Sure, we spent 2 days on Greek/Roman Mythology in 6th grade.
I am against any religious school indoctrination for people below age 18. Teach them how to think not what to sound ridiculous when saying to other people.
The context of religion however is relevant to many topics, just don't call the myth truth.
Religion may be taught as literature, in combination with other fictions and fairy tales, and it may be taught as something that people do or did at one time believe, such as Greek, Roman, and other mythologies. It should not be taught as factual or as something to be believed, especially not as a required belief. That latter is for parents or churches to handle. I myself would not allow it to be taught in that way to children at all, but only to older youths or young adults, after a thorough grounding in science and logic.
Not in the public domain, unless it is a comparative studies and includes the rejection of main stream religion and doesn't brush over near a billion believes in some form of Nativism. I taught at a Catholic school for a few years. There was a religious teacher there with whom I had a fond friendship. I liked that he taught a class on ethics using at least one text from a Holocaust survivor. There are times, especially in teaching literature that one needs explain certain works by their religious symbolism. At that point, you are a commentary, not a preacher. Although, when teaching an African author like Achebe, it is okay to point out and annotate his attacks on religion, Christian and Islamic, who did harm in their efforts to colonize and change whole societies.
I would agree to learn about all the religious practices in school as a comparative study. And that would include the complete history of each.
As a topic in SS, yes. As a replacement for science or as an alternative to science, no. As a topic in SS, it should be religions I.e., Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity....
Absolutely NO! I don't want My (or for that matter anyone's children) being propagated to. If it is taught like a social studies or history class ok, otherwise leave it to Sunday between 9:00 & 1:00, after all, I gotta catch the Licqour store before it gets too crowded.
Religion (Religions of the World) should be a subject taught in all levels of school up to and throughout High School. HIgh school would include trips to different places of worship as well as attending such places of worship for educational purposes. No one should be able to graduate from Middle school and high school unless they pass the classes.
And then the question is, which religion? And that's why the answer is NO.
A synopsis of all religion
Religious history is a necessary component to understanding history all together. It did not start with christianity and will not end there ether. If you take a long enough look, relitions and gods seems to have a 2000 year run, more or less.
Potentially in a history class, it has definitely shaped most facets of society
I believe religion should be taught in schools only if it could be strictly secular. That is, the origion of various religions and how they evolved into what they are today could be taught. An example might be how pagan belief evolved into the Zoroasterian one "sky" god concept and then the "sky" god became too remote therefore god's son had to "appear" and become more available. All religions would have to be covered i.e. the eastern religions. My fear is we won't be able to find teachers withour bias.
OK to teach religion in private religious schools. OK to teach religion as history, culture, or literature in public schools. But, for heaven's sake, never teach religion as science anywhere. It makes a fraud out of religion and a joke out of science.
In an ideal word kids could be taught about religion but there's always that guy or girl who insists that there religion is taught but when someone else's religion is being discussed they don't want to hear it.
Comparitive religion; sacred texts influence on art, literature, music, etc.; the history of religions; religions & their cultural, political, social effect; how religion has influenced philosophy; any subjects such as these are valid. Teaching just one religion, from one book (such as the bible) Is anathema to our Constitution & the formation of critical thinking skills.
From a sociological point of view I think it's necessary. For good or ill, religion has always been a driving force in the world