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Tori Saunders
Prof. Hellmers
English 1201
22 March 2015
Teaching Religion in Public Schools
The topic I am doing my research essay on in why you cannot teach religion in
public schools. At my school we are not allowed to teach religion because everyone has
different religions beliefs. The question I plan to answer is why religion should not be
taught in public schools. I plan to show how you can teach religion in certain schools,
like private schools that are like Catholic because it is in the school name and the
parents is obviously aware of the religion the student would be taught. The public
schools should not be allowed to teach religion or push their religion onto any students
of a public school. I believe this because there can be a lot of fights started. Parents
could sue the school by saying their child is not allowed to believe what they want to
believe that the teachers are pushing their own religion onto students. I plan to use
articles to help show why this is, and give an example of a situation of a court case
when a school has been sued for the acts of their teachers.
The Dewey article explains thoughts on why religion should not be taught in
public schools. His personal opinion is that religion should not be taught public schools
because it can cause arguments and could possibly cause problems in the future with
some students. He argues on both sides of the case by saying that he agrees some
should be taught but not pushed onto students. Students should get the knowledge of
how each religion works but should still be able to believe what they want to believe. He

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agrees that you should be taught that there are many types of religions, but not which
religion you should believe. He believes every student and teacher or anyone should be
able to have their own religious beliefs.

Giarelli, James M. "Dewey On Religion In Public Schools." Philosophy Of Education

Yearbook (2010): 275. Biography Reference Bank (H.W. Wilson). Web. 5 Dec. 2014.

This article is talking about if The Bible should be allowed to be taught in public
schools. The article will help me with my research by finding a case where adding a
religion class unsettled parents and there were complaints toward the Texas school
board. A western Texas school was voting whether to add a Bible class or not in public
schools. The law of this case was said the Bible could be taught in private schools and
should not be taught in public school because not all schools are required to have a
Morning Prayer, the students and faculty feel they should not have to participate in the
prayers or in religion classes. Most people felt this way and stood up against the school
boards and tried to make a difference and make laws against it, by not allowing it.

Sorenson, Richard D. "The Bible And The Board." Education Digest 73.3 (2007): 10.
TOPICsearch. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.

This article will help my research essay by letting another voice their own
opinion other than just my opinion. William A. Proefriedt was an English teacher for the
late 50s and he was telling others how teaching religion in school became a huge

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problem. He said there was many court cases involving the matters. In the school he
taught at he said they were trying to get the teachers to vote with and try to get them to
allow teaching religion in their class rooms. Proefriedt was against it and ended up
getting multiple teachers to vote with him by convincing them it was wrong. They would
be taking away the students 1st Amendments rights, he got many teachers to
understand and say they wouldnt want that happening to their own children at a
different school. The article helps me give strong details to support my paper on.

Proefriedt, William A. "Limitations And Compromises: Religion And The Public Schools."
America 185.5 (2001): 20. Biography Reference Bank (H.W. Wilson). Web. 5 Dec.
2014.
All of these articles will help me when writing my research essay, because I have
reasons to be with the teaching of religion and to be against the teaching of religion in
public schools. I have an article of a court case when the parents sue the school for the
school board adding a Bible class to their students schedules. The parents of the
students thought it was wrong that, if the student is Atheist, and does not believe in the
Bible that they shouldnt have to take that class.