Should Christianity be Taught in Schools

[nEw.CrEaTiOn]

I WANT Jesus to be the only religion taught in schools. THat would be cool.But that would never happen, so here's what I think to be fair: I think that the governement shouldn't have to pay "Bible" teachers, becase then the governemtn could impose its views in our biblical classes. Instead, I think that CHristianity should be an optional class for students, and can be taught by a volunteer pastor or religious leader. Other religions should also be free to do this.

 

[DeeperStill]

I cannot really take this poll either. The answer I would give is number 5. No we need to teach God's word and not Christianity. The reason I say this is that there are hundreds of definitions as to what "Christianity" is. RCC believe they are Christian. Mormons believe they are Christian. SDA believe they are Christians. Relgious people and Americans believe themselves to be Christian by right of birth. None of these are true Christianity.

So , by the wording of the question. I cannot say Christianity should be taught. The Bible should be taught.

T

 

[letusgo27]

I cannot really take this poll either. The answer I would give is number 5. No we need to teach God's word and not Christianity. The reason I say this is that there are hundreds of definitions as to what "Christianity" is. RCC believe they are Christian. Mormons believe they are Christian. SDA believe they are Christians. Relgious people and Americans believe themselves to be Christian by right of birth. None of these are true Christianity.

So , by the wording of the question. I cannot say Christianity should be taught. The Bible should be taught.

T

I Don't know about all these different denominations you just said but I do know that SDA is a Christian faith like other denominations I know of. I am SDA and my faith is in Jesus just like every other Christian. so just thought you should know.

and amen to the Bible being tought.

Blessings

 

[shipwreck]

Should Jesus be taught in schools in my opinion absolutely look at history when Jesus was in our schools and look at today. and if you are talking about america this country is found under God " one nation under God". Jesus is the answer we need to know Him and more about Him we need God in our schools

 

[Gracealone]

I agree.
This was founded as a Christian nation, One nation under God.
When foreigners come here to make this there home, they should accept our ways, not us accept theirs.

Since God has been removed from our schools and now our nation, we are no longer a Christian nation, as Billy Graham once said. since then
we have gone down hill at a rapid pace, and I believe, our only redeeming stand is we are still for Israel.
When, and if, we ever turn against her, we will be destroyed as a nation.
God said I will be for those who are for you, and against those who are against you.
Seem that is our only redeeming factor left. :embarasse

 

[sunilgill_87]

yea i think christianty can taught at school.because i learn much about christianty from my christian school where i got my primarary education.

 

[Jon-Marc]

None of the answers are correct for me. Normally, I would say yes, but if we did then all religions would have to be taught. It's bad enough that evolution is taught without having all kinds of false religions taught.

Evolution was taught as a FACT in my high school in the 60's, and prayer and the Bible were banned there at that same time. I was in the cafeteria when a teacher pushed a cart through the room and said for anyone with a Bible to put it on the cart, and they confiscated all they got. They didn't get mine. Communism was alive and well in Battle Creek, Michigan in the 1960's.

 

[Shutterbug]

If Jesus were taught as a history selection, then I'm sure no one would object. America has something called Separation of Church and State. It also has something called Freedom of Religion. From the POV of Church, Christianity isn't a theory: it's a lifestyle. From the POV of State, it has a number of religions to cope with and either treats them equally or suppresses those the State disaproves of. Is it then truly freedom of religion under Civil Law? Just my observation.

OTOH, Prime Minister Ruddick of Australia put it this way to objecting foreigners: our country was founded on and largely governed on Christian principles. If you find it intolerable, you have another Australian right: the right to leave.

In closing, no student in my experience, has ever died in school from reciting the Lord's Prayer whether they agreed with it or not Cheers, John.

 

[dchena]

Great thread.

I would love it if the faith I know now were taught in schools. If there were a way to teach it so all our children's hearts were touched by God, and they all came to KNOW Him through a Christian education, if the leaders teaching them did so by being an example of someone changed and grown and in love with God, I would be rejoicing. I would love that. The world would be a different place. Our kids would be mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy. They would have self-control and compassion. They would be at peace. I would absolutely love it.

But that's the vision. We are where we are. And we aren't set up that way. There's a lot of work to be done before anything like that can happen in the public schools. I think it's sad, because there is such lost potential. But I don't know if it would work the way we envision if it were just made that way with a sweeping change in policy, or law. Maybe it would over time. The problem is, people who don't have the faith, do not see it as a benefit. They see it as a violation of rights. They don't think they need it. To them it is oppressive. And in a way they are right. God always gave people the choice. There were dire consequences to not choosing God, and we definately see them today. We all live with them. But these times were prophesized. I take a bit of comfort in that. While I keep the vision, and hope and pray and do what I can, we are where we are, and where we are, well, isn't that where we're supposed to be?

 

[Boanerges]

Without Christ all education and the wisdom of man is completely useless.

 

[StopPolloition]

If I'm not mistaken, John Quincy Adams was ambassador to France at the age of 14. His father having been President notwithstanding, this speaks volumes about his maturity and education. I don't personally know a child that age that could manage a job of that magnitude. So what's changed?

In the past in America, there was a single schoolroom with children of all ages. Anyone who has children knows that when younger children have exposure to older children they learn more quickly. Nowadays, 7 year olds are confined with other 7 year olds and there is no impetus to advance. What can they teach their peers? Absolutely nothing.

Further, the concept of being an adolescent or a teenager being introduced into popular thought (via Freud and by extension, Nietzsche) radically changed the way adults dealt with children. Parents have been taught to think that teenagers are incapable of functioning as adults- being accountable and responsible because they aren't emotionally and intellectually developed as an adult. The Bible contradicts this: "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right." Joseph, David, Jeremiah and others were teenagers when God began to use them. In the past and even in the Bible, when a male reached 12 he was considered a man insofar as his contributions to society were concerned. I promise you that Mary and Joseph wouldn't have let Jesus sit around and play Playstation all day.

In short, secular thought, birthed by atheist thinkers, applied to the education system, has brought about a serious decline in the students produced. A Christian worldview would only enhance the lives of schoolchildren. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait till the millennium to see this occur.

 

[Johan]

I went to a christian primary school. This was very good to me, and it didn't make me close-minded. We were not brainwashed, just tought about christianity the good way, not as in my high school (not christian).

Let me write a book (not actually) about my first year in high school, when I had an obligatory course about different religions:



Last year I had a teacher who said many weird things about christianity. For example, he showed us a movie that tried to make fun of christianity. After the movie he said that 'there could still be some kind of truth in christianity ...'

At the beginning of the year he asked how many people were atheists. Only a few raised their hand (almost only agnostics). At the end of the year he asked the same question. A lot more people raised their hands. With a happy voice he said something like: 'Oh, maybe this course has helped you make that choice?'

The only education we get about christianity here in Sweden (except in christian schools) is pulling away people from God. I often hear friends saying how much they hate God. It has even happened that a friend looked straight at me and said with a calm voice 'I have come to the conclusion that the world would be better without christianity'.

So maybe we should get christian teachers to teach christianity? Great idea! Or not ... The majority of the few people who call themselves christians here in Sweden are, what should I say? Foolish? Astray? Here are a few things that are accepted amongst most of the christians here in Sweden:

1. Sex before marriage (sex after marriage is 'preferred')
2. Abortion
3. Same sex marriage
4. Evolution theory

etc.



So, my answer to your question is:

YES, education about Jesus is important, but it should be kept in christian schools!

 

[PaladinGirl]

No, the Gospel should not be taught in public schools, at least not by school officials. That is a violation of the separation of church and state and is unconstitutional. If you want school officials to teach the Gospel in a private school then go ahead but it should not be taught by school officials in public schools.

 

[StopPolloition]

My Dear Paladin,

Please tell me what the separation of church and state is. That term is thrown around so loosey-goosey I'd hazard that most people don't know its origin. I'll give you a hint: It's not in the Constitution. It's so nebulous a concept that the Supreme Court has never definitively ruled on it. If you're referring to the Establishment clause or the Free Exercise clause, then you're coddling together two ideas whose sum neither prevents nor supports the presentation of the Bible in school.

In fact, seen as a whole, these two clauses leave so wide a berth for the practice of beliefs (their original intent) that the teachings of any belief system could be presented. The framers of the Constitution presupposed that the majority of religious adherents were God fearing; I'm certain if they'd anticipated the rise of Scientology and Islam and other idolatrous practices, they would have written in more specific language.

 

[PaladinGirl]

My Dear Paladin,

Please tell me what the separation of church and state is. That term is thrown around so loosey-goosey I'd hazard that most people don't know its origin. I'll give you a hint: It's not in the Constitution. It's so nebulous a concept that the Supreme Court has never definitively ruled on it. If you're referring to the Establishment clause or the Free Exercise clause, then you're coddling together two ideas whose sum neither prevents nor supports the presentation of the Bible in school.

In fact, seen as a whole, these two clauses leave so wide a berth for the practice of beliefs (their original intent) that the teachings of any belief system could be presented. The framers of the Constitution presupposed that the majority of religious adherents were God fearing; I'm certain if they'd anticipated the rise of Scientology and Islam and other idolatrous practices, they would have written in more specific language.

Well, I'm not an expert on this but I do know that the courts have ruled that school officials in public schools cannot teach the Bible to students and I agree with that! Besides, if we are going to start teaching the Bible in schools, whose interpretation are we going to start teaching???

 

[ThePanda]

In Romania most shools have Religion lesson. It's actually great, they teach you about the church, Saints, the New and Old Testaments. Of course, younger children study simple laws taken from the Bible, modernised a bit, like "don't be mean to animals", " be kind to your close ones"...

I thing Religion should be an optional, but recommended lesson.

 

[PaladinGirl]

In Romania most shools have Religion lesson. It's actually great, they teach you about the church, Saints, the New and Old Testaments. Of course, younger children study simple laws taken from the Bible, modernised a bit, like "don't be mean to animals", " be kind to your close ones"...

I thing Religion should be an optional, but recommended lesson.

You know, I see nothing wrong with having an optional world religions class in high school where all religions are taught but with no bias towards one religion or another. That, I am for, but not for a school official teaching one religion as though it were the truth and others were false.

 

[harvest08]

Well, I go to a secular school. I have a catholic school a short distance from my house, about the same length as the public school I go to.

And my question is, should children be indoctrinated with Jesus from the beginning? Or should the education system remain secular and open to critical/free thought?

Schools should limit themselves to reading, writing and arithmetic and leave education of religion, sex etc to parents. Having 5 children I got sick and tired of an education system directing me on how to raise my babies.

 

[derek6711]

When my daughter was in high school, she wasn't able to wear her shirt that had some scriptures written on it. But yet these teenager was able to wear shirts that had curse words on them and signs of evil pictures.

Exactly, I find that stupid, people wear things with blood and guts yet you can;t wear anything religious. That is so stupid.

 

[shipwrecksoul]

I remember growing up we would move around a lot, to different schools.
At one school about sixth grade I remember walking into a social studies class when no one was present, this about early 70's.
And seeing on one of the shelves in this classroom was a old social studies book on the history of America which I opened and began to look at the pictures reading the stories as well.
I was amazed of the stories I read on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
One of the stories in this old social studies book was of George Washington's involvement in the french and Indian war.
To give a quick trailer of it this is what Ill write,

News flash the year 1755! George Washington’s army ambushed loses 714 men out of 1300 men. 85 American and British officers slain George is the last officer standing. As one witness puts it “It was a massacre”. George states in a letter to His brother, “By the all powerful dispositions of providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I have four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot out from under me.” George would state that God had protected Him! We go through a time warp 15 years later in 1770. George and James Craig go to a settlement, which is at the site of the previous battle. An old Indian who was the chief at the battle years earlier wanted to meet the man whom God protected. “For you see” the chief said, “when we were in battle I told all my braves to kill all the officers. I saw you were an officer. I took aim and shot and nothing happen I took aim again and nothing happen. I took aim yet again and nothing happen to you. I did this for a total of 17 times. After that I told all the men cease firing at Him the Great Spirit is protecting Him.” So you see “I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle…I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle.”


This story was fantastic to learn about the providence of God in school. It made me gain respect for the people who began this country.
Then I learned


PATRICK HENRY
“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ”

Church of the Holy Trinity vs. United States (1892)
“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and must embody the teachings of the redeemer of mankind.”


then I learned about


The New England Primer

The New England Primer was the first textbook ever printed in America. It was used to teach reading and Bible lessons in our schools until the twentieth century.
Introduced in the Boston public schools in 1690, the New England Primer was a required textbook from which every first grader learned grammar and spelling.
The book opened with the following prayer:
HOW glorious is our heavenly King, Who reigns above the Sky! How shall a Child presume to sing His dreadful Majesty!
How great his Power is none can tell, Nor think how large his grace: Nor men below, nor Saints that dwell, On high before his Face.
Nor Angels that stand round the Lord, Can search his secret will; But they perform his heav''nly Word, And sing his Praises still.
Then let me join this holy Train; And my first Off''rings bring; The eternal GOD will not disdain To hear an Infant sing.
My Heart resolves, my Tongue obeys, And Angels shall rejoice, To hear their mighty Maker''s Praise, Sound from a feeble Voice.


Imagine if your little boy came home excited that he talked to God today!





So to teach the Bible in schools YES YES YES!




Patrick Henry
“Our country was founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ”


Runkel vs. Winemiller (1799)
“By our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion; and all sects and denominations of Christians are placed on the same equal footing.”
52 out of the 56 founding Fathers were members of orthodox Christianity.