Yes. Ok, there’s a little more to the story, but the short answer is definitely yes at least from my experience. But of course you don’t have take my word for it when there are people who study this for a living.
Steve Prothero, a professor of Religious Studies at Boston University, has been studying this very question for many years. He started giving a simple religious literacy quiz to his students and eventually everyone he knew. The prognosis was dire; almost everyone failed. Complete story here.
The end result of all this is to be released in an upcoming book entitled, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know–And Doesn’t
“Given a political environment where religion is increasingly important, it’s increasingly important to know something about religion. The payoff is a more involved [political] conversation.”
I agree completely with Prothero and I too believe that religion should be taught in public schools alongside sex education and other fundamental subjects. While we’re at it, let’s teach kids how to manage their own finances. I’m always shocked when I meet people with outrageous credit card debt and they don’t even realize that they’re paying 20% interest. Damnit I digress again.
I’ll end with these words of wisdom from the article:
“In Prothero’s utopian world, Americans would have enough religious knowledge to debate ethics positions using holy texts, to understand Biblical references in political speeches, to question their own beliefs about God—and to encourage others to question theirs. Only then will we enjoy one of the greatest privileges of the educated, which is to change our minds.”
I’d like to thank Itanshi for sharing this article with us!
Related posts:
- Jewish — Race Or Religion?
- Sam Harris–Link Between Religion And Violence
- George Carlin’s Take On Religion
- Sir Elton John Calls For Religion Ban
Pick up a used copy of Huston Smith’s “Religions of Man.”
Good, nonjudgmental, overview of the major religions.
[...] post by gasmonso and plugin by Elliott [...]
Just wondering, is there any data on how educated (religously) other countries are.
On another note it occurs to me, if you start teaching religion in schools which one do you choose. Only Christianity or do you have to cover them all.
I myself think you have to be careful when implementing laws that will have an effect (even passive) on what people believe (at least in a religous sense).
I do agree that if you are a Christian it is a good idea to be well educated on the subject. (Same goes for other beliefs) But as an athiest I really don’t want to spend a whole bunch of my time learning about something I don’t believe in.
Well I hope that all made sense to y’all
A broad course on religions would probably be best in my opinion, covering the three Judaic beliefs with the big ones of the east (Buddhism, Hinduism, etc) and maybe an idea of some of the other minor/ancient ones so that you get a broad view.
With a subject like this, I think it’s really important to teach multiple perspectives. The world isn’t getting any bigger, so most people will grow up to face other religions sooner or later.
As long as it’s taught as religion not as fact.
A broad course would, of course, be best. In the US, of course, there would be a strong argument for including a strong component of Native American and Inuit/Aleut traditional religions in such a course. (For other countries with indigenous peoples, substitute your own local religions.)
Yeah, I liked my method of religious education. ‘we’ covered three monotheistic religions, buddism, nature religions, 2 polytheistic religions of choice and 2 other relgions of choice.
Self study + oral exams remain a great, if somewhat time-consuming, method for those willing to learn.
But, I imagine in the USA, they’re will probably be major rioting if you teach what the Islam says or what the norse gods say, alongside and in the same tone as what Christianity teaches.
oh about the test, got a perfect 15/15.
Odd though that 11 out of 15 questions were about christianity in some form.
@Alcari:
Rioting? Come on, you obviously don’t know us Americans. Lawsuits is where it’s at man! I weep inside :(
gasmonso
The problem with books is that they contain too many words for most Americans, so I suggest just direct them to http://www.400monkeys.com/God/ This FAQ will tell you all you ever need to know about religion and God.
I don’t know much about religion and I don’t think that information is really important. Why should I know about some magic bullshit?
sadly, because other people do, and we still live in the same, wether we like it or not.
also, nice faq
@randpost:
It’s extremely important because billions of people have staked their lives on this magic bullshit as you call it. Many government policies and actions are the result of religious beliefs. Decisions that affect every person on this planet are based around some sort of religious belief.
Whether you like it or not, religion is here to stay and the more people that understand it the better. To be honest I think many religious people would cease to believe if they were more knowledgeable on the subject.
Just my $.02
I got an 87%. I’m not as strong in Eastern religions as I once was. Personally, I find it depressing how little much Christians know about their own religion much less others.
And I do like the idea of an unbiased, comparative religion class taught in HS. I can hope that it would promote understanding.
All I can say, drop on by. Our education system isn’t always that great, but I like the Dutch religious policy in schools.
and gasmonso is right, a bit more elaborate and clear then me, but very painfully correct.
They should certainly be teaching religion in schools. in the U.S. and here in Canada too. I agree with Alcari there would be A LOT of bantering and whining(and yeah, lawsuits) about teaching christianity alongside other religions.I mean, Can you imagine the outrage when a christian child comes home to his extremely christian parents and tells them about his class project on Wicca?! Many parents won’t even let their children read Harry Potter for fuck’s sake!
It is not fair to put the question in terms of only what American people are able to understand.
First of all, what happened 2000 years ago, is happened inside the old continenet, and its a huge amount of information to know in odrer to be able to understand anything at all.
Second, all the religions in USA today were imported from the old continenet, so any average new born American must have allready a degree in Conspirology in ordrer to fully understand the current situation.
You have to understand primarily that Greeks and Vikings had myths and legends, created by mentally sane people, and it is possible to study by Theology and Mythology.
Ancient Greek and Viking myths and legends are still very useful even today,simply becouse all the major comic books heroes like MARVEL or DC universes, are created by Mythology and Theology rules.
And you allready know that any modern superhero comic book is more popular in the whole world than the stupid religious bible.
2000 years ago there was a conspiracy of mentally insane pople, who are called freaks and weirdos, unfortunately people were not aware of the situation, and these degenrertaes and perverts used this ginorance of awerage people in ordre to start their crazy mindless thing called religion.
These degenertaes and perverts were aware of the Greelk and Viking myths and legends, but due to thir menta uncapability, these weordos started to write completely idotic bullshit, like the legend of Danko, who ripped his own heart in order to show other people the way to safety.
This is the main hint of the existance of these idots, who were always tryuing to imitate intelligent legends, but were unable to comprehend how to do it properly.
At the end these degenerates and freaks somehow managed to end up in Jerusalem, and started four different religions, Christianism, Judaism, Islamism.
It is unplausible, but these freaks managed to gather a huge army of sons of bitches, obviously mentally insane too, and destroy all the science savvy people of Rome Greece and Vikings.
After the multiple religious mindelss wars, where nobody was on the right side, but only on the same side against another side, the whole earth population was dominated by these religious freaks, who invented also the regigious laws, and religious inquisition in order to exterminate the remaining mentally sane people.
Near to the end of 20th century, som epeople against religion, not becouse regular people, but becouse full of shit, invented the anti religion, the Atheism movement.
Becouse of the atheism, some more idiotic movements were born amongst idiotic sons of bitches, like Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, Fascism, Nazism.
actually it doesn’t matter what Religion you may have, as long as you treat the other person right.::”
it does not matter what religion you have, just do good things on this world~*-
religion is a good thing since this is our only connection to a higher being”:;
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