Religion classes in school - Megathread

Anyway, I have a question for those of you working in the school system who might actually have some insight into this mess: how on earth is it possible for a kid to skip an entire subject—specifically religion class—and yet still see regular grades popping up in the online gradebook? Is this just some massive technical glitch in the district's software, or are we looking at pure negligence from the administration?

I actually teach an elective myself, and no—students don't really have to declare their choice at the start of every school year. Basically, if they don't submit a formal written request to opt out, it’s just assumed they're sticking with the class again.

As for the whole religious studies thing and having to attend church services... my cousin had a teacher like that about ten years ago. They had to go to the local parish for religious ed and collect these specific stamps in a little booklet from the priest—and if you missed mass three times, you were basically out of luck. So, parents would end up dragging them to Sunday service and confession just to make sure everything was documented. There were also all these headaches if you weren't at your home parish—like, say, you go to a different church nearby, but the priest there doesn't have a deal with your teacher and won't give you the stamp, so then the teacher won't count it... honestly, her parents were losing their minds that entire year. Thankfully, the following year she got a much more chill teacher.
So, yeah—just because you didn't experience something personally doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Sarah Hall53 said:I actually teach an elective myself, and no—students don't really have to declare their choice at the start of every school year. Basically, if they don't submit a formal written request to opt out, it’s just assumed they're sticking with the class again.

As for the whole religious studies thing and having to attend church services... my cousin had a teacher like that about ten years ago. They had to go to the local parish for religious ed and collect these specific stamps in a little booklet from the priest—and if you missed mass three times, you were basically out of luck. So, parents would end up dragging them to Sunday service and confession just to make sure everything was documented. There were also all these headaches if you weren't at your home parish—like, say, you go to a different church nearby, but the priest there doesn't have a deal with your teacher and won't give you the stamp, so then the teacher won't count it... honestly, her parents were losing their minds that entire year. Thankfully, the following year she got a much more chill teacher.
So, yeah—just because you didn't experience something personally doesn't mean it isn't happening.

That's exactly what I'm saying

It really would be helpful if parents checked in on the teacher's specific requirements early on. That way, they won't be totally blindsided by the demands later, especially since you can't just opt out mid-year. Even if nothing is ever a 100% guarantee, it would at least prevent them from being shocked when a teacher insists that attending Mass is a higher priority than a soccer game—even though the other kids in the club, who go to different schools, seem to manage both school religion classes and their games just fine.

Firstborn dealt with this exact same nonsense regarding priest signatures. When she visited us over the weekend and tried attending Mass at our local parish, her teacher refused to recognize it. She adapted to that attitude pretty quickly. Her parents pulled her from the program before the second school year even started. As far as I know, they didn't need permission to enroll her in religion classes every year, but they had to file a formal request just to withdraw her.
The little girl actually enjoyed going to church and religious studies. But because of this pressure and some truly senseless comments, she stopped going altogether. For instance, the teacher actually claimed that a family with divorced parents isn't a "real" family. She even said those parents were headed straight to hell. I have no idea where those kids are supposed to end up... there are several kids in that class with divorced parents. Some have half-siblings too. They live perfectly peaceful, stable lives. They get along great with their stepparents. Everything works fine. Then you have one teacher telling them their family isn't real and that they'll burn in hell. These are 9 and 10-year-olds. My daughter came home in absolute tears. Mom has a new partner, Dad has a new wife and another child...

Just an observation that nothing hateful can be said in a religious studies class.

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Susan James said:That's exactly what I'm saying

It really would be helpful if parents checked in on the teacher's specific requirements early on. That way, they won't be totally blindsided by the demands later, especially since you can't just opt out mid-year. Even if nothing is ever a 100% guarantee, it would at least prevent them from being shocked when a teacher insists that attending Mass is a higher priority than a soccer game—even though the other kids in the club, who go to different schools, seem to manage both school religion classes and their games just fine.

I don't think parents even need to bother asking about the requirements; if a teacher is actually acting like this, they should just report them to the proper authorities. Look, there's a very clear line drawn between public school curriculum and church activities, both for the sake of the church and the government.

And as for pulling a kid out of a program? The rules are the same across the board—you can't just unenroll your kid in the middle of the year, whether it's a formal class or just some after-school club or extracurricular activity... you know how it is.

Brenda Doyle5 said:Firstborn dealt with this exact same nonsense regarding priest signatures. When she visited us over the weekend and tried attending Mass at our local parish, her teacher refused to recognize it. She adapted to that attitude pretty quickly. Her parents pulled her from the program before the second school year even started. As far as I know, they didn't need permission to enroll her in religion classes every year, but they had to file a formal request just to withdraw her.
The little girl actually enjoyed going to church and religious studies. But because of this pressure and some truly senseless comments, she stopped going altogether. For instance, the teacher actually claimed that a family with divorced parents isn't a "real" family. She even said those parents were headed straight to hell. I have no idea where those kids are supposed to end up... there are several kids in that class with divorced parents. Some have half-siblings too. They live perfectly peaceful, stable lives. They get along great with their stepparents. Everything works fine. Then you have one teacher telling them their family isn't real and that they'll burn in hell. These are 9 and 10-year-olds. My daughter came home in absolute tears. Mom has a new partner, Dad has a new wife and another child...

Just an observation that nothing hateful can be said in a religious studies class.

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That’s awful. It flies in the face of everything church doctrine actually teaches.
I know a few local catechists, and they're all genuinely great people who do so much for their kids.
It’s embarrassing when someone acts like this and drags the whole reputation of religious educators through the mud.

Extra classes and those electives aren't mandatory—a student can pretty much walk away from them whenever they feel like it during the school year, no big explanations needed.
But once an elective is officially logged in the gradebook at the start of the term, it’s basically a commitment for the rest of the year. Under the new rules, you can't just drop it mid-stream unless there’s some major, unforeseen circumstance—usually something medical.

And honestly, it can be a bit of a headache trying to get clear answers at certain schools. Since there are so many different teachers involved, things stay up in the air until late August when they finally nail down the final headcount for classes and students.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Look, during Catholic school religion classes, the teachers honestly couldn't care less whether a kid actually shows up to mass or not, let alone if they're calling kids out or docking their grades for it...
if you actually know of a teacher doing something like that, you should totally report them.
Besides, that doesn't even happen in Sunday school because the whole point of religious education isn't to force some kid to sit in a pew, right? It's about introducing them to faith and the service if they're actually interested.

but if I recall correctly, back when they were pushing religion into the public schools, they renamed Santa Claus to "Santa Claus" as some sort of local, traditionalist twist, didn't they?🥳
so, does he exist or what?

This has nothing to do with local politics; the whole rebranding of Santa Claus was just a political move because under the old regime, it was always the old-school Santa giving gifts, so anything tied to the former government was automatically labeled "out," while everything Western was deemed "in."
Actually, back in the day, the old-school Santa used to give kids gifts for New Year's, whereas the Western Santa Claus shows up on Christmas Eve, or rather, at Christmas...

That’s just not true, and honestly, it probably just depends on which teacher you get. This little girl has pointed her finger at people more than once, yelling things like, "You! You! And you over there! You guys don't go regularly!" It was almost like she was trying to trigger some kind of meltdown from the teacher during recess.

I’ve been thinking about the whole Santa Claus thing versus religious lessons lately... what did your parents tell you about who actually puts the gifts under the tree?

In my house, we were taught it was little Jesus bringing the gifts. We always had a tree by the balcony doors, and I used to leave them cracked open just a bit—though my parents always made sure they were shut tight, of course, because 🤣—just so he could slip the presents in.
Santa Claus would show up with gifts at all those Christmas parties my dad used to host for his company, so I never really felt confused about any of the 🤷

My family isn't exactly devout, though I did attend religious education classes growing up. I’m actually planning on telling my little one that little Jesus is the one leaving gifts under the tree next to the Nativity scene. I have a feeling he'll be the only kid in town hearing that version.
Am I being too naive? 🤦

Back when my little one was in school, they had this big debate about who actually brings the presents. I was honestly crying laughing when she told me about it 😂
Basically, she eventually just lost it and told the whole class that it doesn't even matter who does it. She said someone might believe it's Santa Claus, someone else thinks it's Jesus, some think it's just Mom and Dad, and others might even think it's a frog or a giraffe—as long as the gifts actually show up! 😂

Susan Martin4 said:I’ve been thinking about the whole Santa Claus thing versus religious lessons lately... what did your parents tell you about who actually puts the gifts under the tree?

In my house, we were taught it was little Jesus bringing the gifts. We always had a tree by the balcony doors, and I used to leave them cracked open just a bit—though my parents always made sure they were shut tight, of course, because 🤣—just so he could slip the presents in.
Santa Claus would show up with gifts at all those Christmas parties my dad used to host for his company, so I never really felt confused about any of the 🤷

My family isn't exactly devout, though I did attend religious education classes growing up. I’m actually planning on telling my little one that little Jesus is the one leaving gifts under the tree next to the Nativity scene. I have a feeling he'll be the only kid in town hearing that version.
Am I being too naive? 🤦

It won't work.
At my dad's place—he's a pretty devout guy, based on how everyone talks about this stuff here—it's always a different vibe. 😁At my place, little Jesus brings the gifts, but over at my house, it's all about Santa Claus.
I just tell them they're all part of the same system and work together. 😁

rowdypanther12 said:Back when my little one was in school, they had this big debate about who actually brings the presents. I was honestly crying laughing when she told me about it 😂
Basically, she eventually just lost it and told the whole class that it doesn't even matter who does it. She said someone might believe it's Santa Claus, someone else thinks it's Jesus, some think it's just Mom and Dad, and others might even think it's a frog or a giraffe—as long as the gifts actually show up! 😂

Well, she wasn't wrong about that. 😁

but the way she described that whole debate made it sound like 😁

basically, back when she was five, she asked her friend how Jesus could bring her presents if He was just a baby—like, how can a baby walk around and carry gifts without Mom or Dad? 😂

Jason Ortiz5 said:That’s just not true, and honestly, it probably just depends on which teacher you get. This little girl has pointed her finger at people more than once, yelling things like, "You! You! And you over there! You guys don't go regularly!" It was almost like she was trying to trigger some kind of meltdown from the teacher during recess.

Nah, that's the absolute truth, and if I were you, I'd report that teacher immediately. They don't have the right to act like that, especially not in an American religious studies class.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Nah, that's the absolute truth, and if I were you, I'd report that teacher immediately. They don't have the right to act like that, especially not in an American religious studies class.

Oh, I'm sure they'll scramble to fix it. These instructors are terrified of being reported... they act like they've seen the devil himself.☕

Sarah Hall53 said:Extra classes and those electives aren't mandatory—a student can pretty much walk away from them whenever they feel like it during the school year, no big explanations needed.
But once an elective is officially logged in the gradebook at the start of the term, it’s basically a commitment for the rest of the year. Under the new rules, you can't just drop it mid-stream unless there’s some major, unforeseen circumstance—usually something medical.

And honestly, it can be a bit of a headache trying to get clear answers at certain schools. Since there are so many different teachers involved, things stay up in the air until late August when they finally nail down the final headcount for classes and students.

Oh, come on... seriously? Besides, looking at the official gradebooks, there isn't even a specific section for extra credit, and extracurricular or non-academic activities just don't get recorded anyway. 🤦

And I honestly don't get why anyone would even bother asking about this, since going to church has absolutely nothing to do with school requirements and they definitely aren't grading you on it, right?

It’s extra, just like those elective classes—entirely voluntary on the students' part. You can't officially log absences for them, you can't mark them unexcused just because they didn't show up, and you definitely can't stop them from dropping out right in the middle of the school year if they decide they've had enough.
We keep a record that the sessions actually happened, but at the end of the day, the kids aren't required to attend if they don't feel like it.

Regarding that second point, have you actually read what people are saying online? 🤦 Look, there are three of us who KNOW firsthand—from actual experience, having seen the stamped handbooks with my own eyes—that students were getting bad grades specifically for skipping Sunday Mass at their local parish, but hey, you know better than we do. 🤦

Sarah Hall53 said:It’s extra, just like those elective classes—entirely voluntary on the students' part. You can't officially log absences for them, you can't mark them unexcused just because they didn't show up, and you definitely can't stop them from dropping out right in the middle of the school year if they decide they've had enough.
We keep a record that the sessions actually happened, but at the end of the day, the kids aren't required to attend if they don't feel like it.

Regarding that second point, have you actually read what people are saying online? 🤦 Look, there are three of us who KNOW firsthand—from actual experience, having seen the stamped handbooks with my own eyes—that students were getting bad grades specifically for skipping Sunday Mass at their local parish, but hey, you know better than we do. 🤦

Right, then why on earth does my kid have to go to this extra class when she isn't even interested anymore (since she's sitting at a C in math), and why do her absences from it apparently need an excuse... is it just some teacher being a total control freak? I mean, I honestly don't know...

People talk so much nonsense, you know? They hear something, twist it a bit, add their own little spin just to have something to gossip about, so it's hard to take it all seriously—especially since everyone stays quiet right when they should be speaking up. If a problem like that actually existed, everyone would know exactly where to go and who could fix it... I am telling you for a fact that religious studies teachers at school don't have the authority to track who goes to Mass or grade anyone based on it...

And speaking of those kinds of stories, I was actually leaning against my car right across from the church classroom waiting for my little one, just listening to what the instructor was saying (it was a nice fall day with the windows wide open)... then a few hours later, some mom tries to convince me that the teacher was totally losing it and yelling at the kids. I told the woman straight up, "No way," because I was right there listening the whole time and there's no chance I would have missed something like that... but of course, she knows better 😁 than I do, despite me being physically present and telling her exactly what happened, which her own kid confirmed too.

I guess I should probably just say hi? Not that anyone’s really asking, but here I am. says:
Look, I get that we're talking about little kids here, but I honestly don't get what people expect when they sign their children up for religion classes. Like, you chose to enroll them in that, so why act all shocked when it turns out the church isn't exactly big on Santa Claus? 🤷

I mean, I’m mostly on board here, but I’ve gotta add a little something to that: why even act surprised when things go sideways in religion class? It’s pretty obvious what kind of subject we're talking about, and honestly, it's on you if you sign your kids up for it in the first place. It’s actually kind of sad that over 90% of parents just cave to all the pressure and guilt trips from the Church, enrolling their kids in stuff like this anyway. But look, once you make that choice—just stay quiet about it. You picked it, so you get what comes with it! 😉

Jesse Cook4 said:Well, they can't act shocked when kids get told God isn't real during some other class, all while those teachers collect their paychecks on a lie.

Haha, spot on! Seriously, if they can just claim that God exists, then why shouldn't science teachers at, say, a local high school just tell everyone that God doesn't exist?! I mean, why not?

Jesse Cook4 said:The whole point of religious education is to completely shut down critical thinking. Honestly, it’s about as compatible with a real education as smoking is with staying healthy.

Exactly, couldn't have said it better myself! 👍

Jesse Cook4 said:I just picked up on a pretty wild detail, though I don't know if it's happening everywhere or just in my neck of the woods. During Advent, the religious ed teacher is insisting that the kids attend f**king early morning mass from 6:00 to 7:00 AM. Every single day, weekends included. 😵

Basically, this means during the week, kids are wandering around town freezing their butts off between 7:00 and 8:00 AM waiting for school to actually open. Since a ton of them commute, they don't even have the option to head home between church and class.

Look, on one hand, this whole situation is absolutely INSANE and just total chaos. But honestly? I wouldn't even put all the blame on the religion teacher. If anything, I’m looking more at the PARENTS here! Everyone knows exactly what goes into an American religious studies curriculum—that's just what the subject is. Plus, by law, kids don't even HAVE to take those classes if they don't want to. So... WHY did you sign them up in the first place?! Maybe try having a little common sense and just unenroll them, or if you're dead set on sending them, then maybe just keep your mouths shut. This is pure hypocrisy, if you ask me. 😉

brightheron64 said:It's such a difficult paradox to escape when you're dealing with this kind of power dynamic and this specific mindset...

You see these high-achieving kids spending their Saturday mornings in advanced math tutoring, or doubling up on foreign languages and computer science, all while religious studies remains a mandatory part of the weekly curriculum.

A truly flawless roadmap for the future. 👏👏:

Exactly—it’s a total joke! I mean, what are we even doing? We have all these religious studies classes taking up space throughout elementary and high school, while at the same time, the schedules for actual core subjects are completely butchered. So many essential classes just don't get the time they deserve. It's honestly pretty sad. 👎

silentraven6 said:Let them prove Santa doesn't exist, then let them prove that God exists.

It's actually pretty simple.

Haha, well said! Let them keep trying to prove themselves, I guess!

shadowcrane91 said:Oh yeah? Then you go ahead and prove God doesn't exist...

The logic here is totally backwards: if someone claims something exists, the burden is on them to prove it—it shouldn't be on everyone else to disprove it! I mean, seriously, if I tell you I’m a believer in the Flying Spaghetti Monster and join those Pastafarian folks who wear colanders as hats, that's on me to prove, right? 🤣 So, are you saying that now *you're* the one who has to prove it doesn't exist? Or do you think it would be more logical if I was the one stuck trying to prove it actually does? I mean, I guess it depends on how you look at it, but maybe we should rethink the whole logic here.

hiddenscout44 said:But if believing in Santa is BELIEF, then isn't Catholicism basically just the study of belief? (The word itself implies it). So, technically, you should be teaching about believing in Santa too. Or is this strictly limited to Catholicism? (And where does it actually say that?)

Unfortunately, that's exactly what it says. If this subject were some kind of "cultural studies" course where you'd learn about different religions, customs, and beliefs, it wouldn't be such a disaster. But this is CONFESSIONAL religious education, where they just dull your mind with the dogmas of whatever faith you pick—in this case, Catholicism. And honestly, this version of religion class covers more than just theory; it includes "practice," which basically means being forced to attend Mass and stuff like that! Either way, it’s a subject that really has NO business being in public schools!😠

rapidheron2 said:

I guess I should probably just say hi? Not that anyone’s really asking, but here I am. says:
Look, I get that we're talking about little kids here, but I honestly don't get what people expect when they sign their children up for religion classes. Like, you chose to enroll them in that, so why act all shocked when it turns out the church isn't exactly big on Santa Claus? 🤷

I mean, I’m mostly on board here, but I’ve gotta add a little something to that: why even act surprised when things go sideways in religion class? It’s pretty obvious what kind of subject we're talking about, and honestly, it's on you if you sign your kids up for it in the first place. It’s actually kind of sad that over 90% of parents just cave to all the pressure and guilt trips from the Church, enrolling their kids in stuff like this anyway. But look, once you make that choice—just stay quiet about it. You picked it, so you get what comes with it! 😉

Haha, spot on! Seriously, if they can just claim that God exists, then why shouldn't science teachers at, say, a local high school just tell everyone that God doesn't exist?! I mean, why not?

Exactly, couldn't have said it better myself! 👍

Look, on one hand, this whole situation is absolutely INSANE and just total chaos. But honestly? I wouldn't even put all the blame on the religion teacher. If anything, I’m looking more at the PARENTS here! Everyone knows exactly what goes into an American religious studies curriculum—that's just what the subject is. Plus, by law, kids don't even HAVE to take those classes if they don't want to. So... WHY did you sign them up in the first place?! Maybe try having a little common sense and just unenroll them, or if you're dead set on sending them, then maybe just keep your mouths shut. This is pure hypocrisy, if you ask me. 😉

Exactly—it’s a total joke! I mean, what are we even doing? We have all these religious studies classes taking up space throughout elementary and high school, while at the same time, the schedules for actual core subjects are completely butchered. So many essential classes just don't get the time they deserve. It's honestly pretty sad. 👎

Haha, well said! Let them keep trying to prove themselves, I guess!

The logic here is totally backwards: if someone claims something exists, the burden is on them to prove it—it shouldn't be on everyone else to disprove it! I mean, seriously, if I tell you I’m a believer in the Flying Spaghetti Monster and join those Pastafarian folks who wear colanders as hats, that's on me to prove, right? 🤣 So, are you saying that now *you're* the one who has to prove it doesn't exist? Or do you think it would be more logical if I was the one stuck trying to prove it actually does? I mean, I guess it depends on how you look at it, but maybe we should rethink the whole logic here.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what it says. If this subject were some kind of "cultural studies" course where you'd learn about different religions, customs, and beliefs, it wouldn't be such a disaster. But this is CONFESSIONAL religious education, where they just dull your mind with the dogmas of whatever faith you pick—in this case, Catholicism. And honestly, this version of religion class covers more than just theory; it includes "practice," which basically means being forced to attend Mass and stuff like that! Either way, it’s a subject that really has NO business being in public schools!😠

Science is indifferent to God. It doesn't claim He exists, nor does it deny it. God is simply outside the scope of science, especially the natural sciences. Sure, scientists can believe or not—that’s a personal value judgment, not a scientific one.
If anyone's interested, check out this great recent interview with Dr. Mitrekeski where he discusses the relationship between faith and science:

On the flip side, religious education starts from the premise of believing in God. In those classes, the teacher isn't sharing a personal opinion, but rather the stance of the Catholic Church. It's an educational component conducted with explicit parental consent.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Right, then why on earth does my kid have to go to this extra class when she isn't even interested anymore (since she's sitting at a C in math), and why do her absences from it apparently need an excuse... is it just some teacher being a total control freak? I mean, I honestly don't know...

People talk so much nonsense, you know? They hear something, twist it a bit, add their own little spin just to have something to gossip about, so it's hard to take it all seriously—especially since everyone stays quiet right when they should be speaking up. If a problem like that actually existed, everyone would know exactly where to go and who could fix it... I am telling you for a fact that religious studies teachers at school don't have the authority to track who goes to Mass or grade anyone based on it...

And speaking of those kinds of stories, I was actually leaning against my car right across from the church classroom waiting for my little one, just listening to what the instructor was saying (it was a nice fall day with the windows wide open)... then a few hours later, some mom tries to convince me that the teacher was totally losing it and yelling at the kids. I told the woman straight up, "No way," because I was right there listening the whole time and there's no chance I would have missed something like that... but of course, she knows better 😁 than I do, despite me being physically present and telling her exactly what happened, which her own kid confirmed too.

So, basically... 😬

So someone’s out here claiming a teacher was asking for Mass attendance records, and you're telling them that's impossible and they should just report it...

but...

So Sarah Hall53 says there’s no obligation for a kid to go to extra classes, then you turn around and claim your kid absolutely has to be there...? You gonna report that or what...?

People just talk nonsense. They hear a rumor, twist it around, and add their own little spin just to have something to gossip about. It makes it hard to trust anyone when people stay silent on the stuff that actually matters... if there’s a real problem like that, we all know exactly where it is and who’s responsible for fixing it... I’m telling you right now, school teachers have absolutely no business making extra classes mandatory or putting grades on them......

I tweaked Italic a bit... 😬