Religion in public schools.....

Read if you like, but I'd love to hear your opinions.

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/10/13/18823186.html

If you want to read the comments, use the tab at the top of the story. The "view comments" thing at the bottom is hit and miss. Oh ya, they start at most recent so best to start on the last page.

This comment reflects my opinion on the subject:

I have no problem with religions having their prayer time. I do however have a problem with MY tax money funding it. If I wanted to fund religion I would CHOOSE to go to church. If these religions want a supervised prayer room let THEM pay for it! Our public school system is already drained enough. Now as for the whole not standing for the National Anthem...if you don't then you need to get the heck out of Canada. Freedom of religion...yes Not respecting your country's national anthem should be treason right up there with burning the flag.

Good topic Fleas.

My thoughts and opinions on this topic.

National Anthem.
I think when the National Anthem is played in schools, everyone should stand. If you don't want to stand, then like the the poster in that comment stated "you need to get the heck out of Canada".

Religion.
With Canada being such a big melting pot of different religions, you just can't please everyone. Therefore, religion should be left out of schools. If it's that important to parents that their children learn about their religious beliefs then take your child to church, mosque, synagogue, whatever. It's the parents responsibility to teach their child(ren) their religious beliefs, not the school's. School should be for teaching and preparing children for the skills they will need to be successful when they enter the work force.

I think my biggest issue is that when you come to a new country, you should be learning how things are here, not us giving in to everything our new countrymen/women bring with them. I'm all for freedom of religion, just do it where it belongs.

Fleas jr came home with her planner for the year, all things written for the rules of the school were in English, French, and Arabic. ARABIC??????????? The school sign is now in Arabic as well as French and English. Even the police cars now how Arabic signage.

This wouldn't be much of an issue IF it was in Chinese, Spanish.....etc. Why just Arabic? It's just getting out of hand IMO.

No, I do not hate Arabic speaking people, or any other for that matter. I just don't feel we should conform to their wants.

I will jump out on the limb here on both of these issues. I personally don't think that religion is such a bad thing. A whole lotta kids now grow up without the parental guidance to help them form proper morals, values and beliefs. I went to Catholic schools and it didn't hurt me any especially since I was not learning these things at home.

Next I am just going to play devil's advocate her for a minute and while I DO stand for ANY national anthem I do not think it is fair or right to say "you need to get the heck out of Canada" because as a First Nations person, I know a lot of people who will not stand for the anthem and considering they are Indigenous to this land then where the heck are they supposed to go. First Nations are considered sovereign nations and have been told this stuff for a few hundred years too many. Conform or get out but where they hell are they supposed to go?

Just my 2 cents and I hope not to offend but sometimes there is another side to the coin.

This thread could get interesting.

Kewl Chick wrote:

I will jump out on the limb here on both of these issues. I personally don't think that religion is such a bad thing. A whole lotta kids now grow up without the parental guidance to help them form proper morals, values and beliefs. I went to Catholic schools and it didn't hurt me any especially since I was not learning these things at home.

Next I am just going to play devil's advocate her for a minute and while I DO stand for ANY national anthem I do not think it is fair or right to say "you need to get the heck out of Canada" because as a First Nations person, I know a lot of people who will not stand for the anthem and considering they are Indigenous to this land then where the heck are they supposed to go. First Nations are considered sovereign nations and have been told this stuff for a few hundred years too many. Conform or get out but where they hell are they supposed to go?

Just my 2 cents and I hope not to offend but sometimes there is another side to the coin.

I'm all for religion KC, just not in school. If parents want to teach fictional stories (sorry, couldn't resist lol) to their children, open up a school dedicated to that religion.

I don't even think religion should be brought into a childs life until they are old enough to make a choice on their own. :o Of course they will come across it, but it shouldn't be force fed to them.

To each their own I say but I do know if I had kids they would not be baptised catholic like I was but they WOULD go to catholic schools. To me its about morals and values and really has nothing to do with any religion.

Fleas jr. has plenty of morals and values, which I would expect from all children really. I don't hide religion from her and if she picks up one that she enjoys, more power to her. I won't hold her back, but I won't lie to her about how I feel.

Up until recently my children all went to church(their choice),they tried every church in town until they found one that met their needs.

I think basic religion should be taught by the parents,it is up to the children(at a decent age) to decide what they would like to do with it

I try not to influence them either way,I know what I believe,if they ask and they have I am happy to share that with them and my thoughts on it


I also encourage them to question it,seek out the answers,they went to bible camp for years and loved every minute of it. I don't force feed it,I simply acknowledge that it is out there

I do not stand for the Canadian National Anthem as I do not agree with the lyrics...they don't apply to us. I also have a Native heritage albeit it only 1/4 of my genetics. I strongly do not believe religion belongs in schools. Common decency and morals IMO have nothing to do with religion, either you know right from wrong or you don't and I don't think it's something taught. I know many who preach their religions but certainly don't practice it that are the biggest assholes I have ever met.

Miss key, that is my position as well.

I can understand the point of our Native Canadians. I can cope with the Natives not standing for the National Anthem. This issue is the next step. Do we let it happen again? Should we not let it happen again? Do we allow it?

Nothing changes if we let it happen twice. Maybe the "Canadians" and the Natives could hook up and possibly make the past.....STAY THE PAST? The way it's going, I doubt the Natives are going to benefit from what is happening now.

Oh ya....religion needs to stay out of public schools.

I've thought long and hard about this question over the years. As our kids have grown through the school system I've noticed the shift to multiculturalism and religion. It's not so cut and dried as "keep religion out of schools" because there are many religious practices that involve "rites" during school hours, be it something as simple as fasting, or prayer.

I was brought up in a very strict religious family, my beliefs now run a little more general. I don't believe in the bible, it's archaic, legends passed down through the generations to be written up by a few literate humans. I do believe in God, or a higher power. Daughter spent a bit too much time with my mother growing up, she's a little more into the organized religion and the rites. Still doesn't go to church (ah, the continued internal human struggle between the need to attend and sing hyms, VS those darned services starting so early on a Sunday morning) but she does attend a youth group every other week. Husband and son are both proudly heathen. But we all live pretty happily together, LOL.

I never wanted my children to be insulated from other cultures or religions, how can they possibly make informed choices in life if they have no idea what those choices are?

That being said, I don't think religions should be taught in school. Educationally, if somebody's celebrating a religious event, they should take that opportunity to explain what they're doing and why.

Same thing with the National Anthem. The argument of "Soldiers fought and died for our country, we should show our respect to them and it by standing and singing our National Anthem!" could be easily turned around. Soldiers fought and died for our freedom. That freedom is all-encompassing, including our freedom to choose when and where to honour our Country and Heritage. If a student chooses not to stand and sing, so be it. It should, however, be an educational moment. That student should write up an essay explaining his stance. Not as a punishment, but as an opening for education. They really may have good reason. Some kids are indoctrinated from a young age to stand and sing every day, they really have no idea why. So educate them as to why we do this, why national pride is so very important not the old "just because we do it" excuse.

pooperscooper wrote:

I do not stand for the Canadian National Anthem as I do not agree with the lyrics...they don't apply to us. I also have a Native heritage albeit it only 1/4 of my genetics. I strongly do not believe religion belongs in schools. Common decency and morals IMO have nothing to do with religion, either you know right from wrong or you don't and I don't think it's something taught. I know many who preach their religions but certainly don't practice it that are the biggest assholes I have ever met.

This is how I feel.

Holy shit, I made a thread that went more than 1 page.