Chapter 9: Religious Pluralism in Secular Classrooms

Chapter 9: Religious Pluralism in Secular Classrooms

Characteristics of a Religiously Pluralistic Classroom

• A cause, principle, system, or personal set of beliefs held to with ador and faith; A way of life ( Merriam Webster)
• "A unified system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people struggle with... the ultimate problems of human life" (Durkheim 1969)

What is Religion?

• Respectively, the teacher should be sensitive and knowledgeable concerning different religious backgrounds of students
• Sensitivity to potential and real areas of conflict among students of different religious backgrounds,teachers must act as mediators and interpreters

First Amendment :

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances..."

Fourteenth Amendment:

Granted citizens of the United States all the rights they had as citizens which causes the issue of separation of church and state

Ethical Issues

Court Cases:

• Teachers must be aware of religious prejudice
• Teachers must be familiar with federal and state laws with respect to religion and schooling
• Be sensitive to students' religious beliefs while taking into consideration their lesson plans( i.e. evolution)

ON PRAYER

Religious Pluralism in the U.S.

• Abington vs Schemp (1963): Requiring students to participate in prayers and read from the Bible is deemed unconstitutional
• Lee vs Weisman (1992): Prayers at high school graduations are deemed unconstitutional
• Santa Fe Independent School Distric vs Doe (2000): Prayer at high school football games are unconstitutional

Vocabulary

ON ATTENDANCE:

Influences

• Pierce vs Society of Sisters(1925): Children have to attend school and a private religious school applies to this
• Wisconsin vs Yoder(1972): The Old Order Amish do not have to adhere to Wisconsin's compulsory school law and their children may stop schooling after 8th grade

• Early settlers came to America to escape religious prejudice
• In pre colonial times natives believed in a deity and having a close connection with each other and with nature
• When Europeans came over to America they brought along Christianity and Judaism
• African slaves brought over their nativist religions (i.e. Islam)

PUBLIC FUNDING

• Cochran vs Lousianna Board of Education (1930): The use of public funds to purchase textbooks for private schools is constitutional

Cultural Capital: Cultural knowledge a person uses to advance or be a leader in society

Theocracy: System of government in which religion is completely intertwined within

Fundamentalism: Gaining strength in all the religions of the world as people begin to feel the effects of globalization and institutional change

• Everson vs Board of Education (1947): Use of public funds to bus students to religious schools is constitutional