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As religion is based on a belief system rather than fact, should it be banned from education?

Definitely not. In order to gain any level of understanding of the World and it's peoples a study of their religious beliefs is very important.

This should be taught alongside every other subject with the same objectivity as the rest.

I agree Pt.. but do the children pay attention to it in school... recently having been supervisor at the leaving cert and Junior cert examinations i notice not one gave a toss about the religion exam...it was just something they had to do ..load of rubbish i heard one child say...
and i was quite surprised at the questions... i actually found them interesting but then again when i was 16 i didnt want to know either... but i do think that by teaching about the various religions worldwide it allows better understanding of the multi cultural society we live in now... JMO

Then all religions should be taught in school so children can make an informed decision about what religion they want to believe in or not believe, why should one religion have the monopoly in Irish schools when there are so many claiming to be the true religion of god. Again a belief system with no concrete facts or evidence to prove a god even exists every one should have a choice. Teaching one religion in schools gives favor to that religion, this is not a choice for those who are being taught.

Religious Studies taught in school now is not the same as when I was in school. But then I went a convent in the 80s.

They learn about many religions and beliefs. Even if they are not interested in the exam they unwittingly become more knowledgable, openminded and accepting of different cultures. In a modern day multicultural society that has to be a good thing.

It’s not so much that they have a monopoly it just that they built/provided the land for most of the schools ,

Personally I think a section of the major religion’s should only be thought as part of a cultural awareness class only , religious doctrine has no place in education

Depends on what is being taught. I accept parents right to decide what education their kids get, but a one-religion, no-exceptions approach I dont agree with. Parents should have the option of saying I want my child to be taught all about Allah, or Budda, or Paganism, whatever.

Good luck to the teacher of your kids! In reality, with the curriculum so overcrowded and all the different learning needs and conditions, pupil numbers, the standard of literacy and numeracy, etc etc it's a wonder i get to 'teach' religion at all. We are supposed to do it for 30 mins daily. There are 12 subjects to be taught and religion is not my priority personally.

To be honest I think that is the best reason for getting it out of mainstream education if faith is so important to people they will instil it their children themselves, in the US (and to a lesser extent the UK and Ireland) a lot of people send their children to Sunday school to learn about their own faith,

I have to agree crotalus.

Definitely! this is the way its going. And would be the best for everyone.

yeah, i'm with the french on this one, traditionally a catholic country but staunchly secular in education. in britain we have a typically confused situation. in law all schools have to offer a "broadly christian ethos" but only the church primary schools actually include religious ceremonies. i taught for five years in a london comprehensive and never once was religion mentioned at an assembly, in theory contravening the law. i always encouraged students to be considerate and tolerant of differences whether to do with religion or sexuality or skin colour or language etc and again, telling students that there was nothing wrong with gay sex was in theory breaking the law. then of course the faith schools have different rules and are allowed to tell students that the earth is 4000 years old and call it science. complete mess. my solution: no faith schools, no private schools, no bogus science, no crosses, no burkhas, no skull caps, no discrimination and if you think that's not good enough for your children, do it yourself.

too true, parents are the primary educators after all!! dont see why i must teach kids to tie their shoelaces, use their manners, or be considerate to others!

dont attack me now parents just a few things ive been asked and expected to do so far.

You left out teaching them about the toilet , the state of the junior infants toilets at the start of the year is all ways horrendous , Seriously parents teach them to , Get it in the bowl, flush it when their done and wash their hands afterwards ,

I say no. 2 resons......although homeschooling on religion is the best option for any kid.... as schools have become modernised and secular core religious beliefs albeit catholic, protestanisim, muslim, etc...., teachers I don't believe would show any objectivity.

A catholic belives gay sex is wrong (and muslim and other denominations) and is instilled in this belief by their parents and their faith, yet in school the'yll be told "yes this is what you believe but its wrong and preaches hate".... No wonder kids don't give a toss.

At the same time though its important to learn about muslim religion, origins of protestanisim, hinduisim..... these are fascinating subjects that hey... if we learn tolerance to people's belifs we might just actually heal divisons in the world. This can start in schools

Heck atheisim is a religion as its based "on a belief system rather than fact"....

so I say keep it in schools, study it, lean about people and their faith values... show what makes people tick be it a the sacredness of human life as per catholic, devotion to allah as per muslim, reformation as per luther, nothingness in athesim......

One sure thing as a catholic, I believe in God, or a creator, studying religion in a fair and balanced way will lead people to an element of truth and the one truth that a creator does exist!!

PS sorry for the long post, hope I hav'nt offended anyone, just my opinion for what its worth!!!

[quote=crotalus_p]You left out teaching them about the toilet , the state of the junior infants toilets at the start of the year is all ways horrendous , Seriously parents teach them to , Get it in the bowl, flush it when their done and wash their hands afterwards ,[/quote

id seniors so wasnt as near as bad as juniors! mine were quite good, id the whole wash the hands drilled into them!! though the flushing used to be a disaster at times, ham sandwiches tend to block the system need i say more!!

Atheism is based on facts

To say that atheism requires faith is as dim-witted as saying that disbelief in pixies or leprechauns takes faith. Even if Einstein himself told me there was an elf on my shoulder, I would still ask for proof and I wouldn’t be wrong to ask. - Geoff Mather




Hmmm me thinks you may be ever so slightly biased

I would be very interested to know how and what was taught for religion in your days at school.

For me i dont recall anything in primary school as for secondary we had a religion class taught by the school priest who had no idea how to control teenagers. Ended up doing homework chatting with me mates or just going home! It was later replaced with civics class i think but that got cancelled to.

And this was all during the start of boom time so perhaps a transitional period for religion in schools ??

In reguards to the thread i think it should definatly not be thaught in primary school for secondary yeah sure but should be called something like cultural diversity class and give a more broad perscective about other peoples religion and cultures and about the countries they have come from as well as our own. I think that would hold a teenagers mind longer the waffleing about a God or Gods or praying for your soul.