Why would anyone believe that religious education in public schools is right?
I believe that religious education should be taught in public schools, though I am not religious, because I think I graduated high school completely un-educated about the majority of the political realities of my time. I think they should have a world religions class covering different religions to help offset this glaring oversite in my ability to be a good citizen of the world. I also think that the subject of creationism and intelligent design already come up in science classes, and should at least “talked about” explicitly in the classroom. What the textbook decides to include and leave out are often direct arguments dealing with these issues, indoctrinating children the world around into these viewpoints. I just feel that instead of dirty tricks these arguments that are already in the textbook should come out in the open. I believe that what children need is critical thinking skills, not indoctrination. And whether you consider creationism or intelligent design “science” or just “
The problem comes when “education” turns into indoctrination. I think it is a great idea to teach that there are many religions in the world, and explore some of their beliefs, especially in the younger grades. Some children have been so brainwashed by their parents they don’t even realize that many other people don’t believe the same thing they do. What is wrong is when someone tries to teach one particular religion and claim that it is the right one.
