Why Religion Should Not be Taught in American Public School Classrooms

When the Founders amended the U.S. Constitution to include the provision that, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, they underscored the importance of keeping church and state separated in the United States. This admonition is readily understandable given that there are more than 4,000 recognized religions that are currently practiced in the world today (World Religion Day, 2022) and individual Americans subscribe to any one (or more) of these religions or none at all. Against this backdrop, it is clear that religion should not be taught in American public schools. In support of this assertion, the purpose of this paper is to present arguments in support and those against to explain why religion should not be taught in American public school classrooms for these and the other reasons explored below. In addition, a summary of the research and important findings concerning this issue are provided in the conclusion.

The arguments in support of teaching religion in classrooms

Like the issues of slavery and race in the contentious debate over whether critical race theory should be taught in the classrooms, many of the arguments in support of teaching religion in classrooms relate to the centrality that religion has played in the formation and evolution of the American experiment in democracy. For example, according to Beckett, To some, religion and the classroom are a toxic mix to be avoided at all cost. But should it be considered toxic when religion has played such an important role in shaping Americas identity, purpose, and politics? (2017, 1). Although some authorities may be reluctant to characterize the teaching of religion in classrooms as a toxic enterprise, it is clear that opinions are emotionally charged and sharply drawn to the point where there is little room for compromise in this seemingly all-or-nothing debate.

Notwithstanding the controversy, however, the fact remains...…no one should be forced [and] teachers must be sensitive to the beliefs of all students, including atheists, and not let their own biases show (Rosnick-Goodwin 2018, 3). As noted above, a major caveat to teaching religion in classrooms is the need for educators to remain objective about the subject, but even the most objective teachers may allow their own personal biases to influence which religions are taught and what is taught about them.

Conclusion

The research was consistent in showing that although religion was a powerful force in U.S. society as recently as a century ago, times have changed and increasing numbers of American adults no longer subscribe to any religion at all. In sum, the United States is rapidly becoming a strictly secular society. In addition, the research also showed that the vast diversity of religious beliefs and the relative importance of these beliefs to different Americans make it apparent that there is no room for teaching religion in…