Religion classes in school - Megathread

Robert Rodriguez9 said:You might be willing, but not everyone is. Some families just don't have the extra cash. Personally, I'm also worried about how my little one will handle public speaking and juggling multiple languages at once.🤷 Once again, we end up with kids being left behind.

Look, I’m looking at this from the perspective of the parents at the school where they tried to organize this. When everyone is willing to chip in, the whole thing hinges on
a) the Department of Education or some agency making decisions that feel like discrimination against kids in religious studies classes
b) the parents of those same kids

In my book, that wouldn't fly
even though I actually found that math session quite helpful, 🙏 🙏 🙏

And here's the kicker: the non-religious kids end up being the minority mostly because so many parents just sign them up for religious ed out of habit. They just don't want their child to feel left out or stuck sitting in the hallway while everyone else is in class.
As soon as better extracurricular options come along—where parents realize their kid isn't just being supervised, but actually getting something valuable out of it—they jump ship immediately.

For me, that first hour works perfectly. It aligns well with her biological clock and my work schedule; having those two hours in the morning to catch up on sleep would be a total lifesaver.
But then you see someone like Miss Daisy, who is totally lost on what to do with her child in the morning. I think there are plenty of parents like that who would actually benefit from early morning childcare sessions, rather than leaving their kids to fend for themselves (where they don't even have a teacher available to watch them).

That’s exactly why I mentioned it—it seems like so many kids are dropping out during second or especially third grade.
First off, parents notice that not all the kids are actually attending. Plus, the requirements start getting pretty intense for anyone who isn't deeply religious or just shows up for Christmas and Easter.

Susan James said:Look, I’m looking at this from the perspective of the parents at the school where they tried to organize this. When everyone is willing to chip in, the whole thing hinges on
a) the Department of Education or some agency making decisions that feel like discrimination against kids in religious studies classes
b) the parents of those same kids

In my book, that wouldn't fly
even though I actually found that math session quite helpful, 🙏 🙏 🙏

And here's the kicker: the non-religious kids end up being the minority mostly because so many parents just sign them up for religious ed out of habit. They just don't want their child to feel left out or stuck sitting in the hallway while everyone else is in class.
As soon as better extracurricular options come along—where parents realize their kid isn't just being supervised, but actually getting something valuable out of it—they jump ship immediately.

For me, that first hour works perfectly. It aligns well with her biological clock and my work schedule; having those two hours in the morning to catch up on sleep would be a total lifesaver.
But then you see someone like Miss Daisy, who is totally lost on what to do with her child in the morning. I think there are plenty of parents like that who would actually benefit from early morning childcare sessions, rather than leaving their kids to fend for themselves (where they don't even have a teacher available to watch them).

honestly, kids are checking out on their own too. I was chatting with my little neighbor who's in 7th grade now, and even back in 5th, you could see the numbers dropping—it's like half the class shows up, and mind you, they're still motivated by stuff like that online thread about getting a $1,000 gift card ☕.

up in high school over here in San Francisco, enrollment is basically cratering, even though everyone knows it's "way easier to snag an A in religion than in ethics," which is pretty much the only reason anyone signs up in the first place.

anyway, speaking as a true New Yorker, half my family is from California 😁, and even in those tiny rural towns they come from, being Catholic is mostly just a formality on paper; they show up when there's a festival or once they hit old age and decide to turn back to God.
but they still enroll in those classes just so they don't look like Mexicans.

so yeah, I’m not trying to police anyone’s personal beliefs, but I think we can all agree that you won't find a group of people more "spiritually lukewarm" than Catholics in the West.
it's painfully obvious that they pushed religious studies into the schools because the flock wouldn't even know how to recite the Lord's Prayer if it wasn't mandatory, let alone understand what a holiday like Corpus Christi even is.

I wouldn't go so far as to say religious education numbers are dropping—at least, not where I live.
Washington, D.C. isn't exactly a perfect benchmark, and neither is San Francisco.

Susan James said:Look, I’m looking at this from the perspective of the parents at the school where they tried to organize this. When everyone is willing to chip in, the whole thing hinges on
a) the Department of Education or some agency making decisions that feel like discrimination against kids in religious studies classes
b) the parents of those same kids

In my book, that wouldn't fly
even though I actually found that math session quite helpful, 🙏 🙏 🙏

And here's the kicker: the non-religious kids end up being the minority mostly because so many parents just sign them up for religious ed out of habit. They just don't want their child to feel left out or stuck sitting in the hallway while everyone else is in class.
As soon as better extracurricular options come along—where parents realize their kid isn't just being supervised, but actually getting something valuable out of it—they jump ship immediately.

For me, that first hour works perfectly. It aligns well with her biological clock and my work schedule; having those two hours in the morning to catch up on sleep would be a total lifesaver.
But then you see someone like Miss Daisy, who is totally lost on what to do with her child in the morning. I think there are plenty of parents like that who would actually benefit from early morning childcare sessions, rather than leaving their kids to fend for themselves (where they don't even have a teacher available to watch them).

It’s fine as long as we include all the non-religious kids.
Honestly, I don't even know how they'll organize this in our future school system, so I'm just guessing. But I know my little guy won't feel left out if we just take a break and go grab ice cream instead. He'll probably just feel special about it, kind of like when a parent picks you up from preschool after lunch. At least, I hope so. 🕺

Karen Richardson3 said:honestly, kids are checking out on their own too. I was chatting with my little neighbor who's in 7th grade now, and even back in 5th, you could see the numbers dropping—it's like half the class shows up, and mind you, they're still motivated by stuff like that online thread about getting a $1,000 gift card ☕.

up in high school over here in San Francisco, enrollment is basically cratering, even though everyone knows it's "way easier to snag an A in religion than in ethics," which is pretty much the only reason anyone signs up in the first place.

anyway, speaking as a true New Yorker, half my family is from California 😁, and even in those tiny rural towns they come from, being Catholic is mostly just a formality on paper; they show up when there's a festival or once they hit old age and decide to turn back to God.
but they still enroll in those classes just so they don't look like Mexicans.

so yeah, I’m not trying to police anyone’s personal beliefs, but I think we can all agree that you won't find a group of people more "spiritually lukewarm" than Catholics in the West.
it's painfully obvious that they pushed religious studies into the schools because the flock wouldn't even know how to recite the Lord's Prayer if it wasn't mandatory, let alone understand what a holiday like Corpus Christi even is.

I remember my high school teacher saying it was stupid to give anything less than an A in religion or ethics classes. In her eyes, everyone should pass those subjects with flying colors.

I can't speak for smaller towns, but I see how things work here in Washington, D.C. In more rural areas, people probably go to church just because it's expected—it's almost a scandal if you don't. You see those older folks get all worked up when they try to tell the kids they have to show up on Sunday.

brighteagle86 said:I wouldn't go so far as to say religious education numbers are dropping—at least, not where I live.
Washington, D.C. isn't exactly a perfect benchmark, and neither is San Francisco.

But yeah, I get what you mean. I’m just saying my folks down in California all show up, mostly because they're Mexicans 😁

At my school, if you don't sign up for religion class, you just hang out with the teacher during that period instead. That’s how it works from first through fourth grade, though I’m not really sure what the setup is once you get older. If the library happens to be open, they head there with the teacher, but if not, they just grab an empty classroom somewhere.

Totally. In smaller towns, people tend to take all those big religious displays way more seriously.
Most of our kids spend their time hanging out in the library because the school packed both religious studies classes right in the middle of the day this year. My daughter actually has this weird gap between her 4th period and two other classes later on, and since we live just across the street from the school, she usually just heads home to grab a snack.

Last year, I heard about this little girl who tried to force someone to say grace before lunch at school, and then some kid in her class told her she was going straight to hell for it. My kid? She just shrugged and was basically like, "Whatever, let them talk..." :-P

In my kid’s class, about four out of the twenty-one students skip religion class. During that period, they just hang out in the teacher's office, drawing, coloring, or playing games.
Honestly, I don't mind that part. At least they're supervised, staying put, and actually doing something productive instead of wandering the halls. But I still can't get behind the idea of religious education being part of the public school curriculum, let alone having it graded. For a second there, I actually started questioning myself—like, "Is it really that bad to hear this stuff?" But then I caught a glimpse of one of the textbooks, and it hit me: there is no way I could let my child sit through that. Once kids develop enough critical thinking skills to process everything, they can decide for themselves what to believe or which faith to follow. But while they're still young and haven't built up that foundation of knowledge and logic, I just can't stomach having these views pushed on them, especially when it clashes with our family's beliefs.

brighteagle86 said:I wouldn't go so far as to say religious education numbers are dropping—at least, not where I live.
Washington, D.C. isn't exactly a perfect benchmark, and neither is San Francisco.

hmm...San Francisco, 5th grade, exactly half aren't doing religious ed.
more went last year.

in our school, religious ed isn't always the first or last period. if it's stuck in the middle—kids just have to deal with it...🙄
last year the teacher told the kids who don't take religious ed at the start of the term they could just head home during that hour. I totally lost it, went right up to her and was like, "uh, what happens when there's some crazy weather or the kids live way too far away..." she just stood there looking stunned like why would I even ask... grrr, just thinking about it makes me mad... after that, she told them they could hang out in the courtyard or some room and draw... she would've banned religious ed instantly if she had to!!!

I don't get it, why for example in our school, religious ed isn't in the afternoon shift, since all the other Democratic electives are in the afternoon. why does religious ed get perks compared to other electives? probably because then even fewer kids would show up.
imagine if computer science—which is an elective—was shoved in the middle of the day, then half the kids not taking it would be loitering around the school...🤦

Back when I was in elementary school about 15 years ago, anyone who didn't take religion class was treated like an outsider. In my class, three kids didn't participate because they were Muslim. They usually just had to wait out in the hallway while the rest of us finished our lessons. It feels like back then, religion wasn't even a Democratic elective; it was mandatory. Everyone had to sit through it—even those three kids had to attend our religious studies for the first three grades. Eventually, they introduced a single year of Islamic studies, but it didn't last long due to lack of interest.
In high school, I chose ethics because it actually interested me, and I don't regret it. We covered a lot of ground, and getting an A wasn't easy (unlike in religion class).
One more negative thing regarding my elementary school: when we were in 8th grade, the teachers told us that we had to sign up for religion in high school. It felt like they were trying to intimidate us, as if they were going to monitor our choices (!!!). Out of the 12 students from my group who went to the same high school as I did, I was the only one who chose ethics. I can't tell if I made that choice based on that intimidation from middle school or if it was truly my own decision.

In my high school, religion and ethics classes were scheduled at the same time. Looking back at my old class, about 65% took religion and 35% took ethics.

pas-garo, can you tell me which school that was, somewhere here in Chicago maybe?
I’ve been noticing a real shift in the wind lately—at least here in the city, though official statistics might not have caught up yet. In my department, out of our group, two of us didn't sign our kids up for religious education classes, while three did. It’s starting to feel like more than just a few "isolated" cases. Honestly, we were almost at a 3:2 split; I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers flip entirely in a year or two. Even in one girl's class, a third of the kids aren't attending, and we're talking about first graders! That's when the fear of social isolation or kids just wandering the halls is at its peak. If you look back five or six years at this same school, there would have been maybe one child—if anyone at all—skipping those classes.
It seems like non-believers in this messy state of ours, where there's zero tolerance for diversity, have finally found the courage to openly express their views. And the fact that they're being pressured through their children... well, I think that's just further proof of how undemocratic, intolerant, and—above all else—insensitive our government is toward the youngest among us.

The Savanna area, right near the roundabout
What I’m describing was about 8 to 15 years ago—I finished middle school about eight years back. I have no idea if things have shifted since then, but religious studies were heavily pushed on us. My homeroom teacher—who I hear retired last year—was a devout believer and constantly tried to proselytize, seemingly forgetting that not every student shares her convictions.
I wasn't raised in a religious household. I only attended church because it was required for First Communion and Confirmation. It felt redundant, too, since we had to attend extra religious education classes at the parish office on top of the standard school curriculum.
I hope that in a few years, they introduce ethics as a formal alternative to religious studies in elementary schools. To be honest, I don't think religious studies is a bad subject; it's useful for general cultural literacy. But it shouldn't be framed as something intended solely for believers.

I can see the trend shifting. We aren't stuck in the Stone Age like when I was in school.🙂 Parents are finally realizing they have the right to choose, and I respect that. Most importantly, parents should actually ask their children if they *want* to participate instead of forcing them. In my experience, everyone was mandated to attend, whether they wanted to or not.
The biggest issue is exactly what you mentioned: the fear that kids might face social isolation. Children can imagine all sorts of reasons why someone wouldn't attend these classes. They might even pick up certain biases from their parents when questioning why a peer opted out. As the saying goes, children are reflections of their parents.

Personally, I don't see any cultural value—or even any practical benefit—in forcing my child to go through things like confession or formal prayer rituals. From a content perspective, they’ll get plenty of exposure to Christian myths and legends through appropriate books. My goal is to present those stories within the broader context of all different religions, rather than framing them as absolute, unquestionable truths where you face eternal damnation if you don't believe. Even if we "package" everything through themes of love, compassion, and family values, it stays much more grounded.

That said, you really need to reach a certain level of intellectual maturity to be able to "read between the lines." Based on what I've seen with some of my acquaintances, some kids pick up on that nuance almost immediately, while others take a bit longer to get there. Honestly, I just don't want to deal with a daily tug-of-war at home over why we aren't strictly following whatever they're being taught in school. It's also tough because I don't want to sit there with a straight face listening to what I consider complete nonsense, yet I know I shouldn't mock the teachers or the curriculum in front of my kid. If you ever find yourself caught in that kind of schizophrenic loop, it's quite a predicament.

You didn't actually have to take religion class; thankfully, it was never a mandatory subject
I think it was presented that way, but you could always opt out

rowdypanther12 said:You didn't actually have to take religion class; thankfully, it was never a mandatory subject
I think it was presented that way, but you could always opt out

That’s quite true. I finished elementary school about fifteen years ago, and I ended up opting out of those religious studies classes during my final two years. Back then, things weren't quite as intense as they seem to be nowadays, but our local priest—or whatever title he went by at the time—tended to have these sudden outbursts of temper, so I decided I just didn't have the patience for it. Plus, I had pretty much stopped believing in all that back in second grade, so it felt a bit pointless. I remember spending that time hanging out in the hallway with a friend who also skipped, or just wandering around the school grounds. Honestly, there wasn't much oversight regarding where we wandered off to.🤷

rowdypanther12 said:I can't speak for smaller towns, but I see how things work here in Washington, D.C. In more rural areas, people probably go to church just because it's expected—it's almost a scandal if you don't. You see those older folks get all worked up when they try to tell the kids they have to show up on Sunday.

The truth is, kids only really have to deal with Mass on Sundays during 3rd and 8th grade for First Communion and Confirmation, mostly just so they learn how to actually behave in a sanctuary, right? For any other grade, nobody’s forcing them or even checking to see if they showed up.
Plus, parents can totally coordinate; they can take turns every Sunday, so one parent picks up the kids and drives them to service while the others stay home—nobody expects every single parent to be stuck in a pew with their kids every single week.

Anyway, I honestly don't get parents who go out of their way to enroll their kids in religious education classes and then suddenly find it such a massive chore to drive them to church, or worse, let them drop out of the program the following school year... I mean, what kind of message does that even send to a kid? If they decide they don't want to go to school tomorrow, should they just quit their entire education altogether?🤷

I agree. Religious education classes should really only be for kids who actually attend church on Sundays—families where faith and religious traditions are a genuine part of their daily lives.

But since that isn't the case, most kids are enrolled by parents who haven't stepped foot in a church since their own baptism or maybe a wedding years ago. Because of that, they just pull the kids out of the program as soon as anyone starts asking them to actually show up for services.

A little friend of mine has a kid starting first grade at a school where religion class is the very last period. That way, kids who don't take it just head home, so there isn't a bunch of kids loitering in the halls.

Whatever, still got over 20 kids signed up for religion class.
And honestly, what really gets me is when you sign your kid up for religious ed, they make it all the way to third grade, and then suddenly there's all this drama because the kid actually has to go to church on Sunday. 🤣
But it’s not like it’s a big deal when a kid plays sports and has to deal with conditioning and games every single Saturday and Sunday. 🤣

So I show up to pick my kid up from school, and I get stuck listening to this group of parents—who don't even know me, and our kids don't know each other—venting about how "exhausting" it is to go to Mass every Sunday. They want their kid to take First Communion, but they sure don't want them actually going to Mass.
What's the point? Why bother with religious ed and stressing the kid out with extra classes, services, and prep work if you aren't actually committed to it? 🤷