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Religion in School

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  • 15-01-2010 8:21pm
    #1
    Somnus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,345 ✭✭✭


    Hi, I have a question relating to religion in secondary schools and I'm particularly looking for Christian opinions on it.

    I'm an atheist, raised catholic though and my parents (particularly my mother) are catholics. When I was in secondary school (I'm in my second year of college now) the book we had for Religion for the junior cert of course had stories and teachings of Jesus and others from the Bible. However, there was also a good deal in the book about other religions. Now, to me, this immediately creates thought towards how one can know that the religion they follow is true and that the others are false (as was my thinking at the time). And after the Junior Cert religion became more of a morals class than anything to do with the bible.
    I can easily say that exposure to other religions through that class made me doubt Christianity more and more, which when coupled with an understanding of biology and other science made me an atheist.

    So my question is not so much why are we taught about other religions in a Christian school (I think it is important to understand what other people believe) but rather do people not think that it might drive away some believers? Which is obviously the opposite of what is wanted.

    The book would say to disscuss these topics in class but our teacher, who was somewhat old, would get angry at people questioning religion.

    Thanks for reading


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    #2
    PDN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    Dr.Poca wrote: »
    So my question is not so much why are we taught about other religions in a Christian school (I think it is important to understand what other people believe) but rather do people not think that it might drive away some believers? Which is obviously the opposite of what is wanted.
    I would hope it would encourage people to ask questions and to learn to think for themselves, which should be an aim of any school.


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    #3
    Turtwig
    Registered Users Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    PDN wrote: »
    I would hope it would encourage people to ask questions and to learn to think for themselves, which should be an aim of any school.

    In before certain people start saying religious people don't think for themselves rubbish and Jakkass starts responding to it.:)


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    #4
    liamw
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭liamw


    PDN wrote: »
    I would hope it would encourage people to ask questions and to learn to think for themselves, which should be an aim of any school.

    I agree, and what usually happens when people ask questions, and learn to think critically for themselves, is that they become atheist.

    MaltyT too late


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    #5
    PDN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    liamw wrote: »
    I agree, and what usually happens when people ask questions, and learn to think critically for themselves, is that they become atheist.

    MaltyT too late

    The muppet show has started.


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    #6
    liamw
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭liamw


    PDN wrote: »
    The muppet show has started.

    Personal insult, you should infract yourself :)


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    #7
    Somnus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,345 ✭✭✭Somnus


    PDN wrote: »
    I would hope it would encourage people to ask questions and to learn to think for themselves, which should be an aim of any school.

    I completely agree that this should be the aim of a school. But I agree with Liamw to an extent. I mean does learning about other religions not make you think how do you know your's is the "right" one? (not you personally) And surely a Christian school,teacher etc wouldn't be too happy with student's drifting away from Christianity.


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    #8
    PDN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    Dr.Poca wrote: »
    I completely agree that this should be the aim of a school. But I agree with Liamw to an extent. I mean does learning about other religions not make you think how do you know your's is the "right" one? (not you personally) And surely a Christian school,teacher etc wouldn't be too happy with student's drifting away from Christianity.

    Yes, learning about other religions should indeed make you think about how you know your's is the right one. That should be the point. There is a risk of students drifting away, but I would think it's much better to have kids who have thought about their faith and really believe it, rather than unthinking adherence to a creed.


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    #9
    Somnus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,345 ✭✭✭Somnus


    PDN wrote: »
    Yes, learning about other religions should indeed make you think about how you know your's is the right one. That should be the point. There is a risk of students drifting away, but I would think it's much better to have kids who have thought about their faith and really believe it, rather than unthinking adherence to a creed.

    This is true. I wouldn't really have thought about that. I would have thought the point was to promote Christianity but I agree with you. I just wanted to see what peoples opinions on it were. In my mind, if other religions weren't studied, more students would probably just accept themselves as Catholic and probably continue going to mass etc if they did before hand. But i understand what you are saying, that it's better to have a person who truly believes than others who just go along with it because it's how they were raised.

    Just wanted to hear some peoples opinions, appreciate the responses.


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