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No Religion in the Public School Classroom - Really? |
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It is commonly believed by many that God, and anything about God, cannot
be mentioned in a public school classroom
here in the United States. Actually,
just the opposite is usually true. As an example, below is an excerpt from California's
Education Standards for grade six.
6.7.6 Note the origins of Christianity in the Jewish Messianic prophecies, the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament, and the contribution of St. Paul the Apostle to the definition and spread of Christian beliefs (e.g., belief in the Trinity, resurrection, salvation). Please note that other religions are also allowed to be taught but none are to be taught in such a way as to proselytize. The following is also part of the California Ed Standards. HISTORY-SOCIAL SCIENCE Framework for California Public Schools 14) This framework acknowledges the importance of religion in human history. "When studying world history, students must become familiar with the basic ideas of the major religions and the ethical traditions of each time and place. Students are expected to learn about the role of religion in the founding of this country because many of our political institutions have their antecedents in religious beliefs."Gateways To Better Education (GTBE) is a California based organization who specializes in informing public school teachers across the United States about what their state's Education Standards contain regarding teaching about religion in the classroom. They have put together a summary of the California Education Standards which is available in a PDF version at the link below. Many other states are similar. |
| California Education Standard Summary |