a form of worship, but as a science or humanities, or even as part of a class in science or humanities or something. Why? Because most kids dont grow up in homes that say "you can pick any religion you like". Instead, they rear their kids to believe their religion is the "IT" religion and dont educate them in alternatives. As a class, they could get introduced to east and west, native and aboriginal, agnostic and aethiest, xtian and jewish.

I dont know about you, but I was in Jr High before I found out not everyone was Catholic...

[Corkey]

Unless all religions are given equal access I don't see it being a good thing.
1. Who would teach this class?
2. Would students be required to attend?
3. What if a parent was opposed to mandatory class?
4. Would atheists be excluded?
5. Would a scientific approach be utilized, i.e., the world wasn't created in 6 days, humans didn't live at the same time as dinosaurs, and tell the real truth of evolution?

I maintain school and church don't belong together. If parents want to teach their children religion, they need to do so at home.
We need critical thinking and the math and sciences to be pushed in school, not mysticism, faith, or speculation of a God. Our children are falling further and further behind the rest of the world. Religion has dumbed down the education of the children of this country.
Oh and most of our founding fathers were Deists not Christians. They placed separation of church and state in the Constitution for a reason.

While I agree that theology is an important undertaking, I oppose it being taught in primary and high school.

[Soft*Silver]

in Jr High art class, my teacher told us to come up with a logo. So I did a Coke logo that said " Jesus, the real thing"

My teacher refused the project. She asked me if I didnt think it was disrespectful to the god I believed in. I said I didnt see the harm in it. She said she was Jewish and while she didnt see Jesus in the same way as my religion, she thought it was "too far out". (of course, this was before the logo for Coke was "Coke, the real thing" came out and became a popular marketing tool)

I blurted out " you dont look jewish" (god I was SO sheltered and ignorant!) and she asked me what someone jewish would look like. We had a really good conversation and I learned SO much from her, including, (rolling my eyes and feeling my embarassment) that Jesus himself was Jewish. No one had taught me that in Sunday School!

I think if when we are young, we are made aware of differences, as we mature, those differences wouldnt matter so much. Its when we are taught to be egocentric and see only our way, that differences make people marks for hatred based in ignorance.

[Stearns]

Originally Posted by softness

in Jr High art class, my teacher told us to come up with a logo. So I did a Coke logo that said " Jesus, the real thing"

My teacher refused the project. She asked me if I didnt think it was disrespectful to the god I believed in. I said I didnt see the harm in it. She said she was Jewish and while she didnt see Jesus in the same way as my religion, she thought it was "too far out". (of course, this was before the logo for Coke was "Coke, the real thing" came out and became a popular marketing tool)

I blurted out " you dont look jewish" (god I was SO sheltered and ignorant!) and she asked me what someone jewish would look like. We had a really good conversation and I learned SO much from her, including, (rolling my eyes and feeling my embarassment) that Jesus himself was Jewish. No one had taught me that in Sunday School!

I think if when we are young, we are made aware of differences, as we mature, those differences wouldnt matter so much. Its when we are taught to be egocentric and see only our way, that differences make people marks for hatred based in ignorance.

See, I said ART should be brought back into the schools. This worked out great

[Soon]

I think if parents wish to teach their children the fundamentals of world religions (all of which are man made and patriarchal in nature), they can do it on their own time and dime.

We are talking about the publicly funded education system, right? I thought it was clear that religion is separate -- or should be -- from public institutions.

I'm for devoting more time to developing critical thinking skills.

[Stearns]

Teachers barely have time to teach the basics. Many schools have already cut out art, music and even recess because there's not enough time in the school day/week. I'd hate to see them have to try to work religion in there, too; plus, I don't agree with public schools being charged with teaching spirituality. I'd like to see music, art and recess brought back, if there was time. I think those are intrinsically more valuable and do not tread into the territory of what values may or may not be in the home (like religion does).

[Soft*Silver]

I know very little about music making. I am tone deaf and when my daughter tried to teach me to read music, I had a melt down because I just could not get it. So, I have very little understanding of it

but

I know that the note is flat if played without it coming from the part of the person that most would call soul.

I also know that teachers ARE so busy that they have very little time for "extras" and I think we need to adjust priorities so that we value art and music and recreation and spirituality as important as math, reading, science, etc.

And I believe that there is a huge difference between teaching an introduction to religious diversity and promoting and recruiting children to follow A faith system.

I still believe that we could weave diversity in our classes somehow. If the education system does not, then we have an era of children who will grow up knowing how to balance a checkbook but not being able to appreciate the teller at the bank they frequent except as a worker bee and not as a person they are spiritually connected to...

Originally Posted by Stearns

Teachers barely have time to teach the basics. Many schools have already cut out art, music and even recess because there's not enough time in the school day/week. I'd hate to see them have to try to work religion in there, too; plus, I don't agree with public schools being charged with teaching spirituality. I'd like to see music, art and recess brought back, if there was time. I think those are intrinsically more valuable and do not tread into the territory of what values may or may not be in the home (like religion does).

[Corkey]

Spirituality never stopped me from being kind, or respecting another person. It also never made a note of music. Humans do this, not spirit.

[Stearns]

There are many different definitions of spirituality and even more tenets on which spirituality is based. I don't know how it would be decided on which of these it "should" be based: (list borrowed, and these aren't even all of them):
Aboriginal Beliefs
African Diaspora
African Methodist Episcopal
African Religions
Afro-Brazilian
Afro-Caribbean
Agnosticism
Ahmadiyya Movement
Anglicanism
Asatru
Assemblies of God
Atheism
Bahai Faith
Baltic Religions
Baptist
Brahma Kumaris
Buddhism
Candomblé
Cao Dai
Calvinist
Catholics: Roman
Catholics: Eastern
Celtic Religions
Celtic Christianity
Ceremonial Magick
Children of God
Christadelphians
Christian Identity
Christian Science
Christianity: all
Christianity: Evangelical
Christianity: Traditional
Christianity: Progressive
Christianity: Catholic
Christianity: Orthodox
Church of Christ
Church of the Nazarene
Confucianism
Congregational Church
Dark Zen
Deism
Disciples of Christ
Divination
Divine Science
Druidry
Earth-Based Religions
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Rite Catholics
Eckankar
Episcopal
Esoteric
Essenes
Ethical Culture
Falun Gong
First Nations
Folk Magic
Freemasons
Friends (Quakers)
Gnosticism
Greco-Roman
Hare Krishna
Heathens
Hellenismos
Hinduism
Humanism
I-Ching
Indigenous Beliefs
Islam
Jainism
Jedi
Jehovah's Witnesses
Judaism
Kemetic Religions
Latter-Day Saints
Lutheran
Maltheism
Mennonites
Messianic Judaism
Methodist
Metropolitan Community Church
Mormon LDS
Mormon non-LDS
Multifaith Forum
Nation of Islam
Native American
Neo-Pagan Spirituality
New Age
New Church
Noahide Movement
Non-denominational
New Thought
Paganism
Pantheism
Philosophy
Pentecostal Trinitarian
Pentecostal Oneness
Presbyterian
Quakers
Raelians
Rastafarians
Reconstructionists
Reformed
Religio Romana
Religious Science
Roman Catholics
Runes
Salvation Army
Sant Mat
Santería
Satanism
Science of Mind
Scientology
Scientology Freezone
Seventh-Day Adventists
Shamanism
Shinto
Sikhism
Slavic Religions
Society of Friends
Sufism
Swedenborgians
Taoism
Tarot
Umbanda
Unification Church
Unitarian Universalism
United Church/Canada
United Church of Christ
Unity Movement
Urantia Book
Vineyard Churches
Vodou/Voodoo
Wicca
Witchcraft
Yoruba
Zoroastrianism

Originally Posted by softness

I know very little about music making. I am tone deaf and when my daughter tried to teach me to read music, I had a melt down because I just could not get it. So, I have very little understanding of it

but

I know that the note is flat if played without it coming from the part of the person that most would call soul.

I also know that teachers ARE so busy that they have very little time for "extras" and I think we need to adjust priorities so that we value art and music and recreation and spirituality as important as math, reading, science, etc.

And I believe that there is a huge difference between teaching an introduction to religious diversity and promoting and recruiting children to follow A faith system.

I still believe that we could weave diversity in our classes somehow. If the education system does not, then we have an era of children who will grow up knowing how to balance a checkbook but not being able to appreciate the teller at the bank they frequent except as a worker bee and not as a person they are spiritually connected to...