Religion classes in school - Megathread

To your misfortune, this is my country too—the one where I’m getting absolutely hammered by taxes
and all I want is for our government institutions (especially the schools) to actually follow the laws on the books regarding the separation of church and state.

I know I'm playing devil's advocate here, but the law is technically on their side. It’s a literal interpretation rather than the spirit of the rule, but I guess that's just how it goes. 😁

So, how can anyone claim this is a secular country when having priests bless schools and preschools is treated like just another Tuesday?

I mean, honestly, I can’t remember a single groundbreaking ceremony—whether it’s a new school, a daycare center, or even a hospital wing—since the early 90s that didn't involve some clergy crew showing up to sprinkle holy water everywhere.
Maybe if you live in a super liberal pocket like Seattle or San Francisco, you wouldn't see it as much, but elsewhere? Not happening.🙂

Bless the [CT] 🙄 🙄

So you're claiming not all kids are the same, or equally independent, etc... and honestly? They don't have to be. But that’s no excuse for raising them to be total pushovers who are scared of their own shadows.

Teach them stuff... what have you been waiting for?

For them to wander out onto a busy highway?
Or for them to start school totally clueless about how to handle themselves or deal with other kids?
Real great...

James Alvarez2 said:First off, please stop with the dots, question marks, and massive spaces, it hurts my eyes to read this.

Second, you conveniently ignored this post above:

But whatever, I'm just here to point it out for you.

You've got one kid (because it's always easier when there are two together to look out for each other), and you leave them alone under these conditions. A bully in the class, a school near a major highway, TWICE A WEEK.
Not all kids are equally independent. Not all of them know how to defend themselves from insults or physical stuff, and they don't all handle sudden freedom the same way...

I don't see why it's not clicking for you that you're constantly comparing your kids to someone else's child.

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redridge13 said:So, how can anyone claim this is a secular country when having priests bless schools and preschools is treated like just another Tuesday?

I mean, honestly, I can’t remember a single groundbreaking ceremony—whether it’s a new school, a daycare center, or even a hospital wing—since the early 90s that didn't involve some clergy crew showing up to sprinkle holy water everywhere.
Maybe if you live in a super liberal pocket like Seattle or San Francisco, you wouldn't see it as much, but elsewhere? Not happening.🙂

Bless the [CT] 🙄 🙄

People do this exact same thing in other countries too; they just follow a different religion...

So what's the big deal?????

Religion and government are tightly linked no matter where you travel in the world...
Name me one single country where that isn't the case...
It hasn't happened in history, and it's not happening now...

And frankly, I think it's pretty hypocritical when people who claim to be devout Catholics go on about how much they hate religious education in schools (and yeah, we've got plenty of those here—people saying, "Oh, I'm Catholic, but I don't want my kid having religion class")... if you're going to act like that, then don't go claiming the Catholic label in the first place. Be fair.
As a Catholic myself, I'm actually glad my kids get to have religious instruction at school...

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I honestly find myself constantly in awe of the mindset they have over in Saudi Arabia or India. It’s exactly the kind of energy we need here in the States...

Look, I honestly don't have anything against those religions...
I’m honestly so over all these wars fought in the name of one religion or another. It’s been happening throughout history and it’s still happening now, and frankly, I'm sick of it.

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Sure, Christianity stopped spreading through "fire and sword," but other religions haven't played by those rules.

In America, we’re dealing with a specific issue where certain factions within the Catholic Church are using political maneuvering to infiltrate every corner of civic life, aiming to seize total control over the government.
So far, they're actually succeeding, and we're well on our way to becoming an American version of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

@shadowcrane91, you seem to have an issue with Catholics who actually show empathy and understanding toward kids left wandering the halls because they don't attend religious education classes. Is it really unacceptable to you that some people feel embarrassed by being Catholic when they see how others act "in the name of faith"? 😕

A few practical-minded Catholics here have pointed out that mandatory religious ed in schools is problematic specifically because it fails to account for individual differences among students, and we haven't found a solid solution for those who aren't participating.
In the spirit of our faith, I believe you know that this approach is all about looking out for your neighbor, just as Jesus taught us. I’m honestly not sure where we lost our way, if modern Catholics are ignoring that core part of Jesus's teachings or just using excuses like, "Let the school handle it; it's not my concern."
I was raised to care about others, not just focus on my own needs.
While your child is sitting in class learning things that you could easily teach them at home, there might be another kid feeling lonely in the library, someone sad out in the hallway, or someone else just hanging out on the playground... but they are still there, and you can't just look the other way.
It isn't humane, nor is it in the spirit of the faith you mention so often.

When you're happily chirping about how glad you are that religious ed is available at school, there’s another parent out there worrying about how their child is spending that hour.
You know, I thought about this deeply back when my child wasn't a student yet, even though I identify as Catholic.
It matters to me how children grow up, what we teach them, and how they feel in the school they're expected to attend for at least eight years.

Furthermore, there's a large group of people—regardless of nationality, faith, or any specific talent like sports or music—who believe that elective subjects, whether it's religion, computer science, PE, or a foreign language, should be scheduled during a different period or at least first/last thing in the day. That way, kids who don't choose that subject aren't left with a massive gap in their school day.

Maybe you're okay with your kids wandering the halls for 45 minutes, but I'm not comfortable with that for mine for the next ten years.
Teaching a child independence—like walking to school, staying home alone, or running to the corner store—is one thing, but leaving a child unsupervised in a hallway just because others need to practice their faith at 9:50 AM is something else entirely.

shadowcrane91 said:So you're claiming not all kids are the same, or equally independent, etc... and honestly? They don't have to be. But that’s no excuse for raising them to be total pushovers who are scared of their own shadows.

Teach them stuff... what have you been waiting for?

For them to wander out onto a busy highway?
Or for them to start school totally clueless about how to handle themselves or deal with other kids?
Real great...

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Look, dear shadowcrane91... speaking as someone who actually works with kids—you really should know by now—there are so many problematic children out there that even adults, or trained educators, honestly don't know how to handle them to stop the bullying, whether it's physical or psychological.
I once had a seven-year-old in my class—he was hitting other kids constantly—and he was right there next to me during my lesson. He hit me, he hit the teacher, he even hit the religion instructor. He trashed two of my planners and one textbook, too. Now, just imagine if your child doesn't attend religion class and has to spend that hour unsupervised, just "socializing" with a kid like that. You'd be sitting at home feeling totally relaxed because you taught your own child how to behave, right? Of course you would. ☕

And honestly, kids like that are becoming more and more common.
Plus, who can actually guarantee that while your kid is sitting in the hallway without supervision, some eighth grader won't pop out from the restroom and start messing with them, even if it's just "for fun"?
At one school where I worked, some eighth graders actually decided to "initiate" a new student by slamming his head into a toilet. Thank God they were caught in time since they tried it during recess—but what if they’d had a free period while the rest of the class was in religion class? Seriously, who is to blame for that boy and his parents not teaching him how to respect others? ☕
Total Christian 👍, maybe even Catholic! 👏

Look, as a Catholic, because of kids who lack any sense of independence, or those who aren't even religious, or just straight-up bullies, am I SUPPOSED to want religion classes out of schools????

I never said I’m fine with people mocking each other—doesn't matter if they're Catholic or not—but I am perfectly fine with teaching a kid how to defend themselves and deal with the fallout.....
I mean, seriously—if they don't learn how to overcome obstacles like this now, how are they going to survive the real world later????

And no, I don't think it's normal for ten-year-olds to need the same level of hand-holding as toddlers in preschool, or to have someone hovering over them constantly....

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I don't know about your local school district, but at my kids' school, I’ve noticed there are always staff members walking the halls. There's always an adult around making themselves visible, so if any of the kids actually need something, they have someone right there to turn to instantly.

Honestly, it’s common sense. We should be teaching our kids how to handle things, rather than just assuming some grown-up is going to swoop in and fix everything for them every single time.

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Look, school is an educational institution meant for learning. A daycare or preschool is where you go for care and supervision. Why on earth would anyone expect them to hire someone just to entertain their kids because there’s a gap in the lesson plan? It's not how it works.

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Well, it’s because they have that loophole due to an election issue they didn't even vote on, plus they're still basically toddlers at seven years old.
If that's the case, why on earth do we even need after-school care for first and second graders? Why can't they just head home and look after themselves until their parents get off work?☕

shadowcrane91 said:So you're claiming not all kids are the same, or equally independent, etc... and honestly? They don't have to be. But that’s no excuse for raising them to be total pushovers who are scared of their own shadows.

Teach them stuff... what have you been waiting for?

For them to wander out onto a busy highway?
Or for them to start school totally clueless about how to handle themselves or deal with other kids?
Real great...

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Under American law, kids can't just be left unsupervised. It's pretty straightforward. Most people figure that a 6, 7, or 8-year-old isn't quite ready to handle every single dangerous situation life throws at them—even if parents try not to "treat them like snowflakes." There's actually a legal term for leaving them totally on their own: neglect.

My kids walk to school by themselves.....
So basically—I'm just totally neglecting them..... poor things.....

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shadowcrane91 said:Yeah... exactly...
Look, I don't see any reason to go out there and start a damn riot against some other country's laws or their religion if it isn't our business. Why would I fight against how they run their own setup over there when we've got enough going on right here in America?

the majority isn't always right

Larry Walker24 said:the majority isn't always right

The majority made their choice, and by doing so, they basically handed both the church and the government a free pass.

It's the exact same cycle... we just keep voting for the Republican Party or the Democratic Party on loop, everyone complains, but then they go out and vote for them anyway. It’s ridiculous.

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So, shadowcrane91, do you really think it’s okay to bake Catholic values into laws that apply to everyone?