Religion classes in school - Megathread

Maybe they do, but it’s not really about what’s written in their official platform. It’s more about how they actually talk to the kids.

Robert Rodriguez9 said:Maybe they do, but it’s not really about what’s written in their official platform. It’s more about how they actually talk to the kids.

I'm just stuck—what should I even do? Should I sign her up or not? I really don't want to, but at the same time, I'm a believer... just a non-practicing Catholic who's pretty critical of the Church. We don't really do anything religious at home besides celebrating Easter and Christmas, mostly just for the sake of tradition.

I'm torn. If I tell her she'll learn about God, she'll definitely say she wants to go... but then how can I teach her if I don't even know what religion class actually entails?
She shows so much interest in God, too—we talk about it sometimes when she asks. I can see she truly wants to learn.
How am I supposed to guide her if I can't even answer her own questions?
If I just tell her "you'll learn about God there," she's going to jump at the chance!

Morgan Peterson6 said:I'm just stuck—what should I even do? Should I sign her up or not? I really don't want to, but at the same time, I'm a believer... just a non-practicing Catholic who's pretty critical of the Church. We don't really do anything religious at home besides celebrating Easter and Christmas, mostly just for the sake of tradition.

I'm torn. If I tell her she'll learn about God, she'll definitely say she wants to go... but then how can I teach her if I don't even know what religion class actually entails?
She shows so much interest in God, too—we talk about it sometimes when she asks. I can see she truly wants to learn.
How am I supposed to guide her if I can't even answer her own questions?
If I just tell her "you'll learn about God there," she's going to jump at the chance!

They aren't exactly going to "teach her about God" there; they're going to indoctrinate her into Catholicism, their specific dogmas, and the whole priest hierarchy controlled by Vatican City.

That vague feeling of being stuck with medieval dogmas... it's a bad vibe. It's better if she keeps that free spirit and explores what she's actually interested in regarding spirituality, rather than being boxed in by heaven, hell, and a brutal Bible.

For example, some people tell students that if they don't take religion class, their classmates who do will end up in heaven while they go to hell.😍

rowdypanther12 said:For example, some people tell students that if they don't take religion class, their classmates who do will end up in heaven while they go to hell.😍

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. It’s straight-up blackmail, and kids catch on pretty fast when their dad starts using Jesus' name to get his way. Hell.....

How do you shield them from that kind of manipulative emotional propaganda? I’d honestly suggest some occasional blasphemy toward Christian landmarks... and maybe teaching the kid that it's okay to talk nonsense once in a while. ☕

If they don't want to provide any kind of preventative, kids just end up absorbing the fallout.I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What's on your mind?There’s zero room for critique here, so sooner or later they’re just going to soak up whatever religious dogma is floating around the neighborhood. Imagine if you were raised like that.I'm not sure what you're trying to say there. Give me something to work with.So you're basically saying people can't even spot blatant Republican or Democratic propaganda from a mile away? And instead of calling it out, they just swallow it whole. Typical.I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What's on your mind?Man... they get so deeply rooted that fixing them later is a total nightmare.

Anthony Perez9 said:They aren't exactly going to "teach her about God" there; they're going to indoctrinate her into Catholicism, their specific dogmas, and the whole priest hierarchy controlled by Vatican City.

That vague feeling of being stuck with medieval dogmas... it's a bad vibe. It's better if she keeps that free spirit and explores what she's actually interested in regarding spirituality, rather than being boxed in by heaven, hell, and a brutal Bible.

She got a little Noah's Ark set for her birthday
I haven't even opened it—honestly, I have no intention of reading about floods and death.
I totally agree about having a free spirit! But look, I've gone on pilgrimages and I'm still out here exploring things on my own terms. I wouldn't step foot in a church if it were crazy—priests don't even bless my house, I wasn't married in a church, I support abortion rights and same-sex marriage, and I don't believe in hell...
So, I'm clearly not indoctrinated.
But now that I'm writing this, realizing I didn't strictly reject the option—and knowing the Church is anything but what it should be—maybe I am? Brrrr!

I'm just not enrolling her, period...

Thanks for the reply👍

Anthony Perez9 said:Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. It’s straight-up blackmail, and kids catch on pretty fast when their dad starts using Jesus' name to get his way. Hell.....

How do you shield them from that kind of manipulative emotional propaganda? I’d honestly suggest some occasional blasphemy toward Christian landmarks... and maybe teaching the kid that it's okay to talk nonsense once in a while. ☕

If they don't want to provide any kind of preventative, kids just end up absorbing the fallout.I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What's on your mind?There’s zero room for critique here, so sooner or later they’re just going to soak up whatever religious dogma is floating around the neighborhood. Imagine if you were raised like that.I'm not sure what you're trying to say there. Give me something to work with.So you're basically saying people can't even spot blatant Republican or Democratic propaganda from a mile away? And instead of calling it out, they just swallow it whole. Typical.I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What's on your mind?Man... they get so deeply rooted that fixing them later is a total nightmare.

Just a quick side note—Jesus isn't actually threatening us with hell, is He?

The Church is under threat—but honestly, isn't that just a total fabrication by the Church itself?

Morgan Peterson6 said:Just a quick side note—Jesus isn't actually threatening us with hell, is He?

The Church is under threat—but honestly, isn't that just a total fabrication by the Church itself?

Totally agree. Originally, that whole narrative had nothing to do with the stuff the clergy tacked on later.

Anthony Perez9 said:Totally agree. Originally, that whole narrative had nothing to do with the stuff the clergy tacked on later.

Oh man, I just noticed your signature... you really aren't a fan, huh? :-(

Anyway, let's not get off track now.

James Hall68 said:Good grief, comparing this to a library is a completely different ballpark.
Has anyone here even looked into children's rights?
By "forcing" a child to attend or skip religious education, you are actively violating one of their fundamental rights.
How can you possibly draw a parallel between a library and this? Honestly, give me a break!

Look, since most parents have the constitutional right to raise their kids according to their own values—whether that means raising them in a faith or as an atheist—this whole thing should be straightforward.

The solution would be easy if they just offered a genuine alternative course, but then we’d finally see what people actually want for their kids, and I bet those religious extremists wouldn't like that one bit.

To me, it feels wrong to force kids to learn things that neither they nor their parents believe in. We're talking about specific denominational instruction here, not just general religion. It's a set of values held by certain communities, so let the kids choose—either go with a specific faith or stick with secularism.

Morgan Peterson6 said:I'm just stuck—what should I even do? Should I sign her up or not? I really don't want to, but at the same time, I'm a believer... just a non-practicing Catholic who's pretty critical of the Church. We don't really do anything religious at home besides celebrating Easter and Christmas, mostly just for the sake of tradition.

I'm torn. If I tell her she'll learn about God, she'll definitely say she wants to go... but then how can I teach her if I don't even know what religion class actually entails?
She shows so much interest in God, too—we talk about it sometimes when she asks. I can see she truly wants to learn.
How am I supposed to guide her if I can't even answer her own questions?
If I just tell her "you'll learn about God there," she's going to jump at the chance!

My son doesn't take religion class. I never had any second thoughts about it because I just know that school isn't the place for that. Between his mom and me, he gets plenty of information if he's ever interested in something specific. Plus, he has plenty of friends in his class who aren't enrolled either. From talking to other parents, it seems like most people just sign their kids up for religious education just to fit in with the crowd...

A good friend's daughter takes it, and it's her favorite subject! Why? Because she just gets to sing and draw, while in all her other classes she has to sit still and study, which she hates.

Then there's a colleague's daughter in high school. Her favorite day is when she has IRS prep and religion class scheduled together, because those two hours are basically a total mental break, making the school day fly by.

So, let people draw their own conclusions from those examples. Personally, I think the picture is pretty clear.

James Hall68 said:Is it really appropriate to compare religious studies and its curriculum to the psychological adventures experienced by the heroine in a novel by Margaret Atwood? 😁

Of course not. I mean, Erica doesn't even write fiction. A much better comparison would be R. R. Martin. 😀

James Hall68 said:Well... obviously, we aren't teaching children to be malicious or corrupt.
Any potential illusions are usually boiled away the moment they develop a sense of critical thinking.

Nah, it's more like they just want to feel superior to "everyone else"—you know, the folks going to hell because they don't follow the right faith, love the wrong gender, or worship a different God...

There are about 3,001 religion teachers working in elementary and high schools across America. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, their salaries alone eat up roughly $32 million a year.

But honestly? That’s not even the half of it. The actual hit to the federal budget is way higher than that number suggests. That $32 million figure doesn't even touch things like commuting costs, overtime pay, shift differentials, bonuses, or any of those extra benefits and stipends they get.

The school curriculum overhaul hit a wall specifically because of attempts to indoctrinate kids with the Christian God.
Check out 29:07 where we finally get the real reason why this fell through—conservative religious types are terrified that kids might actually start thinking for themselves instead of having "God" shoved down their throats by modern education.



Tiger Woods: "Exactly! They want schools to say there's no God..."

Just not mentioning God is what triggers them... They feel they have to force the Bible on every kid... 🤦

rowdypanther12 said:For example, some people tell students that if they don't take religion class, their classmates who do will end up in heaven while they go to hell.😍

What kind of schools are you guys even talking about???

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James Hall68 said:Why make this so complicated?
What exactly are your children learning from you?
The first step should be asking your kids what they actually want. If they have an interest in religious studies, then enroll them; if they don't, there are plenty of other ways to handle it.
Why on earth are we placing all this emphasis on the school system or the instructors when the choice rests entirely with you?
Oh, please...
Stand by your own convictions instead of pointing fingers at everyone else!
Your child should have the sole right to decide whether they want to attend religious education or not, regardless of your personal views.
In fact, by forcing a child to either attend or skip these classes, you might actually be violating one of their fundamental rights as individuals!

Sorry, but how am I supposed to ask a preschooler if they want to take religious studies if they've never even heard of it before starting school?
Especially if neither they nor their parents ever go to church?
What kind of message does that send—asking them about religion but not asking if they want to take History, Art, or Math?

My personal take is that the subject doesn't really belong in the public school system.
A lot of what is taught feels pretty outdated. Plus, I'm not a fan of the current administration or the various interest groups pulling the strings, and I don't want to support that by enrolling my child.
However, since it is an option at school, choosing *not* to enroll them provides a great opportunity for a child to learn that it's perfectly fine to be different and not just follow the crowd.
It actually works out well; she often mentions that it’s her favorite period of the day...

After seeing how things went this time, if I were to ask her again for second grade, she’d probably say she doesn't want to go...

It’s honestly quite disheartening when I sit back and reflect on my own schooling; I have absolutely no recollection of religious studies being an elective course, even though it truly ought to have been treated as such—placed right alongside things like choir, band, or any other extracurricular activity. While I escaped the brunt of direct indoctrination, I was certainly coerced through various social pressures into participating in First Communion and Confirmation rituals.
My little boy comes home from preschool, or heaven knows where else, armed with the absolute certainty that God created the entire universe. I simply cannot allow that to become his sole reality; my priority is ensuring he develops a capacity for critical thinking, where he can grasp both evolutionary science and the existence of diverse world religions. The "religious education" currently pushed through our public school systems is nothing more than a subset of Catholic dogma, and frankly, it should be rebranded as such. Why hide behind the vague label of "religion"? If we were actually teaching true religious studies, students would be learning about the breadth of global faiths, the historical evolution of those belief systems, their sociological impacts, and the fascinating nuances of their similarities and differences. That is how you provide actual value. As it stands now, this current approach is nothing more than a collection of nonsense, pure indoctrination, and sheer narrow-mindedness; it feels as though we’ve regressed a full century in this supposed democracy of ours.

Religion is actually an elective subject—kind of like taking Spanish or Computer Science. It’s officially on the school roster and you get a grade for it.
Choir and rhythm classes? Those are just extracurricular activities. They aren't listed on the official transcript and they don't count toward your GPA.
Just wanted to clear that up so we aren't using the wrong terms. (Honestly, back when my family moved into our neighborhood about twenty years ago, they tried to sell us on the idea that religion was mandatory. Nobody bothered to mention that we could just... not go. 🙄 ))

Anthony Perez9 said:The school curriculum overhaul hit a wall specifically because of attempts to indoctrinate kids with the Christian God.
Check out 29:07 where we finally get the real reason why this fell through—conservative religious types are terrified that kids might actually start thinking for themselves instead of having "God" shoved down their throats by modern education.

Tiger Woods: "Exactly! They want schools to say there's no God..."

Just not mentioning God is what triggers them... They feel they have to force the Bible on every kid... 🤦

Look, telling stories against God isn't actually encouraging "free thinking" in kids; you're just swapping one "ideology" for another, aren't you?

And honestly, if the curriculum reform stalled because of that, then so be it... I've had enough of the same old crap being repackaged in our schools... if we're talking about the kind of education these kids actually want, then let's just give it to them.

Susan James said:Sorry, but how am I supposed to ask a preschooler if they want to take religious studies if they've never even heard of it before starting school?
Especially if neither they nor their parents ever go to church?
What kind of message does that send—asking them about religion but not asking if they want to take History, Art, or Math?

My personal take is that the subject doesn't really belong in the public school system.
A lot of what is taught feels pretty outdated. Plus, I'm not a fan of the current administration or the various interest groups pulling the strings, and I don't want to support that by enrolling my child.
However, since it is an option at school, choosing *not* to enroll them provides a great opportunity for a child to learn that it's perfectly fine to be different and not just follow the crowd.
It actually works out well; she often mentions that it’s her favorite period of the day...

After seeing how things went this time, if I were to ask her again for second grade, she’d probably say she doesn't want to go...

If a kid has never heard of religion, never stepped foot in a church, and their parents don't go either, then there's clearly no need to even bother asking if they want to take those classes.

Our own personal desires and ideologies are a totally different story, which still doesn't mean we have the right to deny others what they actually want.
Besides, once a significant number of students stop showing up for religion class, the actual demand for it in schools will just vanish.