people should learn about different cultures and religious groups but about the actual religions themselves

NO!

If a school district or board chooses this path, they would need to teach ALL the religions, all the various non-religious beliefs too. Equal time, but this would be impossible.
I am firm in thinking any or all religious instruction should be coming from the home.
When I was in Public School, our County Board, (I am thinking through some members or the Chair's affiliation with a church), we had regular Christian only instruction, pretty fundamentalist at that. The students of the Jehovah's Witness faith sat out in the hallway during the lesson.

Only if clearly defined as literature and not as scientific or historical fact.

A class as an overview of all of the world's religion would be a good choice, but focusing on any one religion would not be acceptable. It would violate the separation of church and state.

All religion should come from the home. Period. I'm a teacher and if I'm going to be required to teach religion, I'm going to want to choose the religion. However . . . are we really talking about teaching religion or preaching it?

To teach children any particular religion is not a great idea but if you must, then lessons or theories should be preceded with the words “Some people believe that......” Try telling catholic or Muslim schools that!

I think is still material for knowledge then it should be taught...but there is a priority:

-History is to fix it focusing on modern days (in Italy we study until World War 2 at max)
-Applied Psychology have to be taught from middle school (as a tool to live)
-Science has to be expanded (focus on teaching the Scientific Thinking that provides the ability to understand what is true or false, opposite on Religious Thinking that makes you accept everything like a dogma)
-and in High School even something that teaches you how to do important concrete things (pay bills, taxes, jobs, etc)

Avoiding to talk about we need urgently a complete school reform (abolish multichoice test, change school hours, the whole approach to students (avoid standards), etc)

Religions should be touched on , not taught as such. It's up to the parents to bring their children up as they see fit in this regard. Religion isn't something to learn , it's a belief system. You believe , or you don't. If you are taught it at an early age , you will probably believe in it until you are better informed , or not. Kids believe in Santa for a while , until they know better. As for teach all religions ? Wicca , Druidism ? can you see them being on the national curriculum ?

Yes but it must be ALL religion and not just YOUR religion.

It already is, or am I the only one that was introduced to Greek and Roman Mythology in school?

no full stop

I think perhaps teaching comparative religion, showing the origins of biblical stories and hwo they virtually all the stories came from other religions and were incorporated into the Jewish/Christan books would be good for kids to learn about.

However, to teach just one religion by itself in schools would just be wrong, as religion teaches "magical thinking" which does more harm than good.

Only as a comparative philosophy and history issue. As religion, definitely not.

History and philosophy of religions should definitely be taught.

Assuming you are solely referring to public schools: Yes, but only in the form of a "World Religions" class in which all religions are treated as being equally "probable" (i.e., no emphasis on or favoritism towards one particular religion, more or less in the style of a history class).

Yes, as history and in order to decide whether it's a legimate path to follow.

The good news is that religion is not allowed to be taught in U.S. public schools as a form of proselytization. Religion can be taught in public schools if it's just for academic purposes. I'm fine with this situation.

Nope. Unless it is in college and the student can choose to learn about it.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no
did i mention, no!?!

as part of the history of humanity but in a secular environment and only in the context of opting out by parents

no.

Comparative religion courses often act as a vaccine for fanaticism.

No, not religion, but what SHOULD be taught is: how to treat people, how to be empathetic toward human beings, how to ACCEPT all kinds of people-----and GET ALONG!

I have respect for others right to believe. I find the stories in the Bible are too rediculous to be true. I don't appreciate religious people judging others for their lack of faith.