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Do you think Buddhism is taught enough in schools?
Religious instruction in public primary, middle and high school has no place - in the USA. It will never be tolerated. There are specifically private religious schools parents may choose - if practical - that provide a typically slanted religious education towards the denomination by which the school is supported. Otherwise, religious instruction is relegated to one day per week typically provided by churches. There are endless variations on the "Sunday School" theme in churches and temples. They all share one common thread - "tax exempt". That's the kicker. As long as taxpayers can assert their insistence upon a separation of church and state there will be lawsuits to prohibit prayer or even the hint of religious instruction in public schools. Comparative world religion classes can be offered as an elective in community college curricula - that's about as close as public schools will ever come.
Yes, I agree. We can debate the merits back and forth forever, but in this country it simply doesn't belong in schools. It's implied in the Constitution, has been upheld by courts ad infinitum, and seems to be the mindset of the American people, in general. In some countries where the population is way predominantly one religion it might be simpler (though not fairer), but in the US there are way too many churches, most mainstream, but many at the extremes, that there would be no practical way to fairly incorporate religious teaching into the public schools. There are private schools for that, there are churches for that...and most importantly there are minds and parents to do that. And make no mistake -- public schools have no desire to do that.
I am reminded of an incident during a faculty meeting when I was teaching in a high school in northern Virginia. A teacher stood up and said that we should put on a religious Christmas pageant. She was rebuffed by the administration and the faculty. And she asked everyone who was a Christian to raise their hands. A vast majority did. And she said, "See, we're in the majority. We rule. We can do anything we want and if some other other group doesn't like it, tough."
Religious education in schools should be completely banned IMO.Spiny
It depends on the nature of the instruction. Inculcation in one specific religion is unlawful in public schools. But a survey of world religions is educational, IMO, if handled responsibly. I find it interesting that MindGate's school has required instruction in comparative religion. Seems rather progressive, actually.
I am reminded of an incident during a faculty meeting when I was teaching in a high school in northern Virginia. A teacher stood up and said that we should put on a religious Christmas pageant. She was rebuffed by the administration and the faculty. And she asked everyone who was a Christian to raise their hands. A vast majority did. And she said, "See, we're in the majority. We rule. We can do anything we want and if some other other group doesn't like it, tough."
And what happened in the end? Did someone remind her that having a Christmas pageant could put the school at risk of a lawsuit?
Does anyone know which of the Greek philosophers said, "Rule by the majority doesn't mean tyranny over the minority"? (Or words to that effect)
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personDon't believe everything you thinkThe liminal spaceVeteran
I heard an interesting observation from HHDL recently about ethics education, I'll try to express it as best I can remember.
Basically, up until fairly recently education on ethics was relegated to the religious institutions. With the increase in the acceptance of science and a secular education people have lost some faith in religious instruction. So he sees a need to introduce some kind of secular ethics teaching into modern education. It can be based upon the common ethical teachings of the worlds religions but it shouldn't be inherently religious in nature.
With some of the hardline stances that are often taken over religious ideas I think this will be a hard sell. There is some scientific research going on now that is looking into what makes a happy person and the more humanistic basis for ethics that I think holds some promise for some common ground though.
I am reminded of an incident during a faculty meeting when I was teaching in a high school in northern Virginia. A teacher stood up and said that we should put on a religious Christmas pageant. She was rebuffed by the administration and the faculty. And she asked everyone who was a Christian to raise their hands. A vast majority did. And she said, "See, we're in the majority. We rule. We can do anything we want and if some other other group doesn't like it, tough."
And what happened in the end? Did someone remind her that having a Christmas pageant could put the school at risk of a lawsuit?
Does anyone know which of the Greek philosophers said, "Rule by the majority doesn't mean tyranny over the minority"? (Or words to that effect)
Of course.
But this theme by this teacher exemplifies an attitude that you will find in the vast majority of schools.
Later, as principal in a middle school in the same school system, each year I found it necessary to meet with my choral teacher to remind her of the school system's policy about religious music at the December concert. "But you have to have some Christmas music in December!" was her typical reply. And I said I agreed. "I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas" or "Jingle Bells" is a lot different than forcing your Jewish and Muslim choral members to sing "Silent Night" or "Hark The Herald Angels Sing". "Well, we'll throw in a Jewish song to satisfy that pressure group." "No, it's not about pressure groups. It's about a child population that represents most world religions." She eventually made an honest effort to incorporate music from most world cultures into the music programs over a year's time. In fact, she found it an exciting challenge and got so many kudos from our parent population.
@person I don't think the teaching of ethics needs to be tied to religion. Ethics, being kind to people, honesty, integrity, these are independent of religion.
@person I don't think the teaching of ethics needs to be tied to religion. Ethics, being kind to people, honesty, integrity, these are independent of religion.
Ah! Exactly!
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personDon't believe everything you thinkThe liminal spaceVeteran
@person I don't think the teaching of ethics needs to be tied to religion. Ethics, being kind to people, honesty, integrity, these are independent of religion.
I agree, however many hardline Christians (and I imagine other faiths as well) say that you can't have morals/ethics without God, so its a hard sell.
I wish they taught Buddhism in primary/secondary school (elementary/middle/highschool, whatever you have). Might have been practicing since I was 15 instead, saved a few years. Instead we weren't taught a thing about religion, except how history was shaped by it (i.e. the Crusades), and the church/state separation thing was pretty obviously a factor for courses like Biology that taught evolution, where the material had to be couched in such a way as to not deny the major religious view (the Christian one) that most parents taught their kids. This wasn't so many years ago...
I think students should be taught ABOUT religion in schools, but not be taught TO BE religious in schools. Learning about other religions and cultures helps people not to discriminate in the future, I think children should be given the right to choose their own religion, if indeed they desire one, and not be brainwashed in to one (Christianity in British schools). In Primary school all British children in state schools are taught to believe in Christianity. If a child chooses to believe in Christianity (or any other religion) then that is fine, but being taught to believe is not allowing an individual the freedom to discover their own preferences.
Throughout my elementary/middle/high school we were not taught any religion. However, it was possible for a teacher to express their views on a religion. My pre-1900 US History teacher offered us extra credit for baking a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas. That was a bit of controversy though. And that same teacher also found a Christian club, SALT (Surrendering All to be a Living Testimony) or (Students About Living Truth), within the school.
If there were to be any sort of Buddhism in my school, it would've been frowned upon, and it most likely would have been relegated to extracurricular club events.
I vaguely remember learning about some world religions in junior high, I'm thinking 7th grade. The only one I specifically remember learning about was Islam because I had to write an essay on the five pillars of Islam. I feel like there was some passing lesson on Buddhism but it seemed very superficial, like "Buddhists follow Buddha, who claimed to lead them to nirvana" or something like that. I don't recall learning about Christianity in school at all.
They are not taught in schools here. Other religions, however are taught, Islam,to Muslim children and Christianity, even though the Christians are not so many compared to Buddhists but that is because there used to be missionary schoools run by missionaries.
Comments
I am reminded of an incident during a faculty meeting when I was teaching in a high school in northern Virginia. A teacher stood up and said that we should put on a religious Christmas pageant. She was rebuffed by the administration and the faculty. And she asked everyone who was a Christian to raise their hands. A vast majority did. And she said, "See, we're in the majority. We rule. We can do anything we want and if some other other group doesn't like it, tough."
Does anyone know which of the Greek philosophers said, "Rule by the majority doesn't mean tyranny over the minority"? (Or words to that effect)
Basically, up until fairly recently education on ethics was relegated to the religious institutions. With the increase in the acceptance of science and a secular education people have lost some faith in religious instruction. So he sees a need to introduce some kind of secular ethics teaching into modern education. It can be based upon the common ethical teachings of the worlds religions but it shouldn't be inherently religious in nature.
With some of the hardline stances that are often taken over religious ideas I think this will be a hard sell. There is some scientific research going on now that is looking into what makes a happy person and the more humanistic basis for ethics that I think holds some promise for some common ground though.
Of course.
But this theme by this teacher exemplifies an attitude that you will find in the vast majority of schools.
Later, as principal in a middle school in the same school system, each year I found it necessary to meet with my choral teacher to remind her of the school system's policy about religious music at the December concert. "But you have to have some Christmas music in December!" was her typical reply. And I said I agreed. "I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas" or "Jingle Bells" is a lot different than forcing your Jewish and Muslim choral members to sing "Silent Night" or "Hark The Herald Angels Sing". "Well, we'll throw in a Jewish song to satisfy that pressure group." "No, it's not about pressure groups. It's about a child population that represents most world religions." She eventually made an honest effort to incorporate music from most world cultures into the music programs over a year's time. In fact, she found it an exciting challenge and got so many kudos from our parent population.
If there were to be any sort of Buddhism in my school, it would've been frowned upon, and it most likely would have been relegated to extracurricular club events.