I was talking to my father today and he suggested a very interesting idea. Knowing he was an atheist and had been for all his life I asked him why he had sent his children (me and my sister) to a catholic school. He told me that he wanted to give his us all the opportunities we could have regarding the church. And that by the end of our education we would choose how much, if any of it we wanted to take or leave. He said some people need the church to different degrees and others don't need it at all. He thought that to keep us isolated from the church was just ignorant. Worship of a higher being/s is something innate in mankind worldwide, so you can hardly pretend religion doesn't exist. He said that to do so would be as ignorant as hardcore religious types who see all atheists as hollow shells or lost souls or evil.
I had always been against the idea of religious schools as I thought it would just churn out one religious drone after another. But who knows? Here I am, after 13 years of catholic education and I'm an atheist because I believe it is the right choice for me after considering the other options. So is my sister, although I can hardly speak for her regarding her beliefs. Given all this, is it so bad to send your child to a religious school (even in spite of your own beliefs)? I mean, it worked for me. Not because I'm an atheist, but because I chose to be one out of my own logic. So, what do you think? Would you send your child to a religious school?
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"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."
-Albert Camus
No way in Hell. My kids can have all their beliefs through life, I won't deny them be influenced by religions, but I will not send them to a religious school.
Don't like the uniforms....
But honestly, I've had BAAAAAAAAAAAD experiences with those...."institutions".....never.....
Whoa, that seems strange. I've never heard of anything like that over here. As far as I know our public schools are 100% religious teaching free. Is it a compulsory subject?
__________________
"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."
-Albert Camus
Gender: Female Location: every which way but loose
Absolutely! I went to a 'normal' (for want of a better word) school and I made my choices based on everything I was taught, and also the way I have been brought up. I chose to be atheist, not because I am ignorant but because that's simply the way I feel. Neither of my parents tried to drum their beliefs into me, to be honest I think my dad's disinterested anyway, but the point is I didn't make my decision without knowing facts, and it wasn't overnight either. I actually opted to take Religious Education through Yrs 10 & 11, having been offered the chance to drop it in favour of another Humanities subject. My reason being that although I myself do not follow a specific religion, I am very interested in the way other people lead their lives and what they believe. I know culture is very important, and I don't want to be ignorant. As for sending my children to religious schools or not, well, if my children went to a school anything like mine I'd be more than happy.
Parents can get their kids out of chrisitanity classes those who are taken out of them have ohter subjects like lifestyles and the likes, same goes for people of a different religion than the state religion of Norway (evangleic lutheren Protestants).
So I had it as a subject and of course I drew it, of all things, as a bi part of the finals. The options were geography, history, chrisitanity and biology and Science. The rest of the finals consisted of the obligatory Math, Norwegian(grammer and essays and stuff), English(same thing as with Norwegian). And lucky me I drew christianity to supply
Gender: Female Location: every which way but loose
I think it worked cleverly at my school. I had the option of choosing between History, Sociology, Religion and Geography for my options at the end of Yr 9 . We were allowed to choose more than one, but at least one had to be chosen. The curriculum for religion covered mostly Christianity throughout the start of my education, but as I got older we began to cover more morality issues and worldly ethics. In Yrs 10/11 we delved very deeply into the Moral and Ethical side of it. I really enjoyed that aspect.
Further study on religions can be taken after you finish the mandatory 10 grades. Its not like you choose religion it just seem to follow you like a bad habbit. I took marketing and for some odd reason besides marketing and economics we had religion.....go figure
I myself am an atheist, but I would never press my beliefs (or lack of) on my children. I was lucky that my parents allowed me to make my own decisions about religion and I'd like to someday do the same for my own children. BUT in the US it's basically either you go to a religious school or you go to a public school. So, I really don't know.
Gender: Female Location: every which way but loose
It seems a real shame to me that they've been segregated that way
I'm more grateful now for the fact that I've had such flexibility with my choices, and I want my children to have the same breathing space, if not more so.
I'm a fan of seperation of church and state...but at most schools in the US (that I know of, anyway), the only way you learn anything about other religions is in a world history class. I don't like being taught religion, but learning ABOUT other ones I think is cool.
After my ethics class ends I may take Philosophy of World Religions I think it'd be a very interesting class, learning about other religions and why they think the way they do.
Same here -- my family is Catholic and that is how I was raised, but it was never really forced on me. When I realized that it wasn't for me and over time came to the decision that I'm an atheist, my mom was cool with it, and I really appreciate the fact that she accepted it and didn't force me to go to church or anything. She just wanted myself and my brother and sister to be able to have an opportunity to decide for ourselves what our beliefs are.
Gender: Female Location: every which way but loose
I agree with the separation of church and state, but I really appreciated being able to learn about religion in my school. I am so glad now that I am not ignorant, as some of my friends are through no fault of their own.
That's the aspect that I really loved. Learning about other cultures, the way people live their lives, and also having the opportunity, should I want it, to follow a religion I wouldn't even have known about were it not for my school teachings.
I'm glad that you mom reacted the way she did, there's no worse guilt trip for youngsters making life decisions than parents leaning on them and pressurising them to believe certain things.
Hmm, coming from Australia we have a good education system, Religious schools, private and government. Often though the private schools are also highly religious, and of course we have scripture classes in public schools. Personally religion, when coming to education, is not the most important thing. I would not wish to force my children (when I get some heh) to believe as I did, it should be their choice, but if the local Catholic school had the best education, well I would send them there probably, just as I would consider the benefits of a non-religious school.
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From even the greatest of horrors irony is seldom absent.
Gender: Female Location: California Sexually: Frustrated
Seriously, I think that i might want to put my child into a religious school. But i'm not 100% sure. I would much rather home school her. To keep her away from the guns, drugs, sex, and violence that is in our public (and sometimes private) schools.
Home schooling may sound like a good idea, but it's very hard to make friends when you don't get to go to school and meet people. Yeah, school can suck and the big wide world isn't always a safe place, but you can't shelter your children forever.
KMC Community Forums
Would you send your child to a religious school?
Oct 3rd, 2004 03:04 PM
I think it'd be a very interesting class, learning about other religions and why they think the way they do.
