Is Religion allowed in School?

Please read it again,

What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ.”
--George Washington in a speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs May 12, 1779

He cleary says American shools.

Please read it again,

What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ.”
--George Washington in a speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs May 12, 1779

He cleary says American schools.

uhm --yeah? What's your point?

NM

Below taken from A History of Public Education in the United States

Early History
American public education differs from that of many other nations in that it is primarily the responsibility of the states and individual school districts. The national system of formal education in the United States developed in the 19th century. Jefferson was the first American leader to suggest creating a public school system. His ideas formed the basis of education systems developed in the 19th century.

The most preliminary form of public education was in existence in the 1600s in the New England colonies of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. The overriding belief on educating the children was more due to religious reasons and was easy to implement, as the only groups in existence were the Puritans and the Congregationalists. However, the influx of people from many countries and belonging to different faiths led to a weakening of the concept. People refused to learn only in English and opposed the clergy imposing their religious views through public education. By the middle of the eighteenth century, private schooling had become the norm.

After the Declaration of Independence, 14 states had their own constitutions by 1791, and out of the 14, 7 states had specific provisions for education. Jefferson believed that education should be under the control of the government, free from religious biases, and available to all people irrespective of their status in society. Others who vouched for public education around the same time were Benjamin Rush, Noah Webster, Robert Coram and George Washington. It was still very difficult to translate the concept to practice because of the political upheavals, vast immigration, and economic transformations. Thus, even for many more decades, there were many private schools, and charitable and religious institutions dominating the scene.

The Beginning of the Public Education System
Until the 1840s the education system was highly localized and available only to wealthy people. Reformers who wanted all children to gain the benefits of education opposed this. Prominent among them were Horace Mann in Massachusetts and Henry Barnard in Connecticut. Mann started the publication of the Common School Journal, which took the educational issues to the public. The common-school reformers argued for the case on the belief that common schooling could create good citizens, unite society and prevent crime and poverty. As a result of their efforts, free public education at the elementary level was available for all American children by the end of the 19th century. Massachusetts passed the first compulsory school attendance laws in 1852, followed by New York in 1853. By 1918 all states had passed laws requiring children to attend at least elementary school. The Catholics were, however, opposed to common schooling and created their own private schools. Their decision was supported by the 1925 Supreme Court rule in Pierce v. Society of Sisters that states could not compel children to attend public schools, and that children could attend private schools instead.

I too am tired of the right-winged, christian-crazed agenda going on in the USofA. Our fearless leader is a recovering alcoholic who has replaced his alcohol addiction with a god addiction...it happens...all the time, just go to an AA meeting if you don't believe me.

There is a reason our forefathers founded this country with the "separation of church and state" (religion = church, school = state) Spanish inquisition anyone?

And for once I agree with Ulrika, take the words, "under God" out of the pledge of allegiance. (In 1954, Congress after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge. The Pledge was now both a patriotic oath and a public prayer.) Saying the pledge should be OPTIONAL.

I personally do NOT want my taxes paying for my child to learn their religious beliefs from someone I may not agree with.

As for parents not having enough time to spend with their kids...those parents shouldn't BE parents. If you aren't going to dedicate your time to raising your kids then don't have them.

Too many parents out there want the "system" to raise their kids for them...Let the Schools teach them religion, manners, morals, discipline...ACK! (From the movie Parenthood: "You have to get a license to drive a car or own a dog, but any asshole can be a father."

I agree with Leilani...And to add to what Leilani said, History should also be taught from various perspectives. I believe our youngsters are smart enough to figure it out if given half a chance.

If you want to teach your children religion, I vote for home schooling.

On another note, why do parents accept the current demise of our schools and why are teachers paid so little?

Did you read my post about parents lacking time not that they weren't dedicated. I'm not going to retype it, but it's just a few pages back, I believe.

No one ever suggested children should be indoctrinated,in the way they are indocrinated with other subjects in school. The point is to give them an understanding of other people, from every angle. Religion is a huge angle, and 90-95% o the world's population have a relgion of faith. To ignore that in school is not logical, imho. We must give children an edge when dealing with others. Seeing what makes people act in a certain way gives the child power to deal effectively with others who believe differently.

This thread is a great example, look at how those who reject teaching religion treat other people's faith. How does that advance the debate? What is learned by treating other's faith poorly?

Yes I read it, can't you tell from my post? They don't LACK the time. They make a conscious choice and then don't MAKE the time. Big difference. I'm a busy mom, with a busy 11th grade son, and we MAKE time EVERY day to talk, do stuff together (walks to the beach are great for those discussions good parents have with their kids.)

I think you need to re-read MY post...because your response is proof you didn't understand it, or you just skimmed over it to see what you could argue with.

Try again Kevn, and come back with a well thought out answer this time.

Opps, you didn't read it again... I didn't say the lack of time was due to the parent's schedule, I said the child's schedule didn't allow time.

and you haven't answered my question --


Is it your belief that children should have more exposure to religion than adults?

Adults should have been exposed to religion in school, then as a young adult, they would decide what religion, if any, would fit their belief system. As adults, they mght choose to study a religion deeper, or even become a clergy member.

Too true.

Why is it important for religious training to begin at an early age?

You avoid discussion, use diversion and don't really engage in a debate. You have an agenda and are not open to hearing anything else. I've tried to have discussions with folks like you, they don't end well...
So I'll stop now.

Because it's so much harder to indoctrinate people who've gained the ability to think for themselves

shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. don't blow my trap.

The same reason anything should be taught early on. Children at young ages are better able to absorb information. As I noticed in Spanish language Countries, children learn from a different perspective. They don't bring preconceived notions to the table.

I understand the concern some have with the posibility a teacher will inject personal bias, and I think we should look into ways to limit personal biases from early education.

The idea of a standardized curriculum has been a thought I have considered. The standard class would be recorded and tested for bias. Once we agree it's sanitized of any bias, we could use it in every class in the county (as education is a local matter).

The problem is teacher's unions will protect.

The fact you commented on a post of mine without reading it shouldn't mean I'm unreasonable.

So, should we be teaching politics to five year olds then?

Absolutely!

Why is it important for religious information to be absorbed better? Is Faith stronger through rigorous instruction of young minds?

Yeah, five year olds really have the context to understand politics. You sir, are not sane.

It's not his sanity, it's his faculties. He lacks the ability to think critically and engage in discussions which are guided by the principles of logic. Trying to reason with this fellow is not possible. Think about how many hundreds and hundreds of posts that have gone by yet not one single person has been able to teach him anything or have him acquiesce on a single point. It's like trying to push mercury uphill.

I suspect he exists only to trap thinkers in an endless forum loop.

~Ulrika~