RELIGIOUS ISSUES

1. RELIGIOUS ISSUES April McCarty Ann Hardin Jinny Maust Mike Renyolds

2. Religion • a cultural system that creates powerful and long-lasting meaning, by establishing symbols that relate humanity to truths and values.[1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion

3. Religion… An Overview • The development of religion has taken different forms in different cultures. Some religions place an emphasis on belief, while others emphasize practice. Some religions focus on the subjective experience of the religious individual, while others consider the activities of the religious community to be most important.

4. Overview continued • Societies cannot be understood without considering their systems of beliefs, and comparative study of those beliefs draws attention to common ethical values shared across cultures despite the very different ways in which they are expressed

5. Religion Practices- History • Christianity • Judaism • Jehovahs witness • Islam • Christianity and Science

6. Christianity • The Worlds Largest religion • Christianity shares a number of beliefs and practices with other religions, particularly Judaism and Islam. With Judaism and Islam, Christians believe in one God, who created the universe and all that is in it. All believe that this God is active in history, guiding and teaching his people • All the first Christians were Jewish followers of Jesus who believed that he had risen from the dead • Christian Holidays include Easter and Christmas

7. Judaism • Judaism has no official creed or universal doctrinal requirements for membership • Founded 1300bc • According to the teachings of Judaism, God's will for human behavior was revealed to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Saini. The Torah, or commandments, which regulate how humans are to live their lives, were a gift from God so that they might live in according to His will. • Judaism teaches that one day a Messiah (a person from God) will unite the world and bring peace to humanity

8. Jehovah Witness • This Christian denomination dates back to the late 19th century. Charles TazeRussel is credited with organizing the first Bible study groups that later gave origin to the Jehovah's Witness sect; these groups focused on Bible prophecy and the second coming of Christ. This second coming is said to have happened invisibly in 1914 — a date that was originally thought to mark the end of the world or Armageddon. • Jehovahs Witnesses believe all other religions to be false, and are deeply involved in preaching as a way to impart the hope of resurrection to humanity

9. Jehovah Witness • Do not believe in the existence of hell • Jesus existed in pre-human form as God's agent of creation and God's chief spokesman , and took on human form as the man Jesus by means of a virgin birth • Jehovah's Witnesses believe that only 144,000 people will go to heaven to rule with God and Jesus. The remainder of the righteous will enjoy paradise on earth - a restored Garden of Eden in which there is no sickness, old age, death or unhappiness

10. Islam/Muslim Religion • The religion and philosophy of Islam, is based upon the belief that God (Allah) transmitted knowledge to Muhammad (c. 570–632) and other prophets (Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus). The followers of Islamic religion, muslims, believe that this revelation to humanity was written down in the Quran, which is the flawless word of God. • There are about four million Muslim’s living in America • Muslim duties include five daily prayers • The general religious life of the Muslims is centered around the mosque. Friday is the weekly Muslim holy day

11. Scientology • In 2005, the Church of Scientology stated its worldwide membership to be eight million • Scientology teaches that people are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature • Scientology's belief that souls ("thetans") reincarnate and have lived on other planets before living on Earth • Believe psychiatry is destructive and must be abolished • Scientology addresses the spirit—not thebody or mind—and believes that Man is far more than a product of his environment, or his genes. • The ultimate goal of Scientology is true spiritual enlightenment and freedom

12. Christian Scientists • A Christian Scientist believes that sin and death are false notions (illusions). • Christian Science contends that illness is an illusion caused by faulty beliefs, and that prayer heals by replacing bad thoughts with good ones • Christian Science practitioners work by trying to argue the sick thoughts out of the patient’s mind. • sick people are to go to reading rooms and pray and meditate

13. Religious Child Abuse By Dr. Seth AsserNovember 2, 2002 • Shauntay Walker was a 4-year-old girl who died in CA in 1984 from untreated meningitis, of a type now preventable with immunizations. She had not received any childhood vaccinations while the family dog was fully immunized. The law required it for the dog, but not for the child. We live in a country in which the laws that protect pets are better than those that protect children.

14. Current Guidelines for Religion in Schools • Students have the same right to engage in individual or group prayer and religious discussion during the school day as they do to engage in other comparable activity • Teachers and administrators are prohibited from either encouraging or discouraging religious activity and from participating in such activity with students. • Public schools may not provide religious instruction but may teach about religion.

15. “It’s important to cultivate an appreciation of all world religions “Every religion has the capacity for peace and the capacity for violence. ”(Mark Scott, a *visiting assistant professor of religious studies at MU)

16. Strengths of Religion in Schools • Religion plays a large part in history and society • Children need to understand the importance of religious freedom (perhaps when studying the first freedom in the Bill Of Rights) • Religion, taught objectively, teaches students about a variety of traditions (religious)

17. Strengths continued • Teaching students (neutrally) about religion gives students an appreciation and understanding of the diversity that exists. • Understanding diversity can help students to become more tolerant (possibly with a student who practices religious beliefs at school) • Exp. Jehovah's witness and holidays • replace stereotypes and prejudices with understanding and respect

18. Challenges with religion in Schools • Which religions to teach and to what depth (what materials to use • Design of a curriculum that is academic not devotional • New populations of Muslims, Buddhists and many other religious and ethnic groups are entering schools throughout the nation, therefore being sensitive to these religions is critical

19. Challenges • Following the guidelines for teaching religion • The school's approach to religion is academic, not devotional. • The school strives for student awareness of religions, but does not press for student acceptance of any one religion. • The school sponsors study about religion, not the practice of religion. • The school exposes students to a diversity of religious views; it does not impose any particular view. • The school educates about all religions; it does not promote or denigrate any religion. • The school informs students about various beliefs; it does not seek to conform students to any particular belief.

20. challenges • Debate and disagreement- especially for older grades • Holidays in the schools- Halloween/Christmas/Easter Etc. • Holiday related movies- Some religions excused-must notify parents • Physical Education/Muslim Girls- Self Esteem • Cultural barriers • Parents not wanting their children exposed to other religions

21. Instructor techniques • Providing students of various religions their requests • Muslims may need a quiet place during the day to fulfill their prayer obligations • Jehovahs Witnesses may need to be excused from celebrations (giving advance notice) • Talking to other students about religions to create an understanding of different practices

22. Techniques continued • Provide students with a background of the importance of religion in history and society (Each religions impact in history, literature, art, music, and morality) • Replacing stereotypes and prejudices with understanding • Teaching about religion, not teaching religion • Using grade appropriate information and resources

23. Facts about religion • More than half of all Americans attend a place of worship at least once a month, and over 80% identify themselves as Christian • there are today three world religions: Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism

24. Promoting Cultural Diversity for All Learners • Treat each student as an individual, and respect each student for who he or she is • Rectify any language patterns or case examples that exclude or demean any groups • Do your best to be sensitive to terminology • Get a sense of how students feel about the cultural climate in your classroom

25. Diversity Continued • Think about what considerations and accommodations need to be made at the building and district level to ensure there are explicit and fair expectations for all students • Work to create a sense of community within the classroom • Create a safe and responsive learning environment

26. References • http://www.adherents.com/misc/fed_guidelines.html • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion • http://www.fpri.org/footnotes/072.200112.hay.teachingworldreligions.html • http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Science • http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Cultural_diversity