RELIGIOSOPHY

I have written before as to why public schools ought teach religion, in a post I entitled, "Knowledge, Too, is Power". I wrote, in part:

"The function of schools ought be the teaching of facts for the purpose of aiding students live their lives happily and successfully. It is a fact that a majority of the people almost anyone will meet and with whom they will have relations believe to some degree in God and religion. It is decidedly advantageous to understand the belief system...the psychology and philosophy...of people you come in contact with, and one way of doing so is to study the source of those beliefs."

I want to add another important reason why public schools ought teach religion and it centers on that word "philosophy". Religious teachings are, in essence, philosophies... encompassing guiding principles about how one should live one's life (ethics), how transgressors ought be dealt with (politics), and perhaps most importantly, offering adherents an overall perspective on the meaning and purpose of life.

To each of us, the philosophy we consciously or otherwise live our life by is vital to our long term happiness. To a religious person, therefore, the particular religion that he or she follows, is crucial. And yet, for almost all of us, that religion is not chosen by us...but is thrust upon us by happenstance: the religion of our parents. Born to Catholic parents? You are a Catholic. Parents Buddhist? You're a Buddhist. Born to parents of different religions? Generally, you are considered to belong to the religion of your mother. It is quite natural, and understandable, that from early childhood it is that religion you will be taught, exposed to, and with which you will identify. That unchosen birth religion.

And therein lies my additional reason for public schools to offer courses in religion. Not for the purpose of promoting one over the other, but for the purpose of providing you with information to help you choose the religion and the philosophy most in harmony with, most compatible with, your individual sense of life.

Celebrities and others who choose another religion other than their birth religion are often mocked and viewed as having done something bizarre. And yet, the conversion to another religion (philosophy) may well be the most beneficial and intelligent decision of their lives.

Years ago, I was sitting in a park when two ladies approached each other, one of them pushing an infant in a baby carriage. Staring admiringly at the baby, the other woman exclaimed, "Look at that beautiful Jewish boy." I smiled. If Judaism is a tribe, then yes, indeed, we can say the baby is a Jew. But if Judaism is a philosophy...sorry, he is much too young to have made that critical choice in his life.