Is it good or bad to have religion in schools?
On One Hand: Separation of Church and StateIn the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, notes the Anti-Defamation League, the founding fathers “mandated the strict separation of church and state.” And that separation is reflected, says Dr. W. Kenneth Williams of the the Baptist Joint Committee, in the prohibition against state-sponsored prayer in public schools.On the Other: Religion in Schools Is DefensibleThose arguing to allow religion and prayer in schools, notes Dr. Williams, say that “government has the responsibility to interject religion into the educational process.” The defenders of prayer in schools maintain that the founders “were religious persons” who believed that government should “reflect a generalized faith while defending against the establishment of any particular faith.”Bottom LineThe First Amendment is clear about the separation of church and state, and, as Dr. Williams points out, the U.S.
Depends – teaching about religion definitely should be in schools – public or private. Religions are a major part of humanity and our cultures. Teach a specific religion, promoting a specific god, plugging creation stories into science classes and conducting prayers to specific gods should not be part of school – particularly public school.
