this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2023
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[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 26 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Makes sense to teach the basics of most popular religions and those locally/culturally relevant. It's just useful information. Helps in understanding other people.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Here's how it goes down:

Do you want to teach various creation myths and explanatory myths? That stuff goes into cultural anthropology, or if there's enough of it, such as Hellenic mythology, then a literature class, but then it's cross referenced with the values of the age. No-one wants their modern religion taught as mythology right next to others that are regarded as ancient superstition.

Do you want to teach existential questions and morality? Awesome! We have entire school departments dedicated to philosophy. Typically 101 is an intro to existentialism and 102 is an intro into morality. And both of them move beyond religion in the very first chapter. The thing is, religions assert their positions on why are we here? and are property rights evil by mere assertion. Ministries say we have the authority, and you obey. and might even back their position up by scripture. But none of this really answers either why or how we know and even Descartes (a devout follower of the Church) couldn't find a sufficient answer to his own evil demon except to assume by God is good by default (rather than God being a construct by which a corrupt Church might manipulate their flock). Religion turns out to be a starting point for our purpose, the point of everything and right and wrong, but where we end up after the enlightenment is far beyond the apologists.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Just teach the basics about major world religions

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[–] FinishingDutch@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

That’s how they did it at my college in the Netherlands, which has ‘Christian’ in the name but really isn’t religious at all.

You basically got a primer on the big religions as well as some of the fringes. This was part of my journalism degree. I am fully atheist but honestly didn’t mind since it was just factual information.

They also encouraged us to at least once visit a church, synagogue, mosque, etc. The ONLY one they didn’t want us touching was Scientology after they had some negative experiences in prior years.

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[–] Yearly1845@reddthat.com 20 points 9 months ago (1 children)

"every religion is fake except mine"

[–] Deiv@lemmy.ca 14 points 9 months ago

Checkmate, Atheists

[–] bi_tux@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Where I live you can choose between a mainsteam religion or ethics class.

Since my parents didn't have to decide it I always choosed ethics, in order to don't have to deal with hyper religios teachers, who only belive in "the one true religion", in the end I had to deal with them anyway

[–] Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 9 months ago

Same here, but my parents chose that I go to Religion class until they had no say in that anymore (age of 14 where I live). Then I opted for ethics.

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago (4 children)

I think a course covering religion should be taught in schools. Roughly the way I would structure it is 2x a week for 12 weeks. 10 weeks on the 10 biggest religions of the world, 1 week on a religion that is not in the top ten globally but it locally important or historically important to the area, and 1 week teacher's choice.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Sounds like you want religious studies and not theology. It is taught many places but usually first appears in high school or you can get degrees in college. I can't speak for how they break down their study guide, I'm sure they all vary a bit.

[–] Lemmyvisitor@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

would be good for cultural awareness if nothing else. You could mix and match the concepts you like from each religion so you take something away from it.

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[–] sfgifz@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

10 weeks on the 10 biggest religions of the world, 1 week on a religion that is not in the top ten globally but it locally important or historically important to the area

I'd say it should be the opposite - learning about the culture around you is more meaningful to learn about your own roots (even if you don't believe it it, knowledge is useful).

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[–] RIP_Cheems@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Of course all religions. And they should also point out the ways people abused then as well as how the ideas may have been misinterpreted.

[–] madcaesar@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Also how they just copied from previews Myths.

[–] RIP_Cheems@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

Also that. You know what? Why not also the shit people made up, like Dantes inferno making hell look like a realm of pure fire and lava.

[–] Jud_R@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago (2 children)

This is what happens in the UK. We have religious studies in high school, and all the main ones across the world religious are taught.

[–] killeronthecorner@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

I really enjoyed RS GCSE. It was the thing that best equipped me to interact with the many, many other cultures I've encountered in the real world and in my industry.

I have almost nothing else nice to say about the British education system but they definitely got this right.

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[–] monk@lemmy.unboiled.info 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] TALL421@lemmy.one 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)
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[–] Seraph@kbin.social 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I demand all school children submit to Zeus.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 9 months ago

Zeus and Hades were added in the late classical age. Poseidon is the true all-father and Dread Persephone rules the underworld.

[–] Spaghetti_Hitchens@kbin.social 2 points 9 months ago

How dare you?! It's Jupiter or nothing!

[–] trackcharlie@lemmynsfw.com 4 points 9 months ago

The education system is a system of the state and the state should be athiest to allay the fears of all incompetent morons who believe in imaginary friends.

All religions spend billions a year to make and maintain their own places of business (church/mosque/synagogue/etc), if they want to continue lying and manipulating their children they can do so on their own dime.

Everyone pays for the education system and the education system needs to remain objective and teach empirically researched FACTS.

If people want their religious texts read in school it can be done in a philosophy or fictional literature course.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Those who want religious dogma taught as truth want their own doctrine taught. And just as they'll crab about Zarathustra, they'll complain about unitarianism. They'll proclaim univocality and literalism when scripture has neither of these properties according to the academic consensus.

Teaching religion as established truth is indoctrination, and religious ministries commonly have no qualms about it, admitting their own access to truth is only by assertion and fiat, and through no other authority than force.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 3 points 9 months ago

All. It is good to know the history of the world and have a basic grasp of spirituality

[–] tslnox@reddthat.com 3 points 9 months ago

The only true God is Cloister the Stupid, who will lead us to Fushal, the Promised Land!

[–] Zacryon@feddit.de 3 points 9 months ago

Yes. Only mine, which is none.

[–] ElBarto@sh.itjust.works 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

All or none, there is no in between.

[–] Chakravanti@sh.itjust.works 3 points 9 months ago

Sure there is. In fact let's do both. Start "none" because religion doesn't belong. At all. Anywhere.

Then let's do "All" under "history."

[–] kttnpunk@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Invest in the future- teach discordianism in schools today!

[–] Kase@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

No way, there's a religion that worships Discord?

[–] kttnpunk@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago
[–] rothaine@lemm.ee 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Sure, we can teach all of them. You know, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian...all types!

[–] sfgifz@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

They'd just kill each other.

[–] BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

I went to publicly funded Catholic high school and took a world religions class. It was quite interesting and I learned a lot, gave me a healthy perspective on others beliefs.

[–] muntedcrocodile@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

I was taught em all (a diverse selection). Now im here funny that.

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