SEPARATING CHURCH AND STATE BY TEACHING RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

 

SEPARATING CHURCH AND STATE BY TEACHING RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Maryland educators have embarked on a five-day bus tour of the county's religious landscape as part of their summer course, Religion Literacy for Educators. The course aims to prepare teachers for issues of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Asian hate that they may encounter in the classroom. And what better way to prepare for such issues than by visiting houses of worship for Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism? 

But wait, there's more! The social studies curriculum for grades pre-K-12 in Montgomery County has also been updated to connect historic immigration with current events, with the aim of fighting hate and humanizing people who face hate crimes. The curriculum's alignment with state-mandated social justice standards is intentional. 

So, what does this mean for Maryland's nearly 900,000 public school students? Well, they'll be heading back to school soon, and their teachers will be more prepared than ever to face the many challenges in the classroom. Thirty-five educators signed up for Religion Literacy for Educators, a five-day bus tour through the religion landscape of Montgomery County. 

The course is called "World Religions and the Human Experience," and it's designed to teach students about the world's major religions and their role in human history and culture. It's taught in the 11th grade and is part of the state's social studies curriculum. It's a semester-long course that meets twice a week for 45 minutes. The course is taught by a certified social studies teacher who has received specialized training in religion literacy. 

Now, you might be wondering why anyone would want to teach religion in schools. Well, here are some of the benefits:

• - They can help students to develop critical thinking skills. 
• - They can help students to understand different cultures and perspectives. 
• - They can help students to appreciate the diversity of the world's religions. 
• - They can help students to become more tolerant and understanding of others. 
• - They can help students to make informed decisions about their own religious beliefs.

But of course, not everyone is on board with this idea. Some people argue that religion has no place in schools and that it promotes religious indoctrination. Others argue that it's too sensitive and could lead to conflict between students of different faiths. 

Well, we here at the Daily Chuckle have a solution: separate church and state by teaching religion in schools! That's right, folks. We're taking a page out of Maryland's book and suggesting that all schools offer a Religion Literacy for Educators course. 

Think about it: if we teach students about all religions, not just one, we can promote understanding and tolerance in a diverse society. We can help students develop critical thinking skills by encouraging them to ask questions and challenge the material. And we can humanize people who face hate crimes by teaching about their beliefs and practices. 

Plus, let's be real here: religion is hilarious. Have you ever read the Bible? That thing is full of jokes! And don't even get us started on Scientology. 

So, let's embrace religion in schools and have a good laugh while we're at it. Who knows, maybe we'll even learn something.

Maryland religion literacy course an eyeopener for educators - WTOP News https://wtop.com/maryland/2023/08/maryland-religion-literacy-course-an-eyeopener-for-educators/ 

Losing Our Religion review: Trump and the crisis of US Christianity https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/13/losing-our-religion-review-trump-crisis-christianity?CMP=share_btn_tw 

Big Education Ape: OH GOD: OKLA RELIGIOUS CHARTER SCHOOL IS GETTING SUED BY EVERYBODY https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/08/oh-god-okla-religious-charter-school-is.html 

Big Education Ape: THE SUPREME COURT: HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND OR A CONCLAVE OF BISHOPS IN BLACK ROBES https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-supreme-court-highest-court-in-land.html

Big Education Ape: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS: HOW CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM IS IMPACTING THE MILITARY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/07/onward-christian-soldiers-how-christian.html 

THE DEFT DIVE

FROM BARD AI

Maryland is one of a handful of states that has implemented a religion literacy course in public schools. The course, which is called "World Religions and the Human Experience," is designed to teach students about the world's major religions and their role in human history and culture.

The course is taught in the 11th grade and is part of the state's social studies curriculum. It is a semester-long course that meets twice a week for 45 minutes. The course is taught by a certified social studies teacher who has received specialized training in religion literacy.

The course covers a wide range of topics, including the history of religion, the beliefs and practices of major world religions, and the role of religion in society. Students also learn about the different ways that religion has been used to promote peace and understanding, as well as the ways that it has been used to justify violence and oppression.

The course is designed to be objective and non-denominational. Students are not required to believe in any particular religion, and they are encouraged to ask questions and challenge the material. The course also includes a unit on secularism and religious freedom.

In addition to Maryland, there are a few other states that have implemented religion literacy courses in public schools. These states include California, Florida, and New York. The courses in these states vary in terms of their content and format, but they all share the goal of teaching students about the world's major religions and their role in human history and culture.

Here are some of the benefits of religion literacy courses in public schools:

• * They can help students to develop critical thinking skills.
• * They can help students to understand different cultures and perspectives.
• * They can help students to appreciate the diversity of the world's religions.
• * They can help students to become more tolerant and understanding of others.
• * They can help students to make informed decisions about their own religious beliefs.

Religion literacy courses are not without their critics. Some people argue that they are unnecessary and that they promote religious indoctrination. Others argue that they are too sensitive and that they could lead to conflict between students of different faiths.

Despite these criticisms, religion literacy courses are gaining popularity in public schools. They are seen as a way to promote understanding and tolerance in a diverse society.

FROM BING AI

The Maryland religion literacy course and other state religion literacy courses. Here is a summary of what I found:

• - The Maryland religion literacy course is a five-day bus tour through the religion landscape of Montgomery County, where teachers visit different houses of worship and learn about the diversity and complexity of religions⁴⁵. The course was created by Mitchell Joy, a history teacher at Walter Johnson High School, who has offered it since 2018⁴⁵. The course aims to help teachers understand how religions impact the classroom and how to address the challenges of religious intolerance and discrimination⁴⁵.
• - Other state religion literacy courses include the Religious Literacy: Traditions and Scriptures course offered by Harvard University on edX¹². This course is part of the World Religions Through Their Scriptures series, which explores how diverse Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs have interpreted their sacred writings and practiced their teachings over time¹². The course teaches learners how to interpret the roles religions play in historic and contemporary contexts, how religions are internally diverse, how they evolve and change, and how they are embedded in all human cultures¹².
• - Another example of a state religion literacy course is the Bible literacy class, which is an elective course in public schools about the impact of the Bible on history, culture, and society³. Several states have introduced or passed legislation to allow or encourage such classes, such as Alabama, Florida, Missouri, North Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia³. However, these classes have also sparked controversy and debate over whether they violate the separation of church and state or promote a particular religious viewpoint³.

Bing, 8/13/2023

• (1) Religion literacy course is an eyeopener for educators. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/08/11/religion-literacy-course-is-an-eyeopener-for-educators/.
• (2) Maryland religion literacy course an eyeopener for educators. https://wtop.com/maryland/2023/08/maryland-religion-literacy-course-an-eyeopener-for-educators/.
• (3) Religious Literacy: Traditions and Scriptures | edX. https://www.edx.org/course/religious-literacy-traditions-and-scriptures/.
• (4) Religious Literacy: Traditions and Scriptures | Harvard University. https://pll.harvard.edu/course/religious-literacy-traditions-and-scriptures.
• (5) 'Bible literacy' classes: Deepening students' knowledge or ... - CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/06/politics/bible-literacy-classes-legislation/index.html.