Religion in American public schools

[JonNC]

Thanks for your reply, if its $8000 for the 3 of them then I think its acceptable, but I really think it should be completely free and they should depend on the Churches only for their financial support.

However, here in SA, all the schools (public & private) are teaching at least 5 classes of Islam religious scriptures (Quran, Tafseer, Tajweed, Tawheed, and Fiqeh) from the first grade till the high school.

The difference between a secular free republic, and a theocracy (effectively, anyway), I should think.
Question: I believe a basic understanding of the world’s major religions, how they have effected culture and history, is a good thing. Do you? Or do you think S.A.'s only teaching Islam is appropriate?

Jon

 

[Tyuiop411]

They have a Comparative Religion class in my High School. We read various books of the Bible as well as good chunks of the Qur’an, Bhagavad Gita etc. It was a fun class all in all lot’s of debate with Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the class.

 

[Sam_777]

Do you? Or do you think S.A.'s only teaching Islam is appropriate?

Firstly, Islam teaches that all other religions are either got corrupted or false, so there is no way that Muslims or SA will teach religions other than Islam.

Secondly, SA prohibiting the Bible and other religions from entering the country, they will be confiscated on the customs if discovered.

Thirdly and most important that if SA allows for example the Bible to be taught in the schools then certainly the words of the Bible will show that the Quran is man made book and Islam would be questioned by the Muslims studying the Bible.

 

[rmcmullan]

I don’t see how or why America can’t implement the same system as Canada uses: there are public schools which anyone can attend and there are separate schools. Each taxpayer elects which school board he wants his taxes to go to. By default a community will get a public school but if there is sufficient support for a separate school, a seperate school is also built. In most places in Canada, which has been traditionally heavily French-Canadian Catholic, this means a Catholic school, but it doesn’t have to be.