Talking about religious figures in school.

I don't honestly see the harm in learning about other religions. In my history class, we went over many Eastern religions, in addition to Catholicism and Judism. Having schools be strictly nonreligios means that kids miss out on a lot, and cannot make informed decisions concerning religion when they get older.

I mean, Jesus did exist. Muhammad did exist. If there is a place for them in the classroom to be discussed objectively, I think they should be discussed.

I think it's important for people to be open to discussion about those thypes of things like polotics and religion, but the teacher shouldn't teach those things because not all people believe in it. I think if you have a mature enough class you can give your opinions and and have disscussion on those things but you can't teach them because not everyone believes in them and it's just asking for trouble.

When I was in school, we talked about religion and politics four days out of five. It caused lots of arguments and when we gave our opinions on something, the teacher thought it was wrong and told us to stop thinking like a pack of wild animals.

Religious figures usually have important places in history. That is a fact and cannot be denied. They did stuff for people and stirred up shit and had people executed and all sorts of stuff. They're important.

Jesus, Jean Bodin, Mohammad, whoever. They're a part of history and a part of politics. They deserve a place in social science classes and let's face it: we can actually learn from them.

lyrical_mess:

Religious figures usually have important places in history. That is a fact and cannot be denied. They did stuff for people and stirred up shit and had people executed and all sorts of stuff. They're important.

Jesus, Jean Bodin, Mohammad, whoever. They're a part of history and a part of politics. They deserve a place in social science classes and let's face it: we can actually learn from them.

I agree with you. I don't think it's wrong to give students an objective view of religious figures/religions, as long as they're not jamming a particular one down the poor student's throats.

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

I agree with you. I don't think it's wrong to give students an objective view of religious figures/religions, as long as they're not jamming a particular one down the poor student's throats.

I, personally, am not religious in any sense and I don't believe in the Bible or what whooblah.

I'm tired of hearing it.

Veritas:

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

I agree with you. I don't think it's wrong to give students an objective view of religious figures/religions, as long as they're not jamming a particular one down the poor student's throats.

I, personally, am not religious in any sense and I don't believe in the Bible or what whooblah.

I'm tired of hearing it.

But don't you at least want to understand it? Not even just Christianity, but Eastern religions as well.

I think it should be taught, yes, and I think the teacher should encourage a discussion or debate on the subjects, but I think it's wrong when a teacher prys an opinion onto students.

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

Veritas:

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

I agree with you. I don't think it's wrong to give students an objective view of religious figures/religions, as long as they're not jamming a particular one down the poor student's throats.

I, personally, am not religious in any sense and I don't believe in the Bible or what whooblah.

I'm tired of hearing it.

But don't you at least want to understand it? Not even just Christianity, but Eastern religions as well.

You don't even have to understand the religion. I mean, basic rules, yeah. Like Christians go to church, Muslims pray five times a day, etc. You'll need that stuff to understand what exact role the religious figures played. For example, corrupt popes sold little pardon tickets on behalf of the church. You'll need to understand the basic concept of the clergy system in order to understand the corruption that took place.

lyrical_mess:

You don't even have to understand the religion. I mean, basic rules, yeah. Like Christians go to church, Muslims pray five times a day, etc. You'll need that stuff to understand what exact role the religious figures played. For example, corrupt popes sold little pardon tickets on behalf of the church. You'll need to understand the basic concept of the clergy system in order to understand the corruption that took place.

True, but, to my thinking, to understand a country, you should understand the religion which dominates it. It explains quite a bit about why things happened as they did.

I don't know, I feel that people aren't as well educated when it comes to Eastern religions, and I know that I wish someone had explained all of that to me when I was in school.

In Spain the dominating religion is Catholicism, it was highly promoted when the PP (Partido Popular, like the Republican Party in the US) was in government. Aznar made schools have Religion as a subject, I hated it. Although I'm baptised as catholic I don't believe in God anymore, so I really thought that it was useless. There was this Marroqui kid that was Muslim of course and didn't do relgion. I respect that. What I don't respect is that every classroom had a crucifix on top of the chalkboard and even worse, a portrait of the kings.

Now with the PSOE (Partido Socialsta de Obreros Españoles, Democrat Party for the US) and Zapatero as president we now have E.P.C (Educación Para la Ciudadanía, Citizenship) It's a subject that talks about respect for other people and fighting, xenophobia, homophobia, islamophobia... I like that subject because it teaches fascists to be better people (even though they'll still be fascists).

lyrical_mess:

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

But don't you at least want to understand it? Not even just Christianity, but Eastern religions as well.

You don't even have to understand the religion. I mean, basic rules, yeah. Like Christians go to church, Muslims pray five times a day, etc. You'll need that stuff to understand what exact role the religious figures played. For example, corrupt popes sold little pardon tickets on behalf of the church. You'll need to understand the basic concept of the clergy system in order to understand the corruption that took place.

I don't understand religion at all, which is why I don't want to be forced into learning about them.

I don't need to know all about a religion to know that that Pope was jacked.

Yes, but depending on what profession you go into, you'll need to know why he was jacked. And you don't need to know "all about" X religion. Just enough to help you understand what was going on. Its okay if you don't get why people go "oooh ahhh" over an invisible figure in the sky. A lot of people don't. And most history students don't get why countries were so retardedly insecure and started stupid wars for stupid reason and the grand result is that its just another page of notes for us. :shifty.

But we don't need to learn religion in school. We need to know about it. What the followers believed and how that affected certain events. As Ol' Blue Eyes said. Why certain things happened because of religion and tension between followers of different faiths. And the role that the religious leaders played in all of this is very important for history and politics and economics. Because religion, whether we like it or not, affects all of these. Besides, history has that awful habit of repeating itself.

Veritas:

lyrical_mess:

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

But don't you at least want to understand it? Not even just Christianity, but Eastern religions as well.

You don't even have to understand the religion. I mean, basic rules, yeah. Like Christians go to church, Muslims pray five times a day, etc. You'll need that stuff to understand what exact role the religious figures played. For example, corrupt popes sold little pardon tickets on behalf of the church. You'll need to understand the basic concept of the clergy system in order to understand the corruption that took place.

I don't understand religion at all, which is why I don't want to be forced into learning about them.

I don't need to know all about a religion to know that that Pope was jacked.

I don't understand you. Why wouldn't you want to understand it, to know what you're dealing with? I'm not saying you need to know every last detail, but if it were me I'd want at least a basic understanding of everything.

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

I don't understand you. Why wouldn't you want to understand it, to know what you're dealing with? I'm not saying you need to know every last detail, but if it were me I'd want at least a basic understanding of everything.

I'm not good at explaining, but I know what I mean. Does that make sense? yeah, ok, let me try again?

I don't want to be preached to. I don't mind learning like the basis of different religions, but when you start preaching to me in history class I get mad because it's bot Church, it's school.

I don't understand why people devote their life to something that might not even exist, but that's another story.

Even history is slightly subjective though. The difference is that Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, whatever, they are all religions and so decidedly a faith. Therefore the individual must choose wheather or not to believe them. History, or science, or literature has always been taught as fact when it is of course slightly subjective itself.

Anji:

Even history is slightly subjective though. The difference is that Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, whatever, they are all religions and so decidedly a faith. Therefore the individual must choose wheather or not to believe them. History, or science, or literature has always been taught as fact when it is of course slightly subjective itself.

History is a science that studies and critically explains the past of the human society. It has to be subjective.

And I don't see why studying about religious figures is bad. We were studying the evolution and we mentioned how various religions feel about it, creationism and etc. I thought of it as interesting, cause we have a Muslim boy in our class and a protestant. I liked hearing how their religion feels about it. Not that I believe on it, but knowing something cant hurt you.

Veritas:

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

I don't understand you. Why wouldn't you want to understand it, to know what you're dealing with? I'm not saying you need to know every last detail, but if it were me I'd want at least a basic understanding of everything.

I'm not good at explaining, but I know what I mean. Does that make sense? yeah, ok, let me try again?

I don't want to be preached to. I don't mind learning like the basis of different religions, but when you start preaching to me in history class I get mad because it's bot Church, it's school.

I don't understand why people devote their life to something that might not even exist, but that's another story.

It's not that I don't understand your point of view, because I've been there myself. But we're not talking about being preached to. We're not even talking about Catholicism. I'm talking about Eastern religions, as well as Christianity. And actually getting a quick overview, what they believe in and why. Not saying "CONVERT NOW", saying, "Hey, this is what's up with Islam/Hinduism/Buddism/Christianity/Judasim".

And I do think people have an incredibly close-minded view of Catholicism, and need to be educated on it, but that's nothing to do with this topic.

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

It's not that I don't understand your point of view, because I've been there myself. But we're not talking about being preached to. We're not even talking about Catholicism. I'm talking about Eastern religions, as well as Christianity. And actually getting a quick overview, what they believe in and why. Not saying "CONVERT NOW", saying, "Hey, this is what's up with Islam/Hinduism/Buddism/Christianity/Judasim".

And I do think people have an incredibly close-minded view of Catholicism, and need to be educated on it, but that's nothing to do with this topic.

Veritas:

I don't want to be preached to. I don't mind learning like the basis of different religions, but when you start preaching to me in history class I get mad because it's bot Church, it's school.

Right.

I went to a Christian church for a few years of my life, and a majority of my town is Catholic. I may not know everything about religions but I know enough to know I don't want a part in it.

And who knows, maybe in a few years I'll actually find a religion that interests me enough I'll look into it and convert and actually follow a set religion, but as of right now I don't care.

Veritas:

Ol' Blue Eyes.:

It's not that I don't understand your point of view, because I've been there myself. But we're not talking about being preached to. We're not even talking about Catholicism. I'm talking about Eastern religions, as well as Christianity. And actually getting a quick overview, what they believe in and why. Not saying "CONVERT NOW", saying, "Hey, this is what's up with Islam/Hinduism/Buddism/Christianity/Judasim".

And I do think people have an incredibly close-minded view of Catholicism, and need to be educated on it, but that's nothing to do with this topic.

Veritas:

I don't want to be preached to. I don't mind learning like the basis of different religions, but when you start preaching to me in history class I get mad because it's bot Church, it's school.

Right.

I went to a Christian church for a few years of my life, and a majority of my town is Catholic. I may not know everything about religions but I know enough to know I don't want a part in it.

And who knows, maybe in a few years I'll actually find a religion that interests me enough I'll look into it and convert and actually follow a set religion, but as of right now I don't care.

I'm so sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying. I apologize, entirely.