Public schools should offer religion courses to further educate the children of the world, despite how controversial the subject is. There have been many benefits found that come as a result of teaching religion to children in school. For example, learning about religion could help keep children from going through religious-based bullying. It is not really a kind of bullying that many people think about or focus on, but it is definitely a problem in schools. I know this from personal experience, I grew up in the south keeping my religion a secret from my peers to avoid being talked about and bullied. I feel that if people were more informed about various religions, they would be more likely to have an open mind and be more understanding. I also feel that offering religion classes would further educate our children about the world, which could lead the children of the world to understand each other better as well as leading the children to have a more well-rounded education. Many people do not agree, which is what makes it so difficult to introduce such a course to public schools. Many parents do not want their children to learn about other religions, mainly because they are afraid that they would be preaching to the children about these religions. It would also be very difficult to then try and teach every religion of every child in the school. It is understandable for parents to feel this way because it could confuse young children, which is why I feel that this course should be offered to grade six and above. Religion should be introduced to the public school system because of the many benefits that come from religious education, even though it is a very difficult subject to be taught in public schools.

Currently, many Americans are not okay with religion being taught to their children in school because they think that it is illegal. Many Americans are not sure what is and is not allowed to be taught when it comes to religion and it upsets them when they hear about any sort of religious instruction in the classroom (Wertheimer). It is currently legal for teachers to teach religion, but it is not legal to encourage a certain religion. Also, parents think that their children are going to be forced to pray in school because of instances that have previously occurred (Public Schools Shouldn't Preach.).  But that is not what it means to teach religion to children in school. According to Linda Wertheimer, it would be very beneficial to children to be educated about the religion of those around them. When Linda Wertheimer was a young child she was the only Jewish child in her class and they had prayer time in class which she had to be excused from. She was teased for being different, and feels that if teachers did not preach in class this wouldn't have happened. She also mentioned that there would be several other benefits to learning about religion in school. 

For example, learning about religion in school could help to make each child's education stronge and more well-rounded. Understanding various religions would help children to better understand history, literature, and current events. Religion has been a very large part of our history and it could help children to better understand many events that have happened in the world. For example, understanding religion would help children to better understand events like the colonization of america, WWII, the Holocaust, and 9/11. Teaching religion for the purpose of better understanding history falls under the Historical Approach (Moore). This is the teaching approach where the religion is taught to better understand history and to understand the history of the religion. Learning about religion would also help children to better understand literature and the many religious references that are made in literature throughout history. Teaching religion in this way would be the Literary Approach (Moore).Another approach that could be used to teach religion in public schools is called the Traditions-based Approach (Moore). This approach teaches the traditions of each religion. This could be important to help children to understand people around the world.

 Religious education would also help children to better understand current events going on in the world. Religion is even the reason for the borders of countries and the reason that people have issues with the borders of countries around the world.  For example, the current conflicts that are going on in the middle east. Allowing children to learn about religion in school would give them the chance to better understand these conflicts.  I once had a professor say that Americans think of people in other cultures as "backwards", if we were taught to understand their culture we could better understand them, and maybe even prevent conflicts in the future. It could also help children to better understand events that are currently happening around the world. For example, the conflicts in the Middle East. There are several issues in the Middle east that are religious-based, and without even a slight understanding of their culture, it is difficult to understand their conflicts.  Religious illiteracy is an issue in the US, and it would easily be solved through religious education in public schools (Should Public Schools Teach Religious Studies?). 

Learning about religion is good for the well-being of the people of America. America is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world and, at the same time, one of the most religiously ignorant (Laycock). It is important for the people of America to further understand those around them, and teaching them about the religion of their peers would help children to understand each other (Schiffman). Religion is one of the most divisive factors in the world, but it also brings mass amounts of people together around the world (Schiffman). For example, religious holidays. Holidays bring people together, and most of them are related to religion. It is important for children to learn about why these holidays are happening, even if it is not part of their religion. 

 Allowing children to incorporate their spirituality in school could help them feel better about going to school and being less stressed. In the article "A Rose By Any Other Name" the author, Ann Trousdale, talks about an instance where a teacher taught yoga to her students to help them feel more relaxed and less stressed in class (Trousdale). The teacher was forced to quit teaching yoga to her class because it was seen as being too religious to be included in class. Children go through school not being able to fully be themselves due to a fear of being bullied. If children in school were taught to understand each other, they could be more open with one another. This could cause the problem of religious-based bullying to drastically reduce. People are afraid to teach religion because of how controversial it is, but teaching it to people could cause it to become less of a touchy subject. 

A common issue of teaching religion in class is that teachers forget to teach and not preach. As Simon Brown says, "...most schools that get into trouble when it comes to teaching religion usually run afoul of the U.S. Constitution because a teacher is forcing his or her faith on students inside the classroom." (Brown).  It is a large concern for parents that their children would be forced to listen to the preaching of a religion other than their own. When teachers hear about religion being taught in school they often feel upset because they think that their children are being preached to during school. People do not feel that it is fair to teach religion in school because everyone has the right to their own religion so they should not have to learn about religion other than their own. Every parent wants for their child to learn about their own religion, and trying to accommodate for every child could cause it to be difficult to teach a religion course (Cruz). It is very important for the teacher to understand the rules that come along with teaching such a controversial subject, and always to remember to only teach the information that is supposed to be taught. The teacher would have to remember to always be as open minded as possible and not include any personal opinions in the lessons. It is highly possible for a religion class to be successful if it is done correctly and the teacher is well prepared. The teacher of a religion course would have to be properly trained and be very prepared for the class. If teachers were able to prefect this course, it could give the world a chance to become more religiously tolerant. 

 Religion has been successfully taught in public schools around the world. For example, the article "An Evolution of the Concepts and Problems of Philosophy of Religion in Terms of Teaching Religion: A Study into the Units of Philosophy of Religion and Religious Concepts in the Programs of Teaching Philosophy" lists examples of religious courses throughout several years. The courses listed in this article are college courses and are all either courses of Philosophy, Logic, or Sociology. It has also been proven to be a successful subject in elementary and high schools (Cruz). In the article "Teaching Religion in Brazil, in Public Schools and Confessional Colleges" it explains examples of elementary and high schools in Brazil that have been able to teach courses in religion. Cruz says that is was difficult because each family wants their child to be learning about their religion. This would prove to be even more difficult in America because of how diverse we are. Each family would want for their child to learn about their religion, and there are a lot of children with a lot of different beliefs in each class. That is why Teachers would have to have a set course and know what to teach, just like they have in most subjects.

 According to Olivia Godfrey, " Other people's religious views should not be forced upon others, especially children" (Godfrey). The problem with this statement is, teaching religion to children in public school is very different than forcing religion onto them. Teachers would merely be educating the children on the religions of the world. It is illegal for them to preach or encourage any specific religion in the classroom. Godfrey also states that religion is a good thing to teach, but teachers would not have good enough resources to properly teach a course on religion.  This is not a fair argument, because if we trust our teachers to teach every other subject, why should we not be able to trust them to teach this just like any other subject? They would have textbooks, lesson plans, and guidelines to help them to prepare for their religion classes. Incorrectly teaching religion can negatively affect the children of the classroom, which is why teachers would have to be very careful to teach a religion course. For example, in "Public Schools Shouldn't Preach. But They Should Teach Kids About  Religion." Linda Wertheimer talks about when she was a child, her class has religious instruction. She was the only Jewish child in her class, and had to "banish" her from the class during religious instruction. This made her feel very different, which show that teachers would have to be very careful while teaching the class to avoid making the children feel out of place (Wertheimer). 

Religion is an important subject for the children of America to learn about. It can be very interesting, and also very beneficial to their current instruction. It could help them to better understand certain subjects and maybe even help them do better in school, which could help them feel better about school in general. Many kids become discouraged and feel helpless when they are not doing well in school, so if they were given the opportunity to learn in different ways and apply their schooling to real life, it could help them learn better. Every child learns differently and adding religion to their education could give children the chance to learn different subject in different ways. Also, incorporating religion into schools could give children the opportunity to fully be themselves in school, which could make school a happier experience. School is already stressful enough, children should be given the opportunity to be themselves without worrying about bullying. Religious-based bullying starts at a very young age and allowing children to learn about each other's religion could help to prevent this (Wertheimer).

In conclusion, religion should be taught in public schools to benefit children's education, and well being. Learning about religion would beneficial to their education by causing them to be more well-rounded and better understand the subjects that they are currently being taught. It will benefit their history classes, because it could help them to better understand many events that have happened throughout history. For example, 9/11, they would be given the chance to understand who caused the event, why they did, and why not everyone from the middle east should be hated for the event. They would be able to understand the conflicts that are currently going on in the middle east better, and even understand the colonization of America better. It would benefit their literacy learning by allowing them to better understand literary references that are made in many classic pieces that children learn about in school. Learning about religion in school could even benefit the children's well-being. It could cause religious-based bullying to be less of a problem, if not end completely. It would also give children the chance to better understand those around them and give them a chance to see each other differently. Understanding what people believe in can explain the things that they do. Having the children understand each other better could allow school to be a more pleasant and enjoyable place. Also, religion can be a very interesting topic because of how relatable it is. With children in each class that believe in different things, it could give them a chance to express themselves to their peers and explain what they believe, which could be very enjoyable. Religion is a big part of the world and the lives of the people around the world. It should be part of children's education so that they are able to understand this part of people's lives.  Learning about religion in school might seem like one big issue, but when you really think about it, it can be a very good thing for the children in the school for many reasons. 

