Does America have Religious Education in their curriculum, like in the UK?...

Question

...if so, then why are they trying so hard to add Creationism into the curriculum? Isn't religious education enough?

Answer 1

No, public schools in the US (our public schools are run by the government - what you in the UK call public schools are what we call private schools) do not have mandatory religious education.

One of the founding principles of the US was the separation of church and state, so it is against our Constitution to require religious education. It is offered as an elective class in some high schools. And it's covered a little in history, literature and anthropology.

The people trying so hard to add Creationism into the curriculum want it in the Science department. The people who want it are fundamentalist Christians. People from other religions may believe a god created the universe, but they aren't insisting the public schools teach it as fact.

Answer 2

I live in the UK and I think Religious Education is often thought as important which I diagree with. If they removed the subject I could have taken another GCSE or Intermediate 2 which in my opinion would have been a much more worthy of my education. Plus my school makes us go to the church sometimes. :-(

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

No, at least not in regular public schools. Sometimes they have optional religious courses in which you study all kinds of religions or a specific one. However in some religious public or private schools they do teach religion... bible study is an example and in those schools it's mandatory.

I think they should teach students to be open to all religions and to learn about them, therefore I don't see a problem in adding Creationism to the mix. I myself am not really religious at all, I have my thoughts, but I think everyone should learn about every theory and every religion.  

Answer 4

public schools don't have religious education

Answer 5

The first Amendment to the US Constitution states in part that; "CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF'. We do not allow religious education in public school classrooms because we feel that it violates the first Amendment.