Response to blog on low key religion

I would like to respond to the question do you think that a course covering the diversity of world religions, including contemporary spiritualities, is important?


YES. Although my family is not religious I was sent to a Catholic primary school and high school. I loved studying Studies of Religion as the history of religion and rituals and beliefs of different cultures fascinates me. It is understandable that not all children have the opportunity to be sent to a private school, where a religious education is a given, and I believe that public schools should consider this and make religious subjects more accessible and appealing to students.


I believe a course on World Religions is important for the following reasons:
1) It gives students a better understanding and appreciation of other cultures and how to respect peoples beliefs.
2) Religion is a major part of history and students deserve to not be left in the dark about world religions in the past and present.
3) It offers answers to questions students might have about religion that cannot be answered in any other environment, especially if they come from a family where one religion is considered to be correct and other religions are wrong or if they come from an atheist background where religious views are dismissed.


I am torn between whether students should have a right to decide not to attend classes on religion. Yes, I believe they should be offered as an elective but should there be a compulsory religion class, too? If the class is strictly about the history of religion and the practices of different world religions (that is, the class does not just solely look at Christianity) I feel a compulsory class could open the eyes of many students. If a religious dialogue is not available to students at home then they may never know how fascinating and important a knowledge of religion is until they are sat down at school and taught this.


Image:

http://www.bigquestionsonline.com/columns/susan-jacoby/faith-based-folly