Religious symbols in schools

[SkylarHunter]

This is a subject that causes a lot of problems here in France and there are constantly talks about removing religious symbols from schools.
If I had a saying religious symbols of any kind would never be allowed inside a school and religion in general would not be mixed with secular affairs such as politics and public education. It's not disrespect but simply a belief that things belong in their own place.
What is your view? Should schools allow crosses, veils, t-shirts with religious messages, etc?

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Here in the States, we try to maintain a separation of church and state, which becomes pretty problematic. Especially during Christmas.

Personally, I think religious icons should be allowed for individuals--any religious icon that isn't overtly offensive or dangerous. Also, allowing religious icons for educational purposes I am okay with, as it is a major part of humanity and shouldn't be ignored in educational.

EDIT: And I mean, any religion or spirituality.

 

[Quintessence]

Secularism is not, and should never be the banishment of religion from the public square. It is quite distressing to me when officials propose banishment of religion as a "solution" to conflicts that occur over religious expression in the public square. That's not a solution, it's religious favoritism for humanists, atheists, secularists; it's also favoritism for all religions whose symbols are either obscure enough or considered secular enough that they would be completely overlooked by the policies. Mine is one such religion. A pendant of planet earth is a religious symbol to me. I could flagrantly wear this religious symbol and nobody would consider it a problem. Why should I allowed to express my religion because it's obscure and "secular enough" yet a Christian can't wear a cross? It's not fair, and it's nonsensical. People need to get over themselves, embrace religion as an inevitable facet of human culture, and learn how to live in a diverse, pluralistic society.

 

[nilsz]

I really don't see any problem with allowing hijab in school. I think that education of muslim women and freedom of expression are by far more important concerns than whatever France's ban of it in school may seek to accomplish.

 

[Zantiax]

A school should have rules, unrelated to religion. If you can wear your religious stuff without breaking those rules, it's ok. If not, you can't. Simple as that.

 

[nilsz]

A school should not have bad rules.

 

[Vinayaka]

At the school I taught at, we had clothing rules pertaining to illegal activity and modesty. That was about it.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

This is a subject that causes a lot of problems here in France and there are constantly talks about removing religious symbols from schools.
If I had a saying religious symbols of any kind would never be allowed inside a school and religion in general would not be mixed with secular affairs such as politics and public education. It's not disrespect but simply a belief that things belong in their own place.
What is your view? Should schools allow crosses, veils, t-shirts with religious messages, etc?

I think as personal items for the students there shouldn't be any real limitation assuming its respectful and its not causing a disturbance. However none of the public school money should go to religious symbols of any kind.

 

[steeltoes]

I don't have a problem with freedom of expression.

 

[Ingledsva]

I think as personal items for the students there shouldn't be any real limitation assuming its respectful and its not causing a disturbance. However none of the public school money should go to religious symbols of any kind.

Except that the reason they are now banned is because of preferential treatment for Christian symbols. People got tired of it.


Kids wearing Pentagrams, or other Pagan or Heathen symbols, etc, were being told to remove them.


Or for instance - How about a Hindu swastika?


I think all religious symbols should be kept out of schools.



*

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Except that the reason they are now banned is because of preferential treatment for Christian symbols. People got tired of it.


Kids wearing Pentagrams, or other Pagan or Heathen symbols, etc, were being told to remove them.


Or for instance - How about a Hindu swastika?


I think all religious symbols should be kept out of schools.



*

Thats what I mean. Either have them all or have none. Either the school doesn't have anything to say about the personal wear or it does.

 

[NobodyYouKnow]

On a similar, related note...

It always peeves me off when ever I think of how Konami totally censored their Trading Cards for a Western demographic, yet they remain unchanged in Japan:

Monster Reborn went from this:
http://plamoya.com/bmz_cache/b/b5ca9aa23f04f6c742bb4f432aae01a8.image.345x500.jpg

to this:
http://toylynx.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/monsterreborndpyg-en-r-1e.jpg

Foolish Burial went from this:
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/_...ioh/images/c/c1/FoolishBurial-JP-Anime-5D.png

To this:
http://static4.wikia.nocookie.net/_.../images/3/3c/FoolishBurial-LCJW-EN-ScR-1E.png

Injection Fairy Lily went from this:
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/_...oh/images/0/02/InjectionFairyLilyMA-JP-NR.jpg

To this:
http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/_...ages/d/da/InjectionFairyLily-LCJW-EN-C-1E.png

Konami removed every religious symbol, every reference to it...even removing the horns from monsters and making demons (the deck I play, which they call 'Fiends' to discredit any religious significance) all cuddly and 'cute'...it is deplorable.

They do it so as not to offend any 'religious sensitivity', so that Muslim mothers (for example) would have no qualms about letting their children play a 'children's' card game.

'Soccer Moms' have too much sway in politics. That is for certain.

While ever a religious symbol is displayed anywhere, somebody is going to whine about it...and if they whine for long enough, hard enough and to the right people, legal stuff can happen, so they remove all this religious imagery so that these kinds of people won't have any legs to stand on.

It's bad that society has to pander to this all in the name of 'religious tolerance', when if it takes a symbol to upset people, their faith mustn't be all that strong to begin with.

 

[Valkyrie]

Though in Bulgaria religious symbols are banned i continued to wear a small Aum symbol on my neck and no one made a problem of that - mostly because they do not know of this symbol .Swastika is banned because of a misguided human being called Adolf Hitler .

 

[Quirkybird]

Far better to keep symbols of any kind out of schools, as they aren't helpful to learning, imo.

 

[Iti oj]

Secularism is not, and should never be the banishment of religion from the public square. It is quite distressing to me when officials propose banishment of religion as a "solution" to conflicts that occur over religious expression in the public square. That's not a solution, it's religious favoritism for humanists, atheists, secularists; it's also favoritism for all religions whose symbols are either obscure enough or considered secular enough that they would be completely overlooked by the policies. Mine is one such religion. A pendant of planet earth is a religious symbol to me. I could flagrantly wear this religious symbol and nobody would consider it a problem. Why should I allowed to express my religion because it's obscure and "secular enough" yet a Christian can't wear a cross? It's not fair, and it's nonsensical. People need to get over themselves, embrace religion as an inevitable facet of human culture, and learn how to live in a diverse, pluralistic society.

Untill the religious extrem gets the **** out of science, schools and polotics this is unreasonable.

 

[bobhikes]

My take is that it is a part of history. To understand ourselves we need to understand our past and present. Religion is a major part of this. Sweeping it under the carpet only allows for us to repeat the problems.

I am always open with my children discussing all aspects of Religion and non-religion. We just discussed hinduism recently.

 

[Quirkybird]

My take is that it is a part of history. To understand ourselves we need to understand our past and present. Religion is a major part of this. Sweeping it under the carpet only allows for us to repeat the problems.

I am always open with my children discussing all aspects of Religion and non-religion. We just discussed hinduism recently.

It is fine to discuss it, in fact children should have an understanding of all the major religions as a matter of general knowledge. However it is not acceptable to try to force one's faith on a child, they should make up their own minds about such matters.

 

[ChristineES]

I don't see any problem with students and even teachers wearing religious symbols- and not just my religion, all faiths. But, as for wall hangings, if they let one religion do that, then they would have to let all faiths do it, as well. That may not be too practical, so maybe limit wall hangings to secular items.

 

[ametist]

There is no end to this type of banning. At the end you may even begin to get disturbed if a person himself physically resembles hinduism to you.

 

[SkylarHunter]

it is not acceptable to try to force one's faith on a child, they should make up their own minds about such matters.

I never thought one day I would agree with you on something :yes: