Public schools should teach religion

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-

The day Jesus entered my fourth-grade classroom, my childhood forever changed.

It was 1974, and my family had just moved from western New York state to rural Ohio. I was the new kid, and all I wanted was to fit in. But one afternoon that first week, a woman hired by local churches walked into my public-school classroom and my regular teacher left. She stuck figures of Jesus Christ and his disciples on a flannel board, told us how Jesus could solve people’s problems and, a little while later, asked us all to sing the hymn, “Jesus Loves Me.”

Here’s the thing: I’m Jewish.

More here-

http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2015/09/20/Public-schools-should-teach-religion/stories/201509200028

Religious education 'too weak' in Anglican primary schools

From The Telegraph-

More than half of Church of England primary schools are delivering poor quality religious education lessons that give pupils little more than a “superficial” grounding in the subject, according to official Anglican research.

A study by the Church’s education division found that under-11s were being fed a “narrow diet of Bible stories” rather than in-depth classes designed to boost their understanding of Christianity.
Researchers found that RE was “not good enough” in 60 per cent of primary schools and officially “inadequate” in one-in-six of those inspected.


More here-


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11108784/Religious-education-too-weak-in-Anglican-schools.html

CETALC fosters theological education in Latin America, Caribbean

From ENS-

Luisa Salguero grew up in the Episcopal Church in El Salvador. Her late father, Vicente Alfredo Salguero, worked for the church and a plaque bearing his name hangs outside the chapel at the church’s office in San Salvador.

As a teenager, Salguero spent some time away from the church, she said during an August interview in San Jose, Costa Rica, and upon high school graduation she studied law at the University of Central America and later went to work for a multinational computer technology company for six years.
Salguero, 32, said her work as a lawyer left her feeling empty, and she began spending more time at church.

“I felt like I had a hole I was filling in,” she said. “I spent all my free time at the church and enjoyed it and discovered that that was what I really wanted to do. I loved what I was doing.”

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2013/10/22/cetalc-fosters-theological-education-in-latin-america-caribbean/

Why Christianity should be taught, properly, in our schools

From Australia-

Christian education in government schools is suddenly controversial, as secularists make it the latest battleground in their efforts to wind back what they see as the malign influence of religion.

A case alleging discrimination has been brought to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission; interfaith groups and a new multi-faith education network of academics want to end the present system; and the Education Department is under pressure over what seems an odd interpretation of the Education Act, arguing that the phrase "may" provide special religious instruction actually means "must" provide it.

This battle is one the advocates of what is called special religious instruction are doomed to lose, because the high ground belongs to their opponents.

There is also an important battle taking place within secularism as to whether atheism should be an unofficial state ideology; more on that question later.

More here-

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/blogs/the-religious-write/why-christianity-should-be-taught-properly-in-our-schools-20110411-1d9md.html