Should Religion Be Taught In Schools

Religion was once accepted in American schools, but today, this no longer rings true. Outcries of religious indoctrination in schools have sprung up around the country. Parents threaten to sue schools because of religious groups in schools and elective classes. Because of these outcries, many schools have done away with any religious talk or teachings. Some have even cut out the Pledge of Allegiance due to the line that states, “One nation, under God...” Although it is widely unaccepted as a part of schooling, religion should be a part of academics by teaching students about major aspects of common religions in the world.

Often times religions are not welcomed in schools. An article written by news reporter Sifferlin (2015) exemplifies this.

Recent literature such as The Misplaced Fear of Religion in Classrooms argues that the lack of religious knowledge in schools is harmful to education as a whole. Anderson (2015), a contributing writer for The Atlantic, states in the article, “According to a 2010 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey, in a country of many faiths and beliefs, there is a stunning absence of knowledge of the world’s religions” (Anderson, 2015). This absence of knowledge is detrimental to students because they cannot understand what is happening around them. Religion should be present in schools to bridge this gap. For example, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, is feared throughout the world as a terrorist group, causing some to brand all people of the Islamic faith as terrorists. High school students can be affected by this as well, depending on their parent’s beliefs. If religion were taught in schools, then students could form more educated opinions about the Islamic faith. It is important to be knowledgeable about other religions, as it not only makes students more cultured, but more understanding of one another as