Intro to Religion in Public Schools
Religion is the belief and worship of God or some kind of superhuman power. There is no single type of religion. As the years pass and diversity widens in the United States, many more religions are being exposed to society. When it comes to the topic of religion and the public class room, the first thing a person thinks about is the lack of its teaching and how it is not allowed to be taught without causing some kind of controversy within society. The separation of church and state and the First Amendment are the backbone to this problem. While some people may believe that religion does not belong in the public classroom because it is only a distraction to learning about real world problems, others may think that it could benefit students to be more open minded and accepting to diversity. Religion has been found to help with brain development and can help students learn more about themselves as people; as said in an article written by Joseph Laycock. Religion varies in its teachings and beliefs and although learning about different religions may seem threatening to one’s own religion, the knowledge of different cultures could lead to a more open-minded society; therefore, religion should be taught and/or offered in public schools.