A proposal that religion be taught in the American school system in order to stem the tide of rising youth crime and violence.
The paper blames the rise of youth crime on the lack of religion in America and then explains the advantage of having religion as a part of one’s life. It proposes that schools teach religion and morality to its students in order to produce good, upstanding citizens. The paper examines the history of religion in school, gives an overview of current policy, and examines both sides of the issue. It shows that religion in school has many more benefits than it does harmful effects.
The role of public schools is to educate our youth. When our country was young, prayer and Bible teachings were a standard part of the curriculum. Students leaned reading, writing and arithmetic, in addition, the school had a role of instilling values that would make the student good members of the community and a valuable part of society. Now things have changed and we are a country made of a much more diverse population. There are many groups who feel that they are being persecuted if they are made to assume a certain religion in school. This brings the role of the school and its social purpose into question.