Does Religion belong in Public Schools Essay - 1803 Words

When looking at the history of America, it is fascinating to see how the public schooling system even got started. The first schools in America were not public schools, as many would presume. Instead, â€Å"the first schools in the United States were religious and not secular† (Elifson 1). Nearly all public schools, up to the 1960’s incorporated religion and prayer in their classrooms; however, in the last 50 years, prayer and religion in public schools has been debated over countless times. Even in Hudsonville, Michigan, which holds the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most churches on a single street, there is much debate over prayer and the teaching of Christianity, or any religion, in the public schools. When I†¦show more content†¦They also state that in other countries, â€Å"entire social systems are based on religious beliefs† (2). Consequently, this points to the fact that religion, in its entirety, is immensely import ant in teaching students the history of nations and many social systems that nations uphold. Reid and Ayers have proven that after receiving the knowledge of religion in some countries and understanding why their respective religions were important to them, â€Å"[students] achieved a deeper understanding of many current events, [especially] those involving the Middle East†(Ayers and Reid 2). It is perfectly clear that in many circumstances, knowing the religious background of a nation will help enlighten the students to better understand why some nations hold a particular stance on a given matter (Ayers and Reid 1-3). Another author, Rob Boston, talks about this subject in less detail. He argues that â€Å"legitimate instruction about religion as an academic subject in public schools [is not] a problem. As long as it’s done in a non-dogmatic manner intended to educate† (3). Boston’s whole article is arguing against the idea of preaching to students about religion. It is interesting that even someone against religion in school wants a broad teaching of religious backgrounds to better understand culture in some events, especially in history. This further proves theShow MoreRelatedPros and Cons of Teaching Creationism in School1197 Words   |  5 PagesFor this research paper I am going to discuss the pros and the cons about Creationism in school and why I feel that it should be left out of the public school system. Even though I am writing about both sides of the issue, I feel, for most part, that religion should be kept out of schools. I will present both sides of my topic and make a stand on why I feel that religion does not belong in public schools. Some of the pros of Creationism are that students have to think beyond the box. CreationismRead MorePrayer in Public Schools Essay1440 Words   |  6 Pages The United States has continued to be a country where religion plays a major role in the lives of American citizens. Depending on the type of school students attend, organized prayer is mandatory, allowed, or banned. In the United States, organized prayer in public schools is prohibited because it goes against the Constitution’s separation of church and state (Jinkins 123). The United States promises religious freedom, but is yet to define the degree and limitation of that liberty. However, AmericanRead MoreThe Constitutionality of Prayer in Public Schools Essay698 Words   |  3 Pagesin public schools, while others think that people should be able to express their religion in their own ways. In public schools, they are not allowed to hold prayers at all during the school day due to the mixed religion students that ar e attending the school. 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