Double-Edged Sword

Yesterday's post generated some discussion about religion in public schools. It would be nice to have a healthier balance in our current approach. Learning about religions and what people of different faiths believe is critical to understanding one another and understanding human civilization. What I don't believe we should do, however, is practice religion in public schools. Separation of church and state is key to living peaceably together in a pluralistic society, each of us enjoying our own freedom of conscience.

That said, learning about religions in school--like just about anything in our world--can be a double-edged sword.

When I took U.S. history in high school and we discussed westward expansion, my teacher talked about Mormons in an extraordinarily derogatory way. The guy sitting next to me raised his hand and said, "Miss S___, did you know that Margy is a Mormon?" Let's just say it was not the most comfortable moment for me or my teacher.

So while I'd like students across the country to learn about various faiths, I'm not so sure every teacher across the country would teach the basics with appropriate objectivity and an eye toward increased understanding. The backlash from the faithful wouldn't be pretty. People within religions tend to share positive, faith-promoting stories among themselves and anything that smacks of criticism begets entrenchment.

As it turned out, it was a valuable reality check for me to hear my history teacher present such a negative view of Mormons. I began to understand that persecution of the early saints did not happen in a vacuum.

Maybe we don't just need to learn about one another's beliefs. Maybe we also need to learn about why people fear/distrust/misunderstand/overgeneralize/and even hate one other because of their beliefs (or lack of belief). And maybe we (and we includes me) could all then humbly self-reflect.

Oh, wait. That might lead to world peace, thus disrupting the path to armageddon. Never mind.